Google Workspace Changes

Gemini-powered rubric generation lets educators instantly create Classroom-ready rubrics during assignment creation.

Educators can now generate a new Classroom-ready rubric with Gemini based on assignment context, convert existing rubric files, or draft rubrics via the Gemini tab and export to Sheets/Docs. This streamlines rubric creation and grading setup, saving prep time. The feature rolls out to Rapid and Scheduled Release domains starting August 5, 2026, for Education Fundamentals, Standard, and Plus customers.

Gemini in Google Classroom expands to K-12 and higher education students of all ages, adding contextualized starter prompts and Learn with Gemini features.

Starting August 10, 2026, Gemini in Google Classroom will be available to K-12 and higher education students of all ages who have been granted access by their admin. Students can access the Gemini tab to transform class materials into flashcards, practice quizzes, interactive study guides, audio overviews, infographics, and more. New contextualized starter prompts pull class and assignment details directly from Classroom to tailor Gemini interactions, and a 'Learn with Gemini' feature appears on the redesigned Classroom homepage for guided help. Admin controls let admins manage access via the Gemini in Classroom control, with rollout beginning in Rapid Release domains on August 10 (web) and August 17 (mobile) and proceeding to Scheduled Release domains.

Google Classroom homepage redesigned with role‑based views for teachers, students, and administrators.

The updated Google Classroom homepage becomes a dynamic, centralized hub that surfaces role‑specific content: teachers receive a dashboard with actionable insights, student work tracking, and a feature spotlight; students see an ‘Enrolled’ view highlighting upcoming due work; administrators gain access to performance analytics, admin shortcuts, and relevant tools. All modules are collapsible, users can switch between role views, and the redesign rolls out globally starting July 27, 2026 for both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains, available to all Google Workspace editions, Workspace Individual subscribers, and personal Google accounts.

Educators and students can now share Gemini Canvas creations directly to Google Classroom.

Educators and students can now seamlessly attach Gemini Canvas artifacts, such as websites, quizzes, interactive games, and infographics, directly to Google Classroom assignments and posts. By using the 'Share to Classroom' button within Gemini Canvas, users can enrich their coursework and communication by embedding interactive materials directly into their workflows, removing the need to export or link external files.

Read Along is now available to all Google Workspace for Education users to support foundational literacy.

Read Along in Google Classroom, an AI-powered literacy tool, is now available at no cost to all Google Workspace for Education users. The tool helps students improve speaking, listening, and decoding skills through real-time pronunciation feedback, word-breakdown support, and an extensive library of books in eight languages. Educators can create interactive reading activities, utilize Gemini to generate differentiated stories, and monitor student progress via an insights dashboard. Advanced analytics and BigQuery data extraction are available for Education Plus and Teaching & Learning add-on users.

New starter prompts to generate slide decks and interactive activities using Gemini's Canvas tool.

Teachers can now use Gemini's Canvas tool through three new starter prompts to create presentations, interactive activities, or convert existing files into Google Slides, tailored to specific concepts and grade levels.

New AI-powered tools to generate visual resources like infographics and comic strips.

Powered by the Nano Banana 2 image generation model, Google Classroom now includes starter prompts that help teachers create visual aids to illustrate complex topics, including infographics, comic strips, and conceptual visualizations.

Gemini tab is now available in the Google Classroom Android and iOS apps.

The Gemini tab in Google Classroom is now accessible via Android and iOS apps, allowing teachers and higher education students to use AI features on the go. Teachers can generate quizzes, brainstorm project ideas, craft hooks, and tackle misconceptions, while students have access to starter prompts and personal class notebooks.

Gemini in Google Classroom now allows educators to convert rubric files and images into interactive rubrics.

Educators can now use Gemini in Google Classroom to convert rubric files and images, including .jpeg and .png formats, into structured, interactive rubrics directly within the assignment creation workflow. This automation reduces manual data entry and allows educators to edit the converted rubric before saving, helping maintain consistent grading standards. The feature is available in English for users over 18 and is managed via the Gemini in Classroom setting in the Admin console.

Google Classroom now allows educators to tag coursework and rubrics with learning goals, standards, and skills to monitor student progress.

Educators in Google Classroom can now tag assignments, quizzes, questions, and materials with specific learning standards and skills, either by searching established sets or using AI-powered suggestions. This feature provides data-driven analytics to help teachers identify instructional gaps and allows students and guardians to see how coursework aligns with learning milestones. The standards are sourced through partnerships with 1EdTech and Common Good Learning Tools via the Satchel Rosetta Exchange.

Students in higher education (18+) can now create personal class notebooks with NotebookLM in Google Classroom.

Students in higher education aged 18 and older can now create their own personal class notebooks within Google Classroom using NotebookLM. These notebooks are grounded in materials provided by their educators, allowing students to generate custom study tools such as Audio Overviews, Video Overviews, study guides, flashcards, and interactive visual diagrams. Students can synthesize information across up to 50 source documents and receive grounded answers to questions via the Gemini tab, helping them better internalize and present their learning.

Gemini in Google Classroom is now available in all Classroom-supported languages, expanding access for educators and higher education students.

Gemini in Google Classroom, which supports educators with planning and creating engaging lessons and helps students in higher education to study and learn, is expanding its availability to all Classroom-supported languages where Gemini is also available. This update makes Gemini tools in Classroom increasingly accessible to educators and higher education students whose preferred language is now supported. Features include outlining lesson plans, generating quizzes, writing informational text, tackling common misconceptions, translating text, personalized and step-by-step explanations with Guided Learning, preparing for exams by testing knowledge with hints and feedback, turning class materials into custom flashcards, and creating study guides.

Gemini in Google Classroom is now available in all Classroom-supported languages.

Google is expanding the availability of Gemini in Google Classroom to all supported languages in which Gemini is available. This update enables educators to use AI for outlining lesson plans, generating quizzes, and creating informational texts, while higher education students can utilize Gemini for guided learning, custom flashcards, and personalized study guides.

AI-suggested feedback for written assignments in Google Classroom.

Educators can now leverage AI-suggested feedback, powered by Gemini, to efficiently draft personalized guidance for student assignments within Google Classroom. This feature aims to help teachers manage their workloads, deliver timely and specific feedback to enhance student growth, and provide high-level, empathetic guidance that can be scaled across larger classes. Teachers maintain full control to review, edit, and refine the AI-generated suggestions before sharing with students.

AI-suggested feedback for written assignments in Google Classroom.

Google Classroom is introducing AI-suggested feedback for written assignments, allowing educators to use Gemini to draft personalized guidance tailored to a student's work, grade level, and specific focus areas. By selecting 'Help me write' in private comments, teachers can generate drafts that they can then review, edit, and refine, helping to reduce the time spent on manual feedback while maintaining high-quality, empathetic support for students.