Google announces new accessibility and teaching resource updates for K-12 classrooms

Google’s classroom and workplace offerings are getting even more updates this year, as the company announces a new set of accessibility features, apps, and other tools to enhance the digital learning experience. 

Google’s latest educational offerings were announced at the annual International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference, a meeting of global educators and tech designers sharing new tools and resources for digital education and classroom accessible technology. 

The company also announced another partnership with Figma, the makers of the Figma collaborative design program and the coworking whiteboard FigJam, that will give all U.S. K-12 students free access to both programs. 

“At Google for Education, we’re constantly working to develop new products and tools that help students learn more effectively, and help educators teach more efficiently, no matter where they are or how they teach,” the company wrote in its announcement. “Part of that commitment is making sure every student and educator has access to tools that create more personal, collaborative, accessible and safe teaching and learning experiences.”

New accessibility updates for Google and Chromebooks

Google’s accessibility tools are coming to more users, including a new image-to-text feature that will allow screen readers to convert inaccessible PDF images into readable text. The feature will be available on the Chrome browser on ChromeOS. 

Those join other new features like new fonts in Arabic, Cyrillic, and Latin systems to improve readability, as well as a Google Meet feature that allows users to pair two speaker screens (known as “tiles”) so deaf and hard of hearing users can connect sign language interpreters to speakers faster.

The new Read Along in Classroom integration, which pairs a young reader with a digital reading buddy (known as Diya), makes it “easier to support differentiated learning” and literacy, the company explained. Educators can assign reading activities, based on Lexile level or grade level, see auto-generated insights, and track metrics on fluency, speed, and areas of struggle.

And Google’s Reading Mode — a customizable reader view that reduces distracting elements on the screen and adjusts typeface, font size, spacing, text and background color to help young learners or those with cognitive disabilities — will be expanded to Chrome users across all devices.

New Google for Education app hub

Google’s expanding its educational resources for educators and students, starting with its new Google for Education App hub, a one-stop site for educators and administrators to find every education app that seamlessly integrates with Google for Education products, like Workspace, Classrooms, and Chromebooks.

The landing page features a list of 25 core apps that offer at least one of three specific features: Classroom add-ons, School Information System (SIS) integrations, and app licensing. Apps can be filtered by subject, category, feature accessibility, and compliance information, or by apps that work with Chromebooks and Google Workspace for Education through Google’s APIs (Slides, Docs, and Drive). 

Educators can access app-specific resources, including training from the app’s developers. 

The new add-ons allow easier syncing of EdTech tools to Classroom, and the new licensing system gives administrators the option to manage license distribution and usage of education programs through the Google Admin console. Participating developers include Adobe Express, Concepts, ExplainEverything, Figma, LumaFusion, Squid, and WeVideo.

Free Adobe Express for Education 

Google is also revamping its partnership with design giant Adobe, launching the improved Adobe Express for Education. The free classroom program will be integrated into Chromebooks, making it easier for admins to provision free licenses and install the app for all students.

Adobe creations can then be accessed from within Google Classroom.

Google Workspace and Classroom updates for educators

Google’s expanding its use of AI-powered searches and tools, as well, in tandem with a plethora of other new features for classroom and widespread use:

• Google will now have a Q&A and polling in livestreams.

• Educators can select or edit suggested AI-generated questions on classroom video assignments, created based on the video captions. It will work on selected YouTube videos within Classroom.

• More Chromebook data controls will be launched, letting admins set up rules to prevent copy and paste (like from AI-based tools like ChatGPT), screen capture, screen sharing, and printing.

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