Google has announced new features to enhance classroom management and student engagement through updates to Chromebooks and Google Workspace for Education Plus. These updates aim to streamline teaching processes, allowing educators to focus more on instruction and less on technical setups.
Class Tools is a set of real-time control and engagement features for managed Chromebooks, available with Google Workspace for Education Plus. It enables educators to:
Connect with Students: Teachers can select students from their Google Classroom roster or invite them via a code. Once connected, they can send and pin educational content to students' screens, remotely view screens, and activate live captions and translations.
Enhance Engagement: Educators can create digital workbooks on the fly, share content directly to student devices, and pin it to their screens to maintain focus and minimize distractions.
Improve Accessibility: Features like live captions and translations assist students who are deaf, hard of hearing, language learners, or those needing extra support, ensuring inclusive participation in class activities.
Class Tools will be available in the coming months for educators and students using managed Chromebooks. To receive updates on its availability, educators can submit their interest through the provided form.
Google Classroom is introducing features to simplify educators' daily tasks.
Educators can define student groups to assign unique tasks based on group needs and assign grades at scale, streamlining the grading process.
Teachers can share a link to the Classwork page, allowing guardians to stay informed about assignments. Parents and guardians can also access this page via weekly email summaries.
These updates aim to foster a more efficient and connected educational environment, benefiting educators, students, and their families.
Learn more about Class tools from the conference announcement
Easier class access for managed student Chromebooks
Granular control for sending information, documents and assignments to students
Streamlined navigation for students with a simpler interface tailored to laptop use
Better classroom management for content which promotes engagement
Ability to separate students into study groups
Controls for showing live captions and translated subtitles of the teacher's voice. Students have the option to change the output language and it displays in a window at the bottom of their screen
Individualized support via screen sharing and teacher access to student screens and classwork with notifications
"Seamlessly share and pin lesson content to students screens, engage with your students in real time, and provide targeted support to groups with Class tools – a new set of features in Google Workspace for Education Plus on managed Chromebooks."
In January of 2025 we announced Class tools, available on managed Chromebooks with Google Workspace for Education Plus. Class tools empowers educators to manage student devices during class, better support an increasingly bilingual and multilingual student population, and cater to diverse learning styles. Now, educators can more easily keep students focused and engaged in class with Class tools.
If you're interested in learning more about Class tools and to find out when it is available, please submit your interest by providing a few details below.
Your teachers and students need to be on managed Chromebooks
Access to Google Workspace for Education Plus for all students and teachers
Add students from Google Classroom and select content to share. This is broken up into several tabs:
Start class: Use mini mode or start class immediately or based on a timer. When you start the class a class code is automatically generated.
Students panel: See who joined via code, add students directly from Google Classroom classes where you can separate into groups or select all, save for later,
Content: Share to those who joined via code, groups or all students. You can lock class tools to student devices, remove page for students and control content navigation in several ways (just this page, anywhere on this site, one link away from this page, anywhere on this site and one link away)
Teacher captions: Turn on or off, show on this screen, show on student screen, allow students to select another language
Screen sharing: cast your teacher screen or privately view student screens
As of January, 2025 only an expression of interest is posted. Rollout is anticipated in the Q1 or Q2 2025. Roadmap and product guides are available, but no definitive release date is given.