Today we move from the public sandbox to real teacher value by creating a NotebookLM notebook grounded in your own knowledge bank—the instructional text you upload.

To reduce risk and keep outputs aligned to what you actually teach, we will toggle OFF web access so the notebook responds only from your sources.

Reminder: Grounded doesn’t mean perfect. AI can still produce “hallucinations” (confident-sounding information that isn’t supported by your sources). That’s why we stay grounded, verify against the text, and treat outputs as drafts.

Step 0: Set the Notebook Settings (1 minute)

Create your notebook and turn OFF web access (if available).
Goal: your notebook is grounded in your uploaded sources—not the open web.

Step 1: Choose ONE “Approved Content” Item (2 minutes)

Bring one of the following (non-sensitive only). Choose something you actually teach—ideally something students typically find dense or complex.

Bring one:

A public article you already teach (news, informational text, science/social studies article, etc.)
A curriculum reading/lesson text as a PDF with complex ideas (textbook excerpt, primary source, lab reading, chapter section, district-provided passage)
A teacher-created reading or content notes that contain concepts/vocabulary (no student info)
A standards-aligned resource you regularly use (publicly available or approved for teacher use)
A multi-paragraph passage you want to make more accessible (heavy vocabulary, abstract concepts, dense syntax)

Do NOT bring:

Student work of any kind
Any student identifying information
IEPs/504s, behavior logs, discipline/health records
Grade reports or assessment data tied to students
Anything protected under FERPA/district policy

When in doubt: Don’t upload. Ask.

Step 2: Create a New Notebook + Build Your Knowledge Bank (3 minutes)

Open NotebookLM
Create a new notebook
Remember to toggle off web access
Add your one approved instructional text to the notebook’s knowledge bank (source list):

paste text, upload a non-sensitive file (PDF), or link a public source (based on your system’s options)

Reminder: This notebook is for instructional planning content only.

Step 3: Run 2–3 Quick Tests (8–10 minutes)

Choose 2–3 prompts below and copy/paste them. Keep prompts tied to your uploaded text.

Quick Test Prompts (Instructional Text Set):

Student-friendly summary
“Using only the sources in my notebook, summarize this for students in 5 bullets.”
Scaffolds for complex ideas
“Using only my sources, create 3 levels of scaffolds for this text: basic, supported, and challenge.”
Checks for understanding
“Using only my sources, write 5 formative check questions aligned to this text, including an answer key.”
Misconceptions + teacher moves
“Based on this text, list likely misconceptions and suggest checks for understanding or teacher moves to address them.”
Vocabulary support (optional)
“Pull key vocabulary from this text and create a student-friendly glossary.”

Quality reminder: Treat outputs as drafts. You are still the expert. If something seems off, verify against your source text.

Step 4: Exit Artifact (3–5 minutes)

Each teacher records:

One realistic use case I could try this week:
One guardrail I will follow every time:
(Examples: “No student info, ever.” “Web off unless approved.” “Verify before sharing.” “Only approved instructional text.”)

Optional: One question I still have:

Facilitation Notes (Optional but Helpful for Leaders)

If teachers struggle to choose content, offer a quick menu of example texts (public article, district passage, textbook excerpt PDF)
Keep it fast—the win is usefulness, not perfect outputs
Encourage sharing both “wins” and “limits” so expectations stay realistic
If privacy concerns surface, pause and re-anchor to the Never-Upload list
If someone reports a questionable response, normalize it and prompt verification: “Where is that in your text?”

Lesson 6: 3rd PLC Activity - BYOC Pivot — Bring Your Own Content (Safely)