New Google Workspace for Edu Features for Some Users

The annual BETT Show is happening in London this week. Tech companies big and small use this as an opportunity to tout the virtues of their new and updated products. Google, of course, is one of those companies that has announced a bunch of new things for the education market.

Before you get too excited about these new offerings from Google, keep in mind that most of them are only available to schools who have paid for one of the upgraded versions of Google Workspace for Edu. Also keep in mind that most of these features are not yet widely available.

Add Interactive Questions to Videos

I’m surprised that it has taken Google this long to develop a tool for teachers to use to add interactive questions to YouTube videos. This is a beta feature that you can express interest in trying if your school has one of the paid Google Workspace for Edu plans.

Improved Google Classroom Organization

Now you’ll be able to organize your assignments in the manner that makes the most sense to you (or to your school administrator). Organize assignments according to semester, quarter, or term.

Timers and Voting in Google Docs

The relatively new “smart chip” function in Google Docs can now be used to quickly add a timer to a document. A voting chip is also coming soon. I’ve found the smart chips to be more annoying than helpful. Maybe these new chips will change how I feel about that.

New Transcription Options in Screencast

Perhaps the best feature of the Screencast tool that is built into Chrome OS is the ability to have your videos automatically transcribed and timestamped. The latest Chrome OS build will improve that functionality by offering support for a dozen more languages. Learn more about it here and see a demo of Screencast below.