Welcome Back!
To help with accessing the latest Glow guidance and news, we have pulled together this Back to School with Glow news page for August 2026.
This page has been divided into key areas including Housekeeping, Information Security, Microsoft, Google, National Apps and Glow to hopefully make it easier to find useful information.
You will be able to find news items regarding:
Back to School Glow Housekeeping
Back to School Glow Housekeeping
The start of a new Academic Year is a perfect time to carry out some digital housekeeping in your online environment. Deleting old files, manual accounts, teams and groups, supports with increasing productivity, improves security and gives you peace of mind that your digital content is up to date.
Information Security and Safeguarding
Glow Community Rules
Glow has rich potential as a place for Scotland’s children and young people to become confident digital citizens. The following Glow Community Rules are aimed at supporting learners, teachers and parents to develop a good awareness of e-safety and to take full advantage of Glow and the Internet in a positive, safe and responsible way.
Password Guidance
Children in Scotland learn about cyber resilience and internet safety, emphasising strong password creation for Glow accounts. A new password policy effective February 2026 will enhance online safety for users.
Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) refers to data that can identify an individual. In educational settings, PII includes direct identifiers like names and addresses, and special category data like health or ethnicity, which require extra caution. Compliance with data protection laws is crucial to avoid legal liabilities, especially for minors.
Microsoft
Introducing the New SharePoint Experience
Microsoft has launched a redesigned SharePoint experience with a new app bar and updated navigation for all Glow M365 users, enhancing usability with sections like Discover, Publish, Build and links to OneDrive. This automatic update requires no user action.
Microsoft is retiring Exchange Web Services (EWS)
Microsoft is retiring Exchange Web Services (EWS), a legacy technology for accessing Glow email and calendar data, between October 2026 and April 2027. This change affects several email apps. Users should update their apps or consider switching to Outlook for continued access.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Notebooks for Staff
Copilot Notebooks, available for Glow staff, centralise teaching resources using AI to enhance organisation and planning. Users can store various materials, while the AI can summarise documents, create outlines, and suggest questions based on the notebook’s content.
NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook
Google has rebranded NotebookLM as Gemini Notebook, enhancing its functionality within the Google ecosystem. This AI-powered tool aids in research and learning, allowing users to upload materials for summarisation and interactive engagement. It supports diverse outputs like podcasts and infographics, facilitating efficient study processes and content creation.
Gemini Notebook – Now includes short video overviews
Gemini Notebook offers Short Video Overviews that convert lengthy documents into concise one-minute videos optimised for mobile devices. With AI narration and animated visuals, this tool helps users grasp core concepts quickly and efficiently. Designed for students, teachers, and creators, it emphasises a single idea per clip for effective information retention.
Import 3D bar charts into Google Sheets
Google Sheets has updated to support the import of 3D bar charts, which previously displayed as 2D. Users can now easily import Excel files containing 3D graphs, enhancing the experience by preserving the intended visual representation. This improvement streamlines data visualization for users transitioning between platforms.
Google Smart Features
The content discusses Google’s Smart Features in Workspace, which enhance app integration for improved workflows. By connecting Google Drive with Gemini, users can seamlessly transfer content and share Gems, fostering collaboration. Data privacy is emphasised, ensuring user data remains secure and not used for AI training or advertisements.
Gemini Education and Gemini Notebook Quick Links
Gemini Education and Gemini Notebook are integrated tools within Google Workspace designed to enhance lesson planning and student engagement. Gemini Education streamlines administrative tasks using AI, while Gemini Notebook synthesises documents into actionable insights, aiding personalisation. Quick links provide guidance for effective integration and mastery of these educational tools.
Apps and Services
Canva Education
Canva Education is a free design platform tailored for educators and students, offering tools to create visual content like presentations and videos. It enhances engagement through professional templates and promotes digital literacy with real-time collaboration. The platform is designed to ensure a safe learning environment, fostering creativity in educational settings.
Apps and Services
Canva Education – Live Webinar Opportunities
Canva Education is a free platform tailored for educators and learners, providing tools for creating engaging visual content. It features templates and collaboration options that enhance digital literacy. Upcoming webinars will help educators integrate Canva into their classrooms, focusing on creativity, differentiated learning, and efficient design practices.
Adobe Express: Back to School Updates
Live lessons for ages 7-13 are 75 minutes long, with a 40-minute natural break and video recordings available for later use. Various sessions include topics for different occasions, while new Adobe Creative educator training is also offered. Exciting lesson topics are provided in an accompanying eBook for the Scottish classroom.
Glow Blogs Start of Session FAQ 2026
A few quick tips and some information that might help at the start of this new session.
What to do if you have forgotten your username or password, what to do if you need access to a blog and what to do if you do not have a role or if no one in your school can access a blog.
AI within Glow
Scottish Government AI Guidance for Schools
Guidance on using artificial intelligence in Scotland’s schools is now available, focusing on fair, safe, and ethical implementation. Developed in collaboration with educators and local government, it highlights core principles: safety, equity, curriculum alignment, human connection, and teacher support, promoting responsible AI use in educational contexts.
Prompting Progress: Bringing Beowulf to life using AI within Glow
A Primary teacher from Calderwood Primary School shares their experience using Gemini Education and Notebook to teach the Talk for Writing program. The tools facilitated lesson planning, engagement, and differentiation for various learners. The teacher emphasises their value in creating resources and adapting materials for better student understanding and inclusivity.
Share your Glow Story
Glow encourages practitioners to share successful stories from classrooms, staff collaborations, or parental engagements using various tools within the Glow platform. Submissions should be approved by the local authority Glow Key Contact and must not include sensitive information. Once submitted, stories will undergo a review and approval process.
Prompting Progress: How Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the classroom
The “Prompting Progress” initiative highlights the transformative role of AI tools like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace in Scottish education. These tools assist educators in personalizing learning, automating administrative tasks, and enabling students to create generative media for storytelling, thereby enhancing creativity and streamlining classroom workflows.
Share your feedback
We’d be delighted to hear if you find this news update helpful or how you are using Glow in your school. Please do get in touch using our email address,
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