What's new?
Effective August 17, 2026, all CSS Faculty and Adjuncts have been upgraded to Google Education Plus. This tier provides advanced AI tools and enhanced features beyond the previous Fundamentals version. These features are included as part of our participation in the Education Google AI for Education Accelerator Program.
What about students?
These features are NOT available for students. They have Education Fundamental accounts.
How do you know if you have a Plus account?
Look for the Gemini icon (four-pointed star shape) next to your avatar (top-right).
What's included in this version?
Available tools and features are linked and listed below. Not all tools are available at the Google Education Plus tier. Get Started with Gemini in Google Workspace contains Google's official tutorials for AI-assisted features in workspace tools.
Questions? Need support?
Check out a Tech Tuesday session or recording on Google Workspace for Education Plus Series: What’s New for Faculty?
Review the resources on this page.
Email the CTLA team at cid@css.edu We're happy to help!
Gemini in Google Docs: Gemini is integrated directly into Google Docs. Use this to brainstorm drafts and reference other documents/resources in your Drive. Create content in seconds with Help Me Write (floating pencil/sparkle icon) and Gemini in the side panel of Docs. You can also use Gemini in Docs to Summarize a Google Doc.
Smart Chips: Smart Chips allow you to embed interactive data directly into Google Docs or Sheets. Add specific CSS people, dates, dropdowns and more!
Create custom building blocks: Use Custom Building Blocks to convert frequently used text blocks, tables, or formatting templates into reusable snippets that can be inserted into docs like rubrics or grading feedback!
Send signature requests & sign documents with eSignature: Google Workspace’s built-in eSignature capabilities allow you to collect signatures securely within Google Docs and Drive.
Gemini in Google Forms: Gemini is integrated directly into Google Forms. Use Gemini to help you create a first draft of a form and summarize form responses.
Gemini in Google Slides: Gemini is integrated directly into Google Slides. Use Gemini to help you draft presentations from prompts, notes, or documents in your Drive! If you already have an outline for your slides, it can be a huge timesaver to get to build a draft slide deck.
Create a Google Vid from Google Slides: Convert existing Google Slides presentations into full video narratives in Google Vids. Gemini imports slide layouts and speaker notes to build video scenes, generate voiceovers, draft scripts, and add background music and transitions. (Note: This import integration is available through May 31, 2026).
Edit images in Google Slides & Vids: Edit visuals directly within your slide decks and video projects using built-in Gemini Ai tools. You can modify specific object elements, change background colors or styles, and rewrite text embedded within images without leaving your workflow.
Gemini in Vids: Acts as an embedded AI side panel assistant to help you brainstorm video concepts, generate media clips, write scripts, and edit timeline content.
Edit images in Google Vids: Allows you to modify, retouch, change backgrounds, or expand visual assets directly within your video project using AI commands.
Create a Google Vid from Google Slides: Convert an existing presentation into a structured video draft by converting slides into scenes and speaker notes into scripts.