Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of running a session at Google Malaysia for a group of passionate and forward-thinking educators. It was inspiring to see how quickly they connected with the possibilities of AI in education. Many were particularly excited by the power of Google Gemini and how seamlessly it integrates with Google Classroom to enhance teaching and learning. We explored practical tools such as AI-summarised emails and Google Vids, which make lesson planning, communication, and content creation more efficient and engaging. A key message that resonated was that AI isn’t here to replace teachers—it’s here to empower them. The feedback and reflections shared by participants made it clear that this hands-on experience not only sparked ideas but also deepened their confidence to bring AI meaningfully into their own classrooms.
As part of the session, I also introduced the CLASS framework—Classroom Learning AI Support System—which we’ve been developing to help teachers stay in control of generative AI. CLASS is designed to support educators by embedding AI in ways that are practical, ethical, and aligned with learning outcomes. It enables teachers to guide AI use within clear boundaries, providing students with powerful tools while ensuring that pedagogy and teacher judgement remain at the centre. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with many educators expressing interest in trialling the framework in their own schools.
Here is a video to see the system in action, notice how the teacher remains firmly in the driving seat!
One activity that stood out was the knockout generative image game, which participants really enjoyed. In a rock-paper-scissors-style format, each person created an AI-generated image and revealed it to a partner. The person with the more impressive or creative image would “win” and gain the other as a supporter. This process continued in rounds, forming larger and larger teams. It was a light-hearted but impactful way to demonstrate how generative tools can inspire creativity, collaboration, and healthy debate—qualities we want to encourage in every classroom.
We also explored Google Vids, a new addition to Google Workspace that makes video creation accessible to everyone. Using the “Help me create” feature, teachers can generate storyboards and scripts from a simple prompt or document, then build videos using stock media, transitions, and built-in voiceovers. The tool supports clear narration through AI-generated or user-recorded voice tracks and includes features like a teleprompter for ease of delivery. Its collaborative, Slides-like interface makes it ideal for lesson delivery, student assignments, and internal school communications. Many teachers commented on how approachable and useful it felt—even those with limited experience in video production left excited to try it out.
