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Table Of Contents

Beginners Guide to Google Workspace for Education

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Table Of Contents

What we previously knew as G Suite for Education ceased to exist in February this year, when Google announced the change to Google Workspace for Education. There were two versions of G Suite for Education before – one was a free version, while the other was paid and called G Suite for Education Enterprise Edition. After February this year, we have Education Fundamentals which is a free version, Education Standard which is a paid version, and Education Plus.

These new upgrades are bound to make some changes for many districts, especially for those who are considering using the advanced learning features. Since many will find this transition confusing, we decided to give an in-depth guide on how Google Workspace for education works to make things much easier.

Differences between different versions of Google Workspace for Education.

As we mentioned above, Google Workspace for education is available in a few different editions, both with free and paid plans. Here, we’re going to do a quick overview of these versions to help you out choose the best option for your organization.

  • Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals. Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals offers a wide array of tools that will help facilitate critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity while keeping in mind the learning objectives. Tools that come with this version of Google workspace for education are free, ad-free, safe, and, most important, useful to students in acquiring new knowledge and experiences. Here’s the list of features you can use on the free version:

  • Communication via Gmail, Chat, and Meet

  • Collaboration using Docs, Sheets, Slides, Sites, Jamboard, and Meet

  • Class management with Classrooms and Assignments

  • Data loss prevention for Gmail and Drive

  • Google Workspace for Education Standard. Google Workspace for Education Standard is a paid upgrade to Education Fundamental, with the biggest difference being in more advanced security and analytics features. This version also contains more advanced video communication tools, and the tools that are meant to enhance the class experience.

  • Google Workspace for Education Plus. Google Workspace for Education Plus is a paid plan that has all the features we can find in Fundamentals, but with more developed features and greater data protection. 

  • Google Meet live to stream

  • Built-in approvals process directly from Gmail, Drive, Docs, etc.

  • Increased storage capacity

What do you need to qualify for Google Workspace for Education?

There are a few criteria K-12 schools and higher-education institutions have to possess to become eligible for Google Workspace for Education. They need to be recognized by the government and possess a formal accreditation to issue certifications (either national or international level) at the primary, secondary, or third level. 

The list of tools Google Workspace for Education offers.

For any plan, Google Workspace for Education offers the use of Gmail, Calendar, Google Meet, and Docs, but also the use of:

  • Sheets. Sheets can help with analyzing, visualizing, and charting data students and teachers need to successfully bypass the education hurdles.

  • Slides. Google Slides can be used to make more interactive classes, and help students memorize better. Forms

  • Classroom. Google Classroom allows its users to create classes, add students, create assignments, and share announcements. Furthermore, teachers can easily see who completed a task, who’s still on it, and grade assignments once they’re submitted. What’s more, Google Classroom allows teachers to share feedback, answer questions, and comment on their assignments.

  • Assignments. Assignments is an app within Google Workspace for Education that helps teachers save time grading, but also improves student-teacher communication since teachers can see the progress of their students easily, and give them fast and accurate feedback promptly.

  • Groups. Via groups, users can create separate spaces within Google Workspace for Education where teachers can communicate and collaborate with their students more effectively. With a group, teachers can send emails to all group members, invite them to meetings, and share important content such as videos, sites, calendars, and documents.

  • Drive. Google Drive allows teachers and students to store and share important documents.

  • Administrator Dashboard. Via Google Admin console teachers can manage their Workspace services as they see fit. By signing in to the Google Admin console teachers (or admins) can manage other user accounts, configure settings, create groups, and monitor Google Workspace usage, and many more.

Ana Mladenovic
Ana Mladenovic

A cat enthusiast and a cupcake maniac, Ana is a freelance Content Writer passionate about HR, productivity, and team management topics. When she’s not at her keyboard, you can find Ana in the kitchen, trying to make delicious cookies.

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