Enhancing Education with Google Tools

Google for Education is designed to support and enhance academic and professional experience for FSU students, faculty, and staff. With Google for Education, you have access to a suite of tools that foster collaboration, streamline communication, and boost productivity.

See the ITS Google for Education webpage for official support and resources.

 

 

What is Google for Education?

Google for Education is a secure, cloud-based platform on Google Workspace, created to provide schools and universities with a secure academic and professional environment. It provides a collaborative environment where students, faculty, and staff can connect, create, and share easily. Available to anyone with an @fsu.edu email address, Google for Education offers convenient access to popular Google tools like Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Gemini, and NotebookLM, all through your FSU single sign-on (SSO).

How do I access Google for Education?

1. Browse to myaccount.google.com.
2. Enter your FSU email ([email protected]) - this is not designed to work with vanity email addresses like @business, @med, @law, @campus, etc.
3. Enter your FSU password.
4. Confirm on Duo, if needed.
5. Select the I understand button to acknowledge the Terms of Service.

Where do I find all the official information on FSU’s partnership with Google for Education?

Visit https://its.fsu.edu/google-education for important links, Quick Guides, and technical support.

How do I keep Google for Education separate from my personal Google accounts?

We recommend a few possible options.

• Using one browser
  • If using Chrome (or Chromium-based browsers):
    • Use Chrome Profiles.
      Create a dedicated profile for your FSU Google account.
      This keeps personal and FSU accounts completely separate and ensures data is not mixed.
    • Use Incognito windows.
      This is useful for isolating or eliminating problems or ensuring data is not mixed.
      This is helpful for testing in a fresh browser without extensions, specific settings, or memory.
    • Use Guest Profiles.
      Use when accessing another FSU account that is not synced to Google (e.g., Azure ADM).
      This does not save history or any personal data.

• Using multiple browsers:
  • Designate one browser (Chrome or otherwise) to use with Google for Education and FSU-related browsing. Use a secondary browser for personal use.

 

At this time, ITS discourages the use of your FSU Google for Education account on mobile devices (phones or tables), Chromebooks, and Smart TVs.

What tools are available in Google for Education?

ITS is prepared to assist you with each of the tools below. Documentation and guides are available for students, faculty, and staff and are actively maintained and monitored. You can submit a ticket to ITS or contact them for assistance.

Google Drive

Google Drive is a cloud-based storage service that provides a secure place for all your school-related files. Securely store all your academic and research files in the cloud, accessible from any device, anywhere. Easily share documents, research data, and project files with classmates, faculty, and research teams. Google Drive is your hub for all Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, allowing for real-time editing and version control.

Google Docs

Google Docs is a powerful word processing tool that enables real-time collaboration. Work on papers and projects simultaneously with peers and faculty, seeing edits instantly. Utilize comments and edits for efficient review and feedback. Create and edit documents on any device, ensuring productivity whether on campus or off. Track all changes, revert to previous versions, and see who made specific edits, ideal for document integrity.

Google Sheets

Google Sheets is a spreadsheet application that is perfect for organizing and analyzing data. Share and work together on budgets, resource allocation, or project timelines with departments or student groups. Use formulas, functions, and charts to analyze trends, forecast outcomes, and present data clearly. Easily import and analyze data collected from Google Forms for research and administrative surveys.

Google Slides

Google Slides allows users to create dynamic and engaging presentations. Create engaging presentations and research posters with rich media and interactive features. Work in groups on presentations with real-time editing. Present directly from web or mobile, ensuring flexibility. Embed content from Drive, Docs, and Sheets into your presentations for a streamlined experience.

Google Gemini

Google Gemini is an AI assistant that integrates with Workspace for Education apps. It helps instructors save time on tasks like drafting lesson plans, generating quizzes, and summarizing documents. For students, Gemini can offer personalized assistance, provide explanations of complex concepts, and help brainstorm ideas for assignments, all within a secure and private environment.

 

NotebookLM

NotebookLM is an AI-powered research and thinking partner. Unlike traditional AI tools, it grounds its responses in the user's uploaded sources, such as notes, PDFs, or Google Docs. This tool helps instructors and students organize research, generate summaries, and create study guides from their own materials, ensuring that all insights are directly tied to the provided information.

 

Get more information on NotebookLM for instructional and educational use.

 

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Additional tools are available for use but have less robust support from ITS and are not maintained or monitored by ITS. See the Google for Education webpage for more information on tools currently enabled and supported.