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 October 2025.
This page has been divided into key areas including Microsoft, Google, Blogs, National Apps and Glow to hopefully make it easier to find useful information.
You will be able to find news items regarding:
Microsoft
Using AI in Assignments in Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams introduces new AI features, enhancing assignment creation and feedback processes. AI will suggest content based on information provided when creating an assignment and utilise AI for feedback on student work, ensuring better clarity and support. Suggestions can be kept or adjusted as required.
What’s New in the Learning Accelerators – Maths Progress
Maths Progress is a Learning Accelerator within Microsoft Teams that aids educators in creating, assessing, and analysing maths assignments. Key features include an AI question generator, customised assignments, automatic feedback, and an analytics dashboard to track performance and misconceptions, enhancing student understanding and support in maths topics.
Classwork Module Generation with AI
Classwork is an app in Teams designed for organising and sharing educational resources like assignments, OneNote pages, and files. It offers new AI features to assist educators in creating and managing course outlines and modules, streamlining the process of supporting students with various curriculum areas.
Flashcards, Quizzes and new Reports in NotebookLM
NotebookLM introduces interactive flashcards and quizzes to enhance personalised study sessions based on users’ documents. Users can effortlessly create flashcards, quizzes, and tailor reports in over 130 languages. The platform also provides dynamic topic suggestions, making it easier for learners to prepare for exams or master new skills.
Gemini Image Generation using Nano Banana
Google’s Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, known as “Nano Banana,” is an AI image generation tool that converts photos into realistic 3D assets and applies various artistic styles. Users can easily create professional content by using simple text prompts, ensuring consistency in likeness. A knowledge hub offers guidance on responsible and educational use.
Google’s AI Quests
AI Quests, developed by Google Research and Stanford’s Accelerator for Learning, engages students aged 11-14 in AI through real-world challenges in areas like climate and health. It provides hands-on learning, mentorship, and resources for educators to enhance AI literacy effectively. The program encourages critical thinking while making a positive global impact.
Grade All in Google Classroom
The “Grade all” feature in Google Classroom streamlines grading by allowing teachers to assign the same grade to multiple students simultaneously. Ideal for assignments graded on completion, this function includes bulk grading, grade overriding, and automatic grade returns, thus minimising time spent on inputting grades individually.
Gemini: Guided Learning
Guided Learning is an interactive AI learning companion in Gemini that aids in developing deep understanding through questions and step-by-step guidance. For educators, it emphasises breaking complex topics into manageable parts, fostering active participation, and utilising engaging methods like Think-Pair-Share and Fishbowl Discussions to enhance learning.
Upcoming and on demand Google Webinars
Edu on Air offers sessions in EdTech covering product updates, hands-on demos, and community meetups for educators and IT experts. Participants can choose tracks focusing on education leadership, classroom strategies or tech management. Notable sessions include AI literacy, education tools, and privacy compliance in Google Workspace for Education.
Glow Blogs
Fix for PDF Upload Glitch on Glow Blogs
We’ve resolved an issue with multi-page PDF uploads in the Block Editor. From 13 October 2025, full documents can be uploaded and viewed as expected. The Classic Editor no longer supports PDF embedding, so we recommend using the Block Editor or the DearFlip plugin for flipbook-style uploads.
Glow Blogs Plugin Spotlight: Enhance Your Blog with H5P
H5P is a plugin available in Glow Blogs, giving you the ability to create interactive content such as quizzes, videos, word searches, and 360 tours. It’s easy to activate and use and you can explore ideas on the Glow Blogs H5P Examples site. Bring your posts to life with engaging activities for learners!
Glow Blogs Upgrades: Enhancing Security and Performance
A WordPress security update has been completed, and a PHP infrastructure upgrade is scheduled for November 2025, helping keep Glow Blogs secure, stable and future-ready.
Glow
Adobe Express: October – December Update
Live lessons are back for the academic year with 75-minute sessions tailored for ages 7-13, including video recordings for missed dates. New ebook activities and Adobe Creative educator training sessions are also available. Topics range from Black History Month to mental health, along with ten new detailed activities.
Scottish Dance Resources and Accreditation for Schools
The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS) provides free Scottish dance resources for schools, offering lesson plans, music, and demonstration videos. Schools can earn accreditation by promoting Scottish dancing. Updated resources are accessible on the RSCDS SharePoint and YouTube, enhancing visibility and engagement in Scottish cultural celebrations.
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Professional Learning Community Spotlight
Check out our news post about the Literacy and English Professional Learning Community within Glow. The site contains a wealth of resources and information, all easy to access within this one dedicated site.
National Literacy and English Professional Learning Community
The National Literacy Professional Learning Community on Glow which offers accessible resources for literacy education, including recorded webinars and support for reading, listening, and writing. It promotes professional learning across various curricular areas and helps learners critically engage with information online. Explore the site for enhanced literacy development tools.
Education Scotland is changing
We are delighted to welcome Graeme Logan as Education Scotland’s Interim Chief Executive. Graeme is leading Education Scotland through its transition to a curriculum focused organisation, centring on design, delivery and ongoing improvement of the curriculum that is taught in schools and settings across the country.
Graeme said: “I am honoured to be appointed to the role of Interim Chief Executive of Education Scotland. My vision is that this clearer focus for the agency will enable us to continue working on the curriculum improvement cycle, and produce high quality curriculum resources. As Scotland’s online learning environment Glow will continue to have an important role to play in this.
“I am keen to engage with colleagues, stakeholders and partners on what this new curriculum focus can achieve and how it can improve support for teachers and other practitioners, and improve learning outcomes. I am also keen to continue with the reform of the agency at pace, and move in to our new ways of working.”
Click here to find out more.
Share your feedback
We’re looking to chat with educators and learners about their experience using Glow. Your feedback is important and helps us understand what’s working well and what we can improve.
Taking part is easy! You’ll have an individual or group discussion with our team at a time that suits your schedule. If you’re interested, please fill out this form, and we’ll get in touch with the details.
You can also share feedback on this Back to School with Glow update by getting in touch with glow.engagement@educationscotland.gov.scot
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