How Teachers Can Leverage AI Tools Like Google’s NotebookLM to Make Complex Issues Easier for Students

With the integration of technology into education, tools such as Google’s NotebookLM offer new ways to simplify complex topics for students. This AI-powered tool helps teachers break down dense information, making it easier for students to grasp challenging subjects, particularly when engaging with current events or multifaceted issues.

Translating News into Learning Materials: The Greenbelt Scandal Example

I experimented with Google’s NotebookLM by transforming a newspaper article about Ontario’s Greenbelt scandal into a podcast. The Greenbelt scandal, which involves policy shifts, environmental debates, and political ramifications, is not easy to navigate. However, NotebookLM allowed me to summarize the article, creating an accessible audio version.

This streamlined approach offers teachers a method to present similarly complicated topics in a way that encourages student engagement.

Making Complex Topics More Accessible

In courses such as history, social studies, or environmental science, dense subjects like political issues or scientific reports often present challenges for students. NotebookLM can help by summarizing long-form content—news articles, government documents, or research studies—into key points that are easier for students to understand.

For instance, a teacher could use NotebookLM to simplify a technical climate change report, turning it into digestible information for classroom use. This connects real-world events with the curriculum, ensuring students can access and comprehend critical issues.

Enhancing Media Literacy Through Podcast Creation

NotebookLM’s ability to convert text into audio also opens up opportunities for media studies and English teachers. By transforming written articles, such as news reports or editorials, into podcasts, teachers can encourage students to analyze how different media formats present information. This method promotes media literacy and critical thinking by allowing students to compare written content with its audio presentation, deepening their understanding of the subject matter.

Facilitating Critical Thinking with Custom GPT Questions

After students listen to a podcast created with NotebookLM, teachers can use my Critical Thinking Questions for Educators custom GPT tool to generate targeted discussion prompts. For example, students analyzing a podcast on a political scandal could be prompted to examine varying perspectives, investigate the underlying causes, or propose potential solutions. This fosters critical thinking by pushing students to engage more deeply with the content, rather than simply absorbing information.

Supporting Research and Study Guides

NotebookLM can also be a valuable tool for research support. Students can use the AI to summarize extensive research reports or articles, gaining a clear starting point for exploring complex subjects. This feature is particularly beneficial in interdisciplinary studies, where students need to integrate knowledge from fields like history, science, and geography. By distilling intricate materials into core messages, NotebookLM helps students navigate academic content without becoming overwhelmed.

Customizing Content for Diverse Classrooms

In classrooms with diverse learning needs, NotebookLM can modify the complexity of reading materials. Teachers can adjust the difficulty level of texts to ensure that all students, regardless of their reading abilities or language proficiency, can engage with the same content. This adaptability is especially helpful in language studies and special education, where tailored materials are crucial for student success. By simplifying difficult texts and clarifying complex terminology, NotebookLM ensures accessibility for all students.

The Role of AI in Future Classrooms

AI tools like NotebookLM provide valuable resources for simplifying complex topics, making learning more interactive and engaging. Whether summarizing dense articles, creating podcasts, generating critical thinking questions with my Custom Critical Thinking Questions GPT, or adapting content for different learning levels, these tools enhance the educational experience. As technology continues to shape the classroom, AI will play an increasingly important role in helping students understand and interact with challenging material, fostering both critical thinking and media literacy.

Questions for Educators: How Are You Using AI in Your Classroom?

As educators, we’re all exploring new ways to engage our students and simplify the learning process. I’d love to hear how you’ve used AI tools like NotebookLM or if this post has inspired new ideas for your classroom.

  • Have you tried incorporating AI-powered tools to help students better understand complex topics? How did it go?
  • What specific subjects or topics have you found AI tools particularly useful for?
  • How do you think AI can shape the future of education and student engagement?

Feel free to share your experiences and insights in the comments. Let’s discuss how we can continue to leverage technology to enhance learning for our students.

Nature’s Carbon Vault – Exploring the Efficacy of Burying Wood

A close-up cross-section of a large tree log lying on a forest floor, with distinct growth rings ranging from dark brown in the center to lighter brown towards the outer edges. The log's intricate rings symbolize its age and history, set against the backdrop of a dense forest with scattered leaves and foliage on the ground.

In this visual podcast, we delve into a fascinating article from The Washington Post, published on September 26, 2024. The article discusses an innovative method of carbon sequestration inspired by the remarkable discovery of a 3,775-year-old log found in Canada. This ancient wood offers insights into sustainable practices that could help combat climate change.

Join our two virtual podcasters, powered by Google’s #GoogleLM, as they unpack the implications of this method for our environment. With the help of a custom utility I wrote for creating the subtitles and another for audio visualization, this episode brings the topic to life in an engaging format.

Read the Washington Post article here.

New Custom GPT: Find Keywords – A Powerful Tool for Content Analysis

New Custom GPT: Find Keywords

I’ve created a new Custom GPT that will reduce text to just the keywords. The GPT is named Find Keywords and can be found at https://chat.openai.com/g/g-mL985wIE7-find-keywords.

Note that it requires a subscription to ChatGPT Plus. Unfortunately, OpenAI does not offer trial subscriptions, and subscriptions cost $20 USD per month. Personally, I find the subscription well worth it for both personal programming projects and for personal productivity.

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The Importance of Alt-Text in Enhancing Digital Accessibility and Engagement

An engaging feature image showcasing a computer screen displaying alt-text symbols, surrounded by diverse users engaging with digital content. The scene highlights inclusivity and accessibility in the digital realm, with a modern and professional style suitable for a blog post on the importance of alt-text for images.

This blog post, created by ChatGPT, supports another post of mine where I test ChatGPT and Google Gemini to see which is better at generating alt-text.


In the digital age, images are ubiquitous, serving as a powerful tool for storytelling, marketing, and communication across various online platforms. However, the visual nature of images can inadvertently exclude a significant portion of the audience, particularly individuals with visual impairments who rely on screen readers to navigate the internet. This is where alternative text, commonly known as alt-text, becomes a critical element in creating inclusive and accessible digital content. This blog post delves into the importance of using alt-text when posting images in blog posts or on social media, highlighting its impact on accessibility, search engine optimization (SEO), and user engagement.

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Using AI Chatbots to Solve my Pixel 7 Pro Charging Problem

A Pixel 7 Pro smartphone is displayed on a wireless charging pad, not charging, indicated by a visible red cross or question mark on the screen. In the background, various AI chatbot icons are depicted in speech bubbles, each providing different pieces of advice or troubleshooting steps. The setting is tech-focused, with a lighthearted yet informative tone, highlighting the diversity of AI assistance in solving technical issues.

My Pixel 7 Pro phone decided to stop charging wirelessly. I think I’ve exhausted any logical troubleshooting ideas I have so decided to turn the problem over to some AI chatbots before I bring the phone back to Telus while it’s still under warranty.

Following is a comparison of the different AI chatbots I used. As part of my troubleshooting prompt, it was important that the solution cite any sources that is uses. My prompt was….

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Using Python To Quickly Open Multiple Websites In Your Browser

Generated with AI ∙ January 18, 2024 at 1:10 p.m.

I had a problem where I was opening about a dozen bookmarks at the same time in Brave, and in doing so, it was giving me a “503 Service Temporarily Unavailable” error.

To fix this, I turned to Copilot Pro with this prompt:

Write a Python program that opens in my web browser (using Django?) that has a list of URLs that it opens in new tabs with a pause of 0.5 seconds between them. For the initial URLs, use Google and Microsoft.

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Why AI Won’t Be Replacing Teachers Anytime Soon

Read the original article here.

While AI has made significant progress in recent years, it is unlikely to replace teachers anytime soon. One reason for this is that AI lacks the ability to understand human emotions and social cues, which are essential for effective teaching. Additionally, AI is not capable of providing the same level of personalized attention that human teachers can provide.

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How can I use Bing Chat AI in Chrome?

Bing Chat AI is a new feature that allows you to interact with Bing in a conversational way, using natural language and ChatGPT technology. You can ask Bing anything, from factual questions to creative requests, and get personalized and engaging responses. However, Bing Chat AI is currently only available on Microsoft Edge, which means you have to switch browsers if you want to try it out. But what if you prefer to use Google Chrome as your default browser? Is there a way to access Bing Chat AI in Chrome without having to install Edge? The answer is yes, using some simple hacks and extensions.

One way is to use the Bing Chat for All Browsers extension³, which lets you access Bing Chat AI from any website. Another way is to use the Bing AI for Chrome extension⁴, which shows you Bing Chat answers alongside Google results. A third way is to change the browser’s user agent to trick Bing into thinking you are using Edge². You can find detailed instructions on how to do that in the article by How-To Geek².

Source: Conversation with Bing, 2023-06-03

1. Bing AI for Chrome – Chrome Web Store. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/bing-ai-for-chrome/oofdkcckpabclngcdjnkhlldcfadlfmh

2. Bing Chat (GPT-4) in Google – Chrome Web Store. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/bing-chat-gpt-4-in-google/pcnhobmoglanpljipbomknafhdlcgcng

3. How to Use Bing AI Chat in Google Chrome – How-To Geek. https://www.howtogeek.com/876422/how-to-use-bing-ai-chat-in-google-chrome/

4. How to use Microsoft Bing AI Chat in Google Chrome – TECH POINT MAGAZINE. https://techpointmag.com/use-microsoft-bing-ai-chat-in-google-chrome/

5. How to access Bing Chat AI on Chrome or Firefox – Pureinfotech. https://pureinfotech.com/access-bing-chat-ai-chrome-firefox/