Tag Archives: Google Workspace for Education

Chat safer with new settings for students in Google Chat

What’s changing 

We're introducing a new setting that enables education admins to restrict which users can create and manage members in Google Chat conversations. 


This can be useful for admins who want to prevent groups of students from initiating or adding users to a conversation. 

Chat restrictions for Education domains



Who’s impacted 

Admins and end users 


Why it’s important

This is a highly-requested feature that restricts the creation of unsupervised activity among K-12 students and helps provide a safer and easier way for teachers to communicate with students. 


Getting started 

  • Admins: 
    • To restrict users from accessing features in Chat, go to the Admin console > Apps > Google Workspace > Google Chat > click the Chat and Space restrictions setting > Inside the Google Chat box, search for the group of users you'd like to apply Chat restrictions to > check the box for Restrict creating direct messages, group messages, and spaces > hit Save. 
      • Note: groups can be restricted at the group level only.
    • We recommend admins enable the "automatically accept chat invitations" setting for their OU. This will ensure teachers can easily initiate messages to students that instantly deliver without the need to accept an invitation. We also recommend turning OFF Chat with external users.
    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about setting up Chat restrictions for Education accounts.
  • End users: There is no end user setting for this feature.

Rollout pace 

Admin setting: 
Chat UI: 

Availability 

Available for Google Workspace: 
  • Education Fundamentals, Standard, Plus, the Teaching & Learning Upgrade 

Resources 

Educators can now create new classes in Google Classroom using SIS data and import grading periods from the SIS

What’s changing 

In 2023, we introduced the ability for Google Classroom teachers to export grading periods to their Student Information System (SIS) gradebook. This helps education teams simplify student data management and complete administrative tasks faster. 


Today, we’re excited to announce the ability for teachers to create new classes by importing information such as student rosters, co-teachers, grading categories, and grading periods from their SIS. Teachers can also pull this information into newly created classes in Classroom. Along with this, we’re launching the ability for teachers to import their grading periods from their student information systems (SIS) into Classroom. Please note this feature is only available for customers using one of our current SIS partners, which will expand over time. 


Once an admin establishes a connection between their district SIS and Google Classroom, teachers can manually link new or existing Google Classroom classes to their SIS, then use the connection to import grading categories, import students rosters, import co-teachers, and starting today, import grading periods and create new classes using SIS data.

Getting started

    • If a SIS is connected by your admin:
      • Teachers can import grading periods by going to classroom.google.com > select the class > Settings > next to “Grading Periods,” click “Import from SIS.”
      • Teachers can import “full class” information by going to classroom.google.com > click “Create or join a class” > select “Create class” > in the pop-up window, click the down arrow and select your SIS class > check the items you want to import to the new class (e.g. students, co-teachers, grading periods, grade categories).
    • Visit the Help Center to learn more about using Classroom with your SIS and importing data from your SIS.

AI Classification in Google Drive is now available for the Gemini Education Premium add-on

What’s changing

We’re expanding the availability of AI Classification in Google Drive to Google Workspace for Education customers with the Gemini Education Premium add-on. Powered by privacy-preserving AI models that can be uniquely trained on the specific needs of your organization, AI classification empowers IT teams to automatically and continuously identify, classify sensitive files. The challenge with label-based policies is that they are only effective on files that are correctly identified and labeled. Further, labeling files placed a considerable manual burden on Admins. 


This is where AI Classification can help. By training models on customer-identified examples of content that match their data classification definitions, AI Classification can evaluate files where text can be extracted to see if it should be labeled. This helps enable organizations to achieve label coverage at a scale and accuracy that is very difficult to accomplish through traditional means and manual Admin intervention. Once labeled, classified files can then be further protected with existing data loss prevention (DLP) controls, lifecycle management policies, as well as audit and reporting use cases.

AI Classification in the Admin console

AI Classification in Google Docs






Getting started



Rollout pace


Availability

  • Available for Google Workspace for Education customers with the Gemini Education Premium add-on.
This feature is already available to customers with the Gemini Enterprise add-on, and via the AI Security add-on for select Google workspace customers.

Improved collaboration with Google Workspace LTI™ integrations in PowerSchool Schoology Learning

What’s changing

We recently announced that our Learning Interoperability Tools, including Assignments LTI™, Google Drive LTI™, and Meet LTI™ will be consolidated under a new brand: Google Workspace LTI™.


In order to bring the collaborative power of Google Workspace for Education to even more partners, we’re excited to announce updated Google Workspace LTI™ integrations in Schoology, a K-12 learning management system that makes it easy to implement hybrid learning and integrate your favorite teaching and learning tools. 


To simplify this experience and enable users to operate on a newer, more secure and feature-rich version, Google Workspace LTI™ in PowerSchool Schoology Learning will now use the LTI 1.3. As a result, teachers and students have access to enhanced assignment capabilities and a secure classroom-centric Google Meet experience, directly in PowerSchool Schoology Learning: 
  • With Assignments LTI™, you can: 
    • Distribute, analyze, and grade student work with Google Workspace for Education. 
    • Analyze student work submissions originality reports to save time and ensure authenticity. 
  • With Google Drive LTI™, you can securely embed and upload Google Drive files directly in PowerSchool Schoology Learning.
  • With Google Meet LTI™, you can seamlessly schedule and host secure Google Meet sessions directly within PowerSchool Schoology Learning. 
Google Workspace LTI™ integrations in PowerSchool Schoology Learning


Getting started 



Rollout pace 

Availability 

Available for Google Workspace: 
  • Education Fundamentals, Standard, Plus, and the Teaching & Learning Upgrade 

Resources 

Introducing Google Meet LTI™

What’s changing

To help improve remote and hybrid learning, we’re introducing Google Meet LTI™ for Canvas by Instructure and PowerSchool Schoology Learning. This builds on the existing Google Workspace Learning Interoperability Tools including Assignments LTI™ and Google Drive LTI™.


You can use Google Meet LTI™ to easily enable secure remote and hybrid learning - via video conferencing -  directly within Canvas by Instructure and PowerSchool Schoology Learning. Educators can schedule video meetings with pre-configured host controls, including recordings, transcripts, and breakout rooms*. Students can view meeting recordings and artifacts from past class sessions directly within Meet. Google Meet LTI™ is also deeply integrated with your learning management system so that only educators can start the meeting and only students in the course can join.



*Support for pre-configured breakout rooms is coming soon — we’ll provide more details on the Workspace Updates blog once that becomes available.

Getting started


Rollout pace


Availability

Available for Google Workspace:
  • Education Fundamentals, Standard, Plus, the Teaching & Learning Upgrade

Resources


Bringing our Learning Interoperability Tools under one umbrella: Google Workspace LTI™

What’s changing 

Going forward, all Learning Interoperability Tools, including Assignments LTI™, and Google Drive LTI™, will be consolidated into a single category: Google Workspace LTI™. There are no functionality changes with this update, but you will notice the following: 
  • Assignments will be renamed to Google Workspace LTI™ in the Admin console and Google Workspace LTI™ in the Google Cloud console 
  • All LTI tools managed in the Admin console with the Google Workspace LTI™ service 
  • The Google Assignments Help Center will be rebranded to Google Workspace LTI™. The community forum will remain the same. 

Getting started 

Rollout pace

  • Available now.

Availability

Available for Google Workspace:
  • Education Fundamentals, Standard, Plus, and the Teaching & Learning Upgrade

Resources

Introducing Gemini offerings for Google Workspace for Education customers

What’s changing 

Beginning May 23, 2024, Google for Education customers will be able to leverage new and powerful ways of working, teaching and learning with Gemini for Google Workspace with two new paid add-ons:

  • Gemini Education is a lower price offering best suited to help education institutions get started with generative AI in Workspace, with a monthly usage limit. 

    Gemini Education will be available as an add-on for Google Workspace for Education: Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, and Education Plus. 

  • Gemini Education Premium: includes everything in Gemini Education, plus more advanced features like AI-powered note taking and summaries in Meet, AI-enhanced data loss prevention and more coming soon. This add-on provides full access and usage of generative AI tools in Workspace.

    Gemini Education Premium will be available as an add-on for Google Workspace for Education: Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Teaching and Learning Upgrade, and Education Plus.

Note that Gemini for Google Workspace features are only available in English, Spanish and Portuguese* for education users over the age of 18.


Who’s impacted

Admins


Why it’s important

Gemini for Google Workspace provides access to our most capable generative AI models widely available across Workspace apps, like Docs, Gmail, Slides, and more. Inside and outside the classroom, you can use Gemini to help transform your work by:

  • Turning a blank page into a lesson plan template or a grant proposal in Docs
  • Creating an agenda for an upcoming professional development session in Sheets
  • Bringing presentations to life or illustrate a topic by creating original images in Slides, and more.

With both add-ons, you’ll also be able to chat with Gemini (gemini.google.com) safely and securely with enterprise-grade data protection. Gemini.google.com can help you speed up time-consuming tasks, like conducting research about IT security best practices to creating an alumni outreach plan. It can also help you generate fresh ideas and make learning more personal for your students, like re-leveling content or creating class exercises or assignments based on their interests.


Check out The Keyword blog for even more information about how we’re bringing Gemini to Google Workspace for Education. 


Additional details


Coming soon to Gemini for Google Workspace for Education:

Further data protections
To further our robust privacy commitments, in the future educators and students 18 years and older will have added data protection when accessing Gemini at gemini.google.com with their school accounts, free of charge. This added protection ensures that your data is not reviewed by anyone to improve our models, is not used to train artificial intelligence models, or shared with other users or institutions. These protections will be applicable to our free Gemini experience for Workspace for Education customers and will be available in 40+ languages.


As a reminder, gemini.google.com is covered under your Google Workspace for Education Terms of Service*. Check out the Workspace Blog for more information about how we’re protecting your Google Workspace data in the era of Generative AI.


OpenStax and Data Commons extensions
Soon, you’ll be able to use Gemini in combination with OpenStax and Data Commons, along with guided practice quizzes to help people learn more confidently and with trusted sources. For example you can ask OpenStax to discuss the scientific significance of solar eclipses” to pull in accurate, trustworthy responses based on Rice University’s OpenStax educational resources. Or you can leverage Data Commons to visualize data about complex topics like climate change, jobs, economics, and more. You’ll also be able to work through guided practice quizzes and receive conversational feedback on each of your responses. We’ll provide more information on The Keyword and the Workspace Updates blog when this functionality becomes available.


Piloting Gemini in Classroom
We're also piloting Gemini in Classroom with new lesson planning features that are informed by LearnLM, our new family of models fine-tuned for learning, based on Gemini and grounded in educational research. See here for more information on joining the Google for Education Pilot Program.


Getting started

Rollout pace

  • The Gemini Education and Gemini Education Premium add-ons will be available beginning May 23, 2024

Resources


*Spanish and Portuguese currently have a limited feature set — learn more.
*See here for more information on the terms of service if you’re using gemini.google.com with a personal Google account.

Easily manage and secure your school’s accounts and mobile devices centrally in Google Admin console with the Endpoint Education Upgrade

What’s changing

This year, we announced Endpoint Education Upgrade, which adds enterprise endpoint management features to your Google Workspace for Education edition. Using endpoint management, admins can better manage and secure the phones and tablets used across their school directly from the Admin console.

Note that advanced endpoint management features are already included with Google Workspace for Education Standard and Plus.

Who’s impacted

Admins


Why you’d use it


Using the Endpoint Education Upgrade, admins can configure a wide range of account and device management features, helping to make your organization's data more secure across your users' mobile devices, desktops, laptops, and other endpoints. For example, you can:
  • Control what Android & iOS app can be installed on a device, who can log into it (for domain owned devices), and where it can access your data.
  • Protect devices from loss or theft with admin rules for alerts, location tracking, access restrictions, and remote data wipes.
  • Manage company-owned devices or set up Android work profiles, so users can safely access your school account on the go.
  • Require stronger device passwords and more.
Visit the Help Center for a complete list of endpoint management features.


Getting started


Rollout pace

  • The Endpoint Education Upgrade will be available for purchase through your current Google Workspace for Education reseller and select channel partners on February 29, 2024. If you do not currently have a Google Workspace for Education reseller, you can find one here.


Availability

  • Endpoint Education Upgrade is available by user based license or device based license (coming soon) — it is not a domain wide license. You can purchase Endpoint Education Upgrade licenses through your current Google Workspace for Education reseller and select channel partners. 

  • If you have Education Fundamentals and wish to upgrade instead of purchasing individual Endpoint Education Upgrade licenses, you can easily upgrade to Education Standard or Education Plus.

Resources

Changes to YouTube player embedded within Google Workspace for Education services

What’s changing

In June, we introduced updates to the embeddable YouTube player within Google Workspace for Education services. This included a new URL (www.youtubeeducation.com) for the YouTube player to serve embedded content within Google Workspace for Education services. 


As a result of this change, if your organization allowed or blocked YouTube videos within Google Workspace for Education services, you were asked to add “www.youtubeeducation.com” to these allowlists or blocklists. This preserved the way your organization used YouTube videos within Google Workspace for Education services, such as Google Classroom or Slides.


We are removing this feature while we evaluate performance and quality. As an immediate next step, if you updated your allowlist or blocklist to include "www.youtube.com", you’ll need to revert your allowlist/blocklist to include "www.youtube.com" as soon as possible to preserve the way your organization uses YouTube videos within Google Workspace for Education services. If you do not revert your allowlist/blocklist to include www.youtube.com as soon as possible, this could change your organization’s access to YouTube videos.

Getting started 

Rollout pace 

  • This change is now in effect for Classroom services. 
  • This change will be in effect for Slides, Sites, and Forms starting on October 30th, 2023. 

Availability 

  • This impacts Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, and the Teaching and Learning Upgrade 

Resources 

Third-party app access enhancements for Google Workspace for Education

What’s changing

Through the app access control settings, we’re making it easier for Google Workspace for Education admins to control how third-party apps access their organizations' Google data when users sign-in using their Google Workspace for Education accounts. 

Users designated as under 18 using the age-based access setting are required to request access to apps that aren’t already configured by admins with a trusted, limited, or blocked access setting.


All Google Workspace for Education Admins must review and confirm access settings for third-party configured apps that are currently accessible to your users by Oct 23, 2023 in order for users designated as under 18 to maintain access to those third-party apps. You’ll have the option to allow users designated as under 18 to skip requesting access for all unconfigured apps that only ask for basic profile information for authentication purposes. These apps will be accessible for users designated as under 18 without further configuration on your part.

Who’s impacted

Admins, end users, and developers 


Why it matters 

Third-party app settings are important for protecting users’ data. We are providing enhanced app access controls to manage access to third-party applications for users designated as under 18. Google Workspace for Education Admins are required to confirm third-party app settings for third-party apps currently accessible by users in their institution by October 23, 2023 to avoid disrupting access to third-party applications for users designated as under 18. 


Additional details

If you’d like to set different levels of access for specific sets of users, you can now configure third-party app access by organizational units.


Getting started 

Rollout pace 

  • This feature is available now. 

Availability 

  • Available to Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, and the Teaching and Learning Upgrade 

Resources