⬇️ The Download- April 2026

Welcome to the April edition of the Tech Coach Newsletter! As we head into the final stretch of the school year, we are excited to share practical tips, new features, and helpful updates to support teachers and staff across the district.

In this issue, you will find time-saving tech tips like Gmail templates and keyboard shortcuts, along with guidance on protecting your data when using AI tools. We are also sharing Chrome tips and troubleshooting strategies to help keep your browser running smoothly on any device. In addition, we are highlighting Into Math AI tools available through HMH Ed to support planning, differentiation, and communication.

We are always looking to improve and better support your needs. Please take a few minutes to complete the End of the Year Technology Survey to share feedback on your building and district tech coaches, as well as The Download. Your input helps us make this resource more useful and relevant for you.

Whether you are teaching, supporting, or leading, we hope this month’s edition helps you work smarter, stay connected, and maybe even try something new.

- Your CH-UH Tech Coaches

Open Now: End of Year Technology Survey

Wed, April 22 - Fri, May 1: Quarter 4 Progress Window

Fri, April 24: ELA Spring OST/EOC Window Closes

Fri, May 8: Math, Sci & Social Studies OST/EOC Window Closes

Wed, May 13, 3-4pm: End of Year Google Cleanup Virtual PD

Everyday tech tips to help you stay organized, connected, and confident.

Do you find yourself sending the same email over and over? Gmail’s Templates feature can help by allowing you to save and reuse messages you send frequently.

Templates let you create customizable email drafts that you can quickly insert when needed, saving time and keeping communication consistent.

Turn on Templates

Before using templates, make sure the feature is enabled:

1. Go to Settings > See all settings

2. Select the Advanced tab

3. Find Templates and click Enable

Create and Use a Template

To create a template:

1. Draft an email as you normally would

2. Click the three dots in the lower right corner

3. Select Templates > Save draft as template

To use a template:

1. Open a new email

2. Click the three dots

3. Hover over Templates and select the one you want

Ways to Use Gmail Templates

Templates can be helpful for many roles across the district:

• Teachers: Save common parent communication or classroom updates

• Office staff: Respond to frequently asked questions or share standard information

• Administrators: Send consistent staff updates or reminders

Using templates is a simple way to save time and keep your communication clear and consistent throughout your day.

Want even more great news? This shortcut works in Firefox and Safari too, and on Macs (the Mac shortcut is Command + Shift + T). Hopefully, the next time you accidentally close the wrong tab you remember there is a shortcut ready to save the day!

💡 Try It Now
Close this tab and then press Crtl + Shift + T to watch it reopen!

Easy AI wins to boost your day in a big way.

Gemini

Did you know that CH-UH has access to Google’s generative AI tool? When using your CH-UH account, Gemini keeps your data protected. The information you enter is not reviewed, shared, used for advertising, or used to train AI models. It is FERPA compliant and designed for K–12 use.

How do you know you are in the protected version?
Look for the shield icon in Gemini. This indicates you are using your secure school account.

Other Services

If you use other chatbots like ChatGPT or Claude, it is important to protect your data. This helps keep your information secure and prevents it from being used to train models or shared with third parties.

On ChatGPT
Click your account name → Settings → Data Controls → Deselect “Improve the model for everyone”

On Claude
Click your initials (bottom left) → Settings → Privacy → Deselect “Help improve Claude”

Taking a few minutes to adjust these settings can help keep your data secure while using AI tools.

When using AI, please follow these guidelines:

• Use the minimum amount of data needed.

• Remove all student names.

• Remove identifying information (grade level, class, letter grade).

• Double-check the work you enter into AI before hitting enter.

Hello Tiger Nation!

Spring has officially arrived 🌸🌼With Spring comes renewal and… RESET. Is Chrome acting sluggish for you? 🐌 Are pages not loading fast enough?

Here are a few fast and easy ways to reset Chrome:

💡 Bonus Tip: This restart works on both teacher devices and Chromebooks. It can also help resolve issues with tools like GoGuardian, especially if a student’s screen is not appearing.

You may have noticed the new AI Tools available on the HMH Ed dashboard. We’re excited to share that our district has access to these tools for the remainder of the school year.

This year, AI Tools are free to use, with a daily limit. Every teacher and leader with access to HMH Ed receives 6 AI Tool credits every 24 hours.

Because AI-generated content can vary, all materials should be reviewed before use to ensure accuracy and alignment with your instructional goals.

Designed with the classroom in mind, the AI Tools support lesson design and planning, differentiation, and communication. You’ll find tools that help streamline family communication, generate instructional materials, scaffold vocabulary, translate text, build presentations, create quizzes, and develop lesson or unit plans, all aligned to our Into Math curriculum.

Featured AI Tools to Try First

• Newsletter Generator: Share classroom updates and highlights with families and staff.
• Presentation Generator: Quickly build slides for lessons, PD, or back-to-school events.
• Text Translator: Translate messages and materials to support multilingual communication.

Here are links to some helpful AI how-to’s

HMH’s approach to AI is grounded in a strong commitment to data privacy, ethical use, and educator empowerment, ensuring these tools are safe, inclusive, and supportive of both teaching and learning.

If you have questions or would like support exploring these tools, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

If you are trying to play a video on your SMART panel, especially one stored in Google Drive, and you are getting an error message, then this workaround will solve the problem. You will need to quickly download the video to your panel, and it will play.

Here are the steps, or watch this video

1. On video, click the download button in the top right corner. It is next to the 3 dots and looks like .

2. Allow the video to download to the panel. Once the download is complete, hit the open button, and you will have a playable video.

Visit our Technology Support site for quick access to help documents, tutorials, and an archive of all previous Tech Coach newsletters.

📎 tinyurl.com/CHUHtechcoaches

Whether you're troubleshooting a tool or catching up on tips, this is your go-to hub for all things tech in CH-UH!