Starting School DX with [NotebookLM] ✨ Part 1 Teacher Edition: A Dramatic Change in Teachers' "Teaching Material Research"!
Hello, teachers! Thank you so much for all your hard work!
Suddenly, though...
・Do you have confidence that you understand every corner of the textbooks for the grade you are newly in charge of?
・Don't you ever find yourself with a mess of information because you've looked up too many things for class on the internet or in books?
・Have you ever experienced falling into a rabbit hole where you couldn't stop researching once you started wondering, "How should I explain the advanced content of this unit to capture the children's interest?"
…I understand, I truly understand!! 😭
Lesson preparation and teaching material research are the core of a teacher's work. But the reality is that no matter how much time you have, it's never enough for the "research" and "information organization" required for it.
Your passion gets buried under a mountain of tasks… Don't many teachers feel, "Ah, I wish I had more time to face the children and think about my lessons!"?
School DX is actually something that solves your "troubles!"
When you hear "DX (Digital Transformation)," it might sound like a distant world, like suddenly installing the latest system in a school. But that's not it!
School DX is about using the power of digital to turn teachers' "troubles!" and "not enough time!" into "I did it!," "That helped!," and "I have time now!." In other words, I believe it is aboutsmartly using technology to update the "system itself" so that teachers and children can lead more vibrant school lives.
And what if that update could actually start with your **"way of dealing with information"**...?
That is where the partner I introduced briefly before, which makes your materials smart, NotebookLM, comes in! (If you're thinking, "Wait, what was NotebookLM again?", please check the basics in the previous article! I've also posted the note from the official source.)
This time, I want to look specifically at what kind of amazing techniques NotebookLM can demonstrate in the sanctuary (?) of teachers' "teaching material research," or rather, the area that tends to be a time thief (!).
Important Information
As of May 2025, NotebookLM is also available to Google Workspace for Education customers.
However, to use it in an educational institution, the Google Workspace for Education administrator must enable the service. It cannot be used if the setting is disabled by the administrator.
The most reliable way to check if it can be used at your school or institution is to confirm with your Google Workspace for Education administrator.
Also, when using NotebookLM, please strictly adhere to your school's information security policy and exercise the utmost caution when loading materials containing personal or confidential information into NotebookLM. In particular, never handle information that can identify individual students or information related to the evaluation of faculty and staff.
If it is not permitted, please use your personal account. (It is free.) A smartphone app has also been announced. (Pre-registration for Android has already started, and the iOS version is scheduled to be provided on May 20th, with no pre-registration being conducted.)
If you think, "I want to use it for work with my business account," it's a good idea to show this article to your management and negotiate with the Board of Education to have the setting enabled.
NotebookLM's "Audio Overview" is now in Japanese! Get information with a lively talk between male and female AI!
First, from the important update information.
"NotebookLM" had a super hot update on April 30, 2025!✨
The "Audio Overview" feature finally supports Japanese! 🎉
What kind of feature is this?
It summarizes the uploaded PDF or web page with two male and female AI hosts in a lively, podcast-style conversation! 📻
"Reading materials is a drag"
"I want to learn quickly while on the move"
It's perfect for people like that. When you throw in a paper or a YouTube video, the AI male-female duo will explain the main points with a vibe like, "Hey, isn't this crazy?"
"Right, listen to this!"
The Japanese is also super natural, just like a radio DJ talk! 😎
You can also customize it by saying things like "Deep dive into this topic!" or "Make it for beginners!." If you select Japanese in your Google account language settings, you can listen to the Japanese talk right away! ⚡
I will explain how to use it after this.
For now, I made an audio overview using this note as a source. If you find it troublesome to read, please download the audio overview below and listen to it.
✨Super Efficient Teaching Material Research Technique✨ [NotebookLM] becomes your brain!
The materials you collect for teaching material research—textbooks, teacher's manuals, supplementary readers, reference books, internet articles, past lesson plans, training handouts... there are countless numbers of them, right? Reading all of these, organizing them in your head, and applying them to your own lessons is truly a daunting task.
NotebookLM swallows this "mountain of information" you've collected and acts like your personal secretary and super-brain. It perfectly grasps the contents of the materials, and if you ask what you want to know, it will give you an answer immediately based on those materials.
So, specifically, how is it effective to use it for teaching material research? Here are my recommended tips for using it!
Leave it all to it!! From creating lesson plans, slide drafts, and Kahoot! questions to audio overviews: Let's have it read the entire textbook!
Scan the textbook or take screenshots (digital version) to create a PDF
file. To make it easy to understand, I will use Educational Publishing 6th Grade Social Studies P12-29 "The Constitution and Our Lives" as an example. It's full of mosaics so it might be hard to read, but I'll post the photos. If you have the actual book, please have it ready.
Note: NotebookLM can read the content even from image-based PDFs, but it may not read them if the image quality is low or if there are many charts and diagrams. Try to scan at as high a resolution as possible. Scanning with an OCR-compatible scanner will also improve the accuracy as a reference material. (Microsoft Office Lens, Adobe Scan, etc.)
1. NotebookLM Open and click "New Notebook" on the initial screen.
If you get stuck here, check out how to use it from the link above.
2. Add the textbook PDF to the source.
Get an overview of the entire unit with the Japanese-supported "Audio Overview"
Let's press the generate button.
After waiting a few minutes, an audio overview of the entire unit will be generated.
I'll quote just the first part.
Speaker 1: Hello. This time, from the excerpts of the Japanese textbook you shared, I'd like to look at the Constitution and the political system, especially the most important parts, together with you. Reading this material makes me rethink how the basic rules of Japan, especially the three major principles of the Constitution, form the foundation of society.
Speaker 2: Yes, that's right. Especially the three pillars: sovereignty of the people, respect for fundamental human rights, and pacifism. I'd like to get to the core of how these work together with the governing institutions like the Diet, the Cabinet, and the courts, while also looking at the diagrams in the material.
Speaker 1: Yes. So, first, let's start with the sovereignty of the people. The textbook says that the final decision-making power for national politics lies with the people, but how is this specifically manifested?
Speaker 2: Well, the easiest thing to understand is elections.
Speaker 1: Elections?
Speaker 2: Yes. The people choose their representatives, that is, the members of the Diet.
Here is the actual audio. Please take a listen.
Let's create lesson plans for each class
Enter the following instructions in the chat box.
This textbook covers one class (45 minutes) every two pages. That makes a total of 9 hours. Please divide it every two pages and create lesson plans for a total of 9 hours.
Structure of Japanese Politics Textbook Lesson Plan
Class time composition: 1 hour (45 minutes) per 2 pages Total time: 9 hours
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1st Hour]
Target pages: Page 12, Page 13
Class time: 1 hour (45 minutes)
Main theme: What is the Constitution of Japan? ~Basic rules of the country~
Objective:
・Understand that the Constitution of Japan is the most basic rule of the country and serves as the foundation for all laws. (Omitted below)
Point: The Constitution defines the basic way the country's politics should be conducted.
(Omitted)
Lesson flow (example)
1.Introduction (5 minutes): Present the question "What kind of thing is the Constitution of Japan?" from "Questions for this hour" (Omitted below)
2.Learning pages 12-13 (30 minutes):Explain that the Constitution is the most important rule of the country. (Omitted below)
Summary (10 minutes): Reconfirm that the Constitution of Japan is the basic rule of the country and that important principles regarding the lives of the people and the state of the country are established. Mention creating learning problems in the next hour. (Omitted below)
[2nd Hour]
(Omitted below)
It will create all 9 hours' worth at once.
If you want to create it carefully, try giving instructions like the following.
I will create a lesson plan for pages 22 and 23. Please write the lesson plan in a table format with columns for Time, Learning Activities, Teacher's Approach/Support, Children's Activities/Expected Behavior, and Evaluation.
It will create it like the one below.
Let's have it create a draft for class slides
When creating slides based on a lesson plan, I think about the number of slides, the words to include, and the layout. Let's get those ideas too.
It is easier to understand if you create them one hour at a time rather than all at once.
I will create class slides to use for the lesson on P22-23. Please propose a slide draft. Since I will insert diagrams and photos from the textbook, please instruct me on what to include.
Please output as in the example below.
Slide draft: The Constitution of Japan and its principles
Slide 1: Title
Slide draft: The work of the Diet ~Until a law is made~
Slide 1:Title: The work of the Diet ~Until a law is made~
Slide 2:Today's learning
•Let's look back at the previous lesson (relationship between constitutional principles and laws)
•Question for this hour: "What kind of role does the Diet have?"
•Let's talk about what you have seen on TV or what you know about the Diet.
(Omitted)
Slide 10:Examples of laws close to us
•There are things in our daily lives that are determined by law.
•Example: National holidays. They are named "Act on National Holidays" by law.
•Instructions for diagrams and photos: The "National Holidays" list on p.23
Regarding the creation of class slides, there are ways to improve efficiency using other AI. I will introduce them another time.
Let's have it create quiz questions for Kahoot! and the like
It can also easily create quizzes. You can use them for Kahoot!, use them for the slides created above, or put them in a form for review.
Based on the content of the textbook on P22-23, I will create a quiz for elementary school students. Please create 10 questions with 4 choices each, based on the content of the textbook.
[Question 1] In Japan, where is the important place that can create only one law? 1 A. Court B. Cabinet C. National Diet D. School
[Question 2] In the National Diet, people elected by vote gather to discuss and decide on important matters related to the lives of the citizens. Which of the following is written in the textbook as something they discuss and decide?
A. Delicious school lunch menu B. Dates for next year's summer vacation C. Approval of treaties with foreign countries D. Salaries of Diet members
[Question 3] The National Diet is divided into two houses (groups) to conduct discussions more carefully. What is this system of dividing into two houses to discuss called?
A. Separation of powers B. Bicameral system C. Lay judge system D. Popular sovereignty
(Omitted below)
By giving instructions such as "add explanations" or "create fill-in-the-blank questions," the problems you can create will also change. Give instructions according to your goals.
You can also use "Audio Overview" for explanations of each lesson.
Regarding the audio overview I explained earlier, you can focus on specific content by adding instructions in "Customize."
When generating a new one, download the created audio overview if necessary, then delete it. This allows you to generate it again.
Customization looks like this.
Here is what was created.
Speaker 2: Hello. Today, I would like to look at the mechanisms and roles of the National Diet and the Cabinet, which can be called the engine room of Japanese politics, based on pages 22 and 23 of the materials you have at hand.
Speaker 1: Yes.
Speaker 2: You might think politics sounds difficult, but don't worry. This time, I will explain the basics in an easy-to-understand way.
Speaker 1: Yes. National politics might seem like a distant world at first glance, but it is actually properly connected to familiar things like school rules or building new roads.
(Omitted)
Here is the actual audio. Please take a listen.
It seems like it could also be used for lesson summaries, right?
Just by inputting textbook data, you can prepare for lessons in no time. How about it? Did you want to try using it? If so, that's great. You have potential for DX!!
Let's read the rest. It might not be useful immediately, but it might be a trigger for an idea when you are in trouble!
Instantly solve the "mysteries" of the Course of Study and MEXT/Board of Education materials!
Your troubles
"The goals for this unit are difficult to grasp because the words are hard..."
"I read the guidebook, but what does it actually mean?"
"This notice is incomprehensible!!"
How to use NotebookLM
Upload the Course of Study, guidebooks, and supplementary materials from your prefecture or city Board of Education.
"Please tell me specifically about the goals of △△ for the 〇th grade, 〇 subject."
"What are the points I should be aware of in class to achieve this goal?"
Ask questions like these.
Audio OverviewYou can also create an and listen to it in the car during your commute. It's good to create several for your commute.
This is the result!
No need to flip through thick materials! AI will accurately summarize and explain based on the materials. You can eliminate inconsistencies in instruction and design lessons with confidence. This is the rapid acceleration of "deep understanding"!
Cross-reference multiple materials and web articles to "cherry-pick the best parts"!
Your troubles
"I researched this lesson theme, but the materials say different things..."
"Which web article or book is the easiest to understand?"
How to use NotebookLM
Upload parts of multiple reference books you have collected, articles from reliable websites, and transcripts of related videos all at once.
"What are the important points stated in common across these materials?"
"What points should I emphasize when teaching children?"
"Where does the information differ between Material A and Material B?"
Ask it to compare and analyze.Audio OverviewYou can also "customize" the to request a comparison and analysis. You can listen to this during your commute too.
This is the result!
You can pick up only the necessary information much faster and more efficiently than reading and organizing it yourself. You will also cultivate a perspective for comparing and examining the reliability of information. This is truly a revolution in "information gathering & organization"!
Apply difficult educational theories and the latest research results to your lessons!
Your troubles
"I thought the new educational theory I heard at the training was great, but how can I practice it in my own class..."
"This paper looks interesting, but I don't have time to read it, and it looks difficult..."
How to use NotebookLM
Upload PDFs of training materials, educational research papers, and summaries of educational books.
"Tell me the points of this theory and specific examples I can practice in an elementary (junior high) school classroom."
"Write a lesson plan incorporating this theory." (←Recommended)
"What is the conclusion of this paper and what are some hints I could incorporate into today's lesson?"
Ask questions like these.
This is the result!
You can break down and understand even specialized content according to your own situation. You will be able to immediately connect your learning to daily lesson improvement instead of just leaving it as "learned." The teacher's own "learning" is also DX!
Increase your repertoire of "explanations" and "questions" to use in class!
Your Troubles
"What is the easiest way to explain this concept to the children?"
"I can't think of any 'good questions' to make the children think during class..."
How to use NotebookLM
Upload teaching materials, teacher's manuals, and related information that might capture the children's interest.
"Suggest a few analogies for explaining this content to 5th graders."
"Provide several examples of questions related to this unit that will help children deepen their thinking."
and so on.
The Result!
You get fresh, easy-to-understand explanations and question ideas that you wouldn't have thought of on your own. Your teaching repertoire expands, and preparation time is reduced!
Organize and summarize information in a way that is easy to use in class!
Your Troubles
"The children probably won't understand the materials I've collected if I just show them as they are..."
"I want a cheat sheet with just the main points that I can glance at during class!"
How to use NotebookLM
Analyze the collected teaching materials and core information for the lesson, then save it to a note. Let's convert that note into a source. The note you created becomes a source itself.
"Based on this source, explain it in a way that is easy for elementary school students to understand."
"Create a bulleted list of key points to use in class."
and so on.
The Result!
Creating materials to show the children and making your own teacher's notes becomes much easier. This is a subtle but super important "efficiency boost"!
NotebookLM: A powerful helper for saving time
What do you think?
Don't you get the feeling that your usual "research" time could change dramatically by gaining a powerful helper like NotebookLM?
If teaching material research becomes more efficient, you should be able to secure more time to face the children, refine your lessons, and take breaks for yourself (which is also important!).
This is a small but certain step toward school DX, which leads to school work-style reform, the improvement of teachers' expertise, and the provision of better learning for children✨
NotebookLM supports various teacher tasks beyond just teaching material research. This power isn't just for teachers in charge of classes!
Those involved in the entire school, such as administrators, school nurses, and administrative staff, also deal with vast amounts of information every day.And supervisors at the Board of Education as well.
How can we process various data analyses efficiently and accurately?
I will be writing a series of articles on this.
How can we support information utilization and decision-making to boost school management DX! I will introduce concrete examples in an interesting way.
Next time, let's do an edition for administrators and supervisors.
いいなと思ったら応援しよう！
よろしければ応援お願いします！ いただいたチップはクリエイターとしての活動費に使わせていただきます！