Google Classroom’s 10th Anniversary: Transforming Education with AI and EdTech Solutions

Over the past decade, Google Classroom has undergone more than 800 updates, enhancing its usability and introducing innovative features that have redefined learning experiences worldwide.

Google Classroom's integration of AI has been pivotal. Features ranging from AI-driven resource recommendations to interactive assignments on YouTube have enriched the educational landscape. 

Soon, Google will introduce Gemini for Google Workspace to Classroom, offering educators a dedicated space to spark creativity, tailor content, and enhance engagement using generative AI.

• Google has integrated AI into their tools such as recommending resources to support students in practice sets, to suggesting questions for educators to add to interactive YouTube assignments.
• Gemini is adding new capabilities for the Google Workspace initiative. It offers educators a dedicated platform to develop lesson plans, engage students with creative activities, tailor content for diverse learning needs, and much more, all enhanced by generative AI.
• Gemini in the Classroom meets the highest security standards and complies with the Google Workspace for Education Terms of Service.
• The AI track within the Google for Education Pilot Program is set to expand, introducing enhanced features this year thanks to LearnLM, Google's latest model optimized for educational purposes. This model builds on the foundation of Gemini and incorporates insights from educational research. Those interested in exploring these new AI capabilities can sign up using the provided form.

Enhancing Educational Insights and Interoperability

Last year’s launch of Classroom analytics marked a significant milestone, providing educators and leaders with greater visibility into student performance.

This tool helps educators make informed decisions and track student progress through detailed insights and analytics.

• To streamline class setup and improve tool collaboration, admins and educators can set up classes with OneRoster SIS partners, including Aspen, Infinite Campus, Skyward, and now PowerSchool SIS. They can import information like student lists, co-teachers, and grading settings or export grades.
• Using single sign-on, educators and students can now access over 30 of their favorite EdTech tools without leaving Classroom, including Kahoot!, Pear Deck, and Kami. Stay tuned for more Classroom add-ons, like Figma, empowering educators and students to select, assign, and collaborate with FigJam within Google Classroom.

Supporting Diverse Learning Needs

 

• Google Classroom continues to break barriers in supporting diverse learning needs. The Read Along feature, now part of Google Workspace for Education, uses AI to provide real-time feedback to students, enhancing their reading skills with a rich library of over 800 books.
  • This tool has been a game-changer, especially for English language learners, and is set to expand its support to include Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. 
• To differentiate instruction, educators will soon be able to define groups of students in Classroom that they can adjust over time and use to assign adapted content based on each group’s needs.
• Grading improvements are also globally rolling out, including allowing admins to set default grading settings (periods, categories, scales) for their institutions from the Admin console, plus bulk grading and more flexibility for missing and excused assignments.

 

Developing Reading Skills

 

• Read Along in Classroom, now a Google Workspace for Education service, makes it easier for educators to support each child’s individual reading education with AI-enabled, real-time feedback for students as they read out loud, plus automated insights and a ready-to-go content library with over 800 books from Heggerty, ReadWorks and more. Soon, educators can see insights into students’ phonics skills, too. 

  • Read Along in Classroom helps students practice reading in English (with additional support for English language learners whose native language is Spanish). In the coming weeks, Google will be expanding to support reading practice in Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese, too.
    

Making it Easier to Share Curricula

 

• Last year, Google made it possible for education leaders and educators to create shareable links to their class templates and Classwork pages, so educators could copy the information they want into their own classes.
• Looking ahead, Google is exploring new ways to make it easier for Admins to distribute content at scale.
• Educators can also now share a link to the Classwork page so parents and guardians can view assigned work, or they can access it via their weekly guardian summary emails.

 

Early Feedback from Educators

 

In early testing, we heard from educators that they loved having Gemini integrated into the Workspace tools they use every day. For example, they used Gemini to: 

• You can go from a blank page to a lesson plan template, grant proposal or job description in Docs
• You’ll be able to summarize a long email thread with key takeaways and next steps in Gmail
• Create an agenda for an upcoming professional development session in Sheets
• Bring a presentation to life or illustrate a topic in class by creating an original image in Slides
  

 

Google is also piloting Gemini in Classroom with lesson planning features informed by LearnLM, their new family of learning models based on Gemini and grounded in educational research. 

What do parents have to say? 3 things parents and students told us about how generative AI can support learning

 

 

Looking to the Future

 

As Google Classroom enters its next decade, we anticipate even greater innovations that will continue transforming educational environments and enhancing learning outcomes.  

At Bluum, we remain committed to partnering with education leaders like Google to provide cutting-edge solutions that empower educators and inspire students.  

Learn more about Google Classroom.   

If your school is interested in learning more about Google Gemini AI or Google Workspace, reach out to Bluum and we’ll schedule a discovery conversation.

Google Classroom has continuously worked with schools to meet their changing needs. Here’s to more years of impactful learning with Google Classroom! Congrats again on an epic milestone, Google!