Turn Your Video Projects into GIF Animations with Google Vids or Canva

Teachers are often looking for the quickest way to show, not just tell. You can now download your Google Vids or Canva video projects as animated GIF files, making it easier to share short, looping visual aids that play automatically in Google Slides, Sites, and Classroom!

How to Get Started with Google Vids

• Open your video project. 
• Go to the top menu and click File > Download.
• Select GIF animation (.gif) from the dropdown menu.
• Your browser will generate and download the looping file to your computer.
  
  
  

Google Tips: 

• Since GIFs don’t include sound, use the Styled Captions feature in the sidebar to add animated text to your video before you export. This ensures your "silent" GIF still clearly communicates the lesson.
• You can create a GIF from your Google Slide presentation.
• Open your slideshow
• Click file > Convert to video
• Your presentation will open in Google Vids and you can download it as a GIF from there.

How to Get Started with Canva

If you prefer using Canva’s library of elements and templates, the process is just as fast.

• Open your project (either video or presentation).
• Click the Share button in the top right corner.
• Select Download and change the File type to GIF.
• Choose the specific pages you want to include and click Download.
  
  
  
  
  

Fun Tip

Add a custom animated header in Google Classroom.

You can now upload custom GIF files (created in Google Vids or Canva) directly into the Google Classroom banner area. These files will loop automatically for anyone visiting your "Stream" page.

How to Get Started

• Open your class in Google Classroom and click Customize in the bottom right corner of the header image.
• Select Upload photo from the menu that appears.
• Drag and drop your GIF file from your computer into the upload window, or click Select a photo from your computer to find it.

More Visual Aids and Presentation Tools in NotebookLM

NotebookLM has evolved beyond text summaries. A new Studio panel now allows you to transform your uploaded sources into Video Overviews, Slide Decks, Infographics, Data Tables, and more. These features use your specific sources to create audio and visual content.

How to Get Started

• Open an existing notebook (or create a new one) and ensure you have uploaded your source documents and/or links.
• On the left, choose the source documents you want to use. You can use as as many or as few as you'd like from your list of uploaded and linked sources.
• Select your desired output from the menu options in the Studio panel in the upper right.
• For additional customization, click on the pencil icon in the box and make your selections. 
• Click on the box to generate the content.
• Once generated, you can click on the 3 vertical dots to the right of the file for download and sharing options.

Note: There is a limit to the number of outputs available to you with your Google Workspace account. 

IMPORTANT: Because this is an AI tool, it can misinterpret details. Always double-check the generated visual against your original sources for accuracy.

Just One Click to Polish Your Presentations in Google Slides

Google has introduced two AI-driven features to Google Slides: Beautify this slide and Help me visualize. These tools allow you to transform rough text into structured layouts and generate custom imagery directly within your presentation.

Beautify this Slide:

The Beautify this slide feature automatically converts slide content into a formatted layout with legible text that matches your deck's theme.

• Open a slide containing your rough ideas or text.
• Click the Beautify this slide icon (located in the top toolbar or sidebar).
• Review the generated layout.
• Select Insert as new slide to add the polished version to your deck.

Help me Visualize:

The Help me visualize tool uses text descriptions to generate images, infographics or even an entire slide.

• Navigate to Insert > Image > Help me visualize
• Choose between Slide, Image, or Infographic
• Type a description of the image you need in the text box.
• Optional: For the image, you can select a specific artistic style or aspect ratio from the dropdown menus.
• Click Create
• Click on the generated image to add it to your slide.

Tip

If the first generated image doesn't quite fit what you are looking for, try adding additional keywords to your prompt. 

In the example below,  I generated an infographic on how to create a great slide presentation. I then refined my prompt for the next version by specifying that I wanted the slide more colorful and the content tailored for 7th graders.

Note: Always review AI generated images closely to be sure they are correct and appropriate for your specific context.

Record Audio, Video, and Screencasts Directly in Google Classroom

Google Classroom now includes built-in tools to record audio, video, and screencasts directly within the platform. This allows teachers and students to record and post multimodal content in announcements, assignments, and private comments without using external apps.

For Teachers:

This update can streamline how you provide feedback and instructions. By integrating recording tools directly into your workflow, you can capture your screen or voice instantly, which helps with clarity in technical subjects, language fluency feedback, and accessibility for students who struggle with written text.

• You can find the new recording tools anywhere you typically create content (Announcements, Assignments, Materials, or Private Comments).
• Navigate to the Stream or Classwork tab and click the area where you want to post.
• Look for the new Record button in the toolbar.
  
  
  
  
  
• Select your recording type: Audio, Video, or Screencast (to share your screen).
• Capture your content and click Finish. The recording will automatically attach to your post or comment.
• Click Post or Send to share it with your students.

For Students:

Students can also use these tools to record their work or respond to your posts. (If students are unable to post, check your posting permissions for that class).

• Inside an assignment, students click + Add or create under the Your work panel.
• Select Record audio, Record video, or Record screen from the dropdown menu. 
  
  

• Once the recording is finished, it is automatically saved as an attachment to their assignment.
• Students click Turn in to submit the recording to you.

Please Note: Recordings in Google Classroom are limited to 5 minutes. For recordings up to 10 minutes, teachers and students can use Google Vids.

Tip

Teachers can use the Screencast option within Private Comments to record a quick "walk-through" of a student’s specific paper. It allows you to point to exact sentences or formulas while explaining your feedback verbally, saving you the time of typing out long explanations.