Google for Education

10 years of Classroom: What we’ve learned, and what’s to come

Over the last 10 years, the Classroom team has made more than 800 updates to the product to transform it into a teaching and learning tool fit for any school, from usability changes to new features that transform the way students all over the world learn. Looking ahead, we're evolving to help leaders and educators not only save time but also create time – especially with the help of AI – by amplifying their impact on meaningful student progress.

Bringing more Google AI features to Classroom

Helping to differentiate assignments and track student progress

  • Last year, we launched Classroom analytics to provide more visibility for education leaders and teachers to make informed decisions. We’re now exploring how to unlock the most valuable pieces of student performance data and surface relevant insights right where teachers can take action in Classroom. Early pilots include showing insights from student information systems, as well as tracking student growth by learning skills and standards that are tagged to Classroom assignments. Express interest with this form.

  • 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 now globally rolling out, including the ability for 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.

Expanding interoperability with more EdTech tools

  • To streamline class set-up and make tools work better together, 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 more than 30 of their favorite EdTech tools without leaving Classroom, including Kahoot!, Pear Deck and Kami. Stay tuned for more Classroom add-ons coming soon, like Figma, empowering educators and students to select, assign, and collaborate with FigJam within Google Classroom.

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. In the coming weeks, educators can see insights on students’ phonics skills, too.

  • Initially, Read Along in Classroom launched globally to help students practice reading in English (with additional support for English language learners whose native language is Spanish). In the coming weeks, we're expanding to support reading practice in Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese, too.

Making it easier to share curricula

  • Last year, we 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, we're exploring new ways to make it easier for Admins to distribute content at scale. Express interest in this form for future content distribution pilots.

  • 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.

Getting Started with Google for Education

Weekj 1: Google Drive

Week 1: Google Drive

Week 2: Google Docs

Week 2: Google Docs

Week 3: Google Classroom

Week 3: Google Classroom

Week 4: Google Forms

Week 4: Google Forms

Week 5: Google Slides

Week 5: Google Slides

Week 6: Google Sheets

Week 6: Google Sheets

Week 7: Google Drawings

Week 7: Google Drawings

Week 8: Google Sites

Week 8: Google Sites

EDU in 90: Back to School & Gemini Resources

Join TD on the August episode of EDU in 90 to hear about Google Classroom, Back to School resources, and more.


EDU in 90: Educator Resources & Product News

Join Morgan on the July episode of EDU in 90 to hear about read-alongs, back-to-school toolkits, and more.