Google for education

GSuite (Google Apps for Education) is a set of web based production tools that allow users to create word processing documents, presentations, spreadsheets, forms, webpages and more for free. Users can not only create and edit from anywhere at anytime using any device that can get online, but they can also share these documents with other users allowing them to view, edit, and/or collaborate in real time.

Guide to Google's Future Changes (March 2025)

EdTech Guide to Recent Google Changes 

Applications (click links below to learn more about each application) 

Google Classroom - online classroom management and communication platform

Google Drive - cloud based storage 

Google Docs - word processing application

Google Forms - survey application 

Google Jamboard -  innovative tool that allows teachers to interact with students with a whiteboard-style experience, without even needing to be in the same room.

Google Maps - interactive map creation application 

Google Slides - presentation application

Google Sheets - spreadsheet application 

Google Sites - An easy-to-use website building and publishing tool that's ideal for use by teachers and students. The intuitive design and building process make it accessible to novices and tech aficionados alike

Google Draw - shapes, diagrams, charts application

Google Hangouts 

Google Meet - video meetings 

Google Tutorials 

G Suite for Teachers Reference Guides

Google for Edu YouTube Channels (subscribe to one or all of them).  Everything you need to know about how to use these tools!

Google Classroom Guide for Teachers (.doc) 

My Digital Binder for Technology (Google Classroom, Docs, Slides, Zoom)

The Top 5 Most Important Things to Know about Classroom 

What's New with GSuite?

Year-End Recommended Student Chromebook Tasks

The abc's of keyboard shortcuts

Google Tools Add-Ons

Google add-ons are extra features you can "add-on" to Google Apps to improve and increase each apps functionality.  You can install these "add-ons" from within the app itself by clicking the "add-on" link from eachs application's menu bar.  Below are just a few of the more popular ones. 

• EasyBib Bibliography Creator - EasyBib is an intuitive, dead-simple online bibliographic management tool. It's the most popular tool of its kind, used by over 20 million students from high school to college. 

• Easy Accents - Easily add accent marks to your Google Docs.

• MathType - easily type or handwrite (on touch screens) math equations into Google Docs

• Pear Deck for Google Slides -  Add-on brings your Google Slides to life with interactive questions that can be added to any presentation. It’s the best of both worlds — design your presentation in Google Slides and engage your class through Pear Deck!

Google Extensions 

Extensions are small software programs that customize the browsing experience. They enable users to tailor Chrome functionality and behavior to individual needs or preferences.  Please keep in mind, the more extensions you install the slower the start-up time on other web-based applications.  Extension must first be tested and approved by our IT department.  If you would like to have an extension approved, submit a help desk ticket at helpdesk@esmschools.org.  Already approved extensions are listed on the 

IMPORTANT: Students cannot install extensions unless the extension has been approved by our tech department.  If you find an extension that you want your students to install, please submit a help desk ticket at helpdesk@esmschools.org.  

Extensions Forced out by District

• ActivCast 

• Chrome Remote Desktop 

• Clever

• GoGuardian

• Google Hangouts

• Read and Write for Google Chrome

• Relay 

Popular Extensions Used by Educators  (click to see list) 

Approved Student Extensions

• Bitmoji

• Grammarly

• Learning Ally Audiobooks

• Pear Deck 

• QR Code Extension

• Socrative Student

• Read and Write

How are we monitoring? 

GoGuardian is a software company that helps districts manage a fleet of Chromebooks. GoGuardian Admin is primarily used to filter the content of the Internet on the district-owned Chromebooks. The district’s IT staff creates filtering policies that block or allow websites based on predetermined categories and assigned to students. GoGuardian’s content filtering only applies to the district-owned Chromebooks. This does not filter or monitor sites accessed by students using a personal device on cellular service. 

What are we monitoring? 

GoGuardian keeps track of the websites that a student visits on their device. A report provides a chronological timeline of websites visited along with how much time was spent on each site. Even if the browsing history is erased, the record is still available.

• GoGuardian Teacher Training Guide (PDF) 

• Archiving/Restore/Remove/Delete a Classroom (web)