In light of recent developments in AI technology, Google has launched new features within their AI-powered Gemini tool.

Gemini is now integrated into Google Classroom, along with other commonly used applications such as Docs, Slides, and Gmail. We had the opportunity to attend their exclusive demo event at the Google Singapore office on 4th November 2024. Led by James Sayer, the Director of AppsEDU, the session demonstrated how Gemini can revolutionise workflows for school teams and educators.

Enhanced Security​

Privacy and security concerns are inevitable when it comes to AI tools. With Gemini in the Google Workspace for Education, users’ data is not used for review by anyone to improve AI models, train AI models or share with other users or institutions.

When using school accounts, educators and students (above 18 years old) can chat with the Gemini app for free, with added data protection.

More recently, Gemini for teen students aged 13 years and up is now available for use if activated by the admins of the Google Workspace for Education. This move is meant to empower older students with the skills to manoeuvre around their world where generative AI is increasingly used, and learn how to maximise it effectively in enhancing their learning.

Writing Good Prompts​

Before we converse with any generative AI tool, it is as per usual essential to craft a proper prompt which is specific and provides sufficient necessary information for the desired output to be achieved.

To quote James Sayer – “Great managers make great prompters” because they would most likely be used to delegating tasks with very clear instructions.

As a general guideline, a prompt should contain the following four elements:

• Persona: Who is the AI speaking as?
• Task: What do you want the AI to do?
• Context: What background information is necessary?
• Format: How should the output be organised?

You can also provide the tool with sample output and ask it to suggest prompts that could produce similar results.

Example Prompt

Persona: You are an experienced educational therapist with a deep understanding of teaching strategies for engaging upper-primary learners. You focus on helping students build strong narrative writing skills through accessible and interactive activities.

Task: Plan an engaging classroom activity for Primary 6 students to learn and apply the Show, Not Tell technique in narrative writing. The activity should include step-by-step instructions, examples, and opportunities for students to practise the technique.

Context: This activity will be conducted in a 45-minute classroom session, with students diagnosed with dyslexia, including some with attentional difficulties. The goal is to make the lesson interactive, creative, and accessible, ensuring all students grasp the concept and practise it effectively.

Format:

• Objective of the Activity
• Materials Needed
• Warm-Up Activity (5–10 minutes)
• Main Activity (20–25 minutes, including examples and practice)
• Wrap-Up/Reflection (5–10 minutes)
• Suggestions for Differentiation

Gemini in Google Apps

Gemini’s Role in Google Meet

For premium accounts, AI capabilities include:

• Taking notes and sending the summarised notes to Gmail automatically
• Providing real-time translation for over 60 languages and live captions
• Protecting presented content and video feeds from unauthorised copying and distribution
• AI-powered custom backgrounds and improved visuals with studio lighting

Gemini Features in Docs, Slides, and Gmail

• Docs: The ‘Help me write…’ feature assists users in drafting new text or rephrasing existing content.
• Slides: Users can generate new slides, create images, write or rewrite content, and summarise presentations with Gemini.
• Gmail: Gemini can summarise email threads, suggest responses, draft emails, find information in Google Drive, and provide information about Google Calendar events. It’s especially helpful for educators in managing overflowing inboxes, allowing more time for student interaction.

Lesson Planning with Gemini

As a teacher in Singapore, I’m always looking for ways to make my lessons engaging and effective, particularly in literacy. Seeing how Gemini can be used for lesson planning has sparked many ideas.

Planning Engaging Literacy Lessons

Imagine planning a Primary 3 English lesson focused on reading comprehension. Instead of spending hours searching for suitable texts and crafting comprehension questions, I could turn to Gemini. I might start with a prompt like: “Create a 45-minute lesson plan for Primary 3 English on reading comprehension. The text should be about a local Singaporean landmark, like the Merlion. Include learning objectives, activities focused on identifying the main idea and supporting details, and differentiated assessment methods.”

Gemini could generate a lesson plan with a short passage about the Merlion, followed by comprehension questions that target the main idea, supporting details, and even inferential skills. It could also suggest activities like a class discussion about the Merlion’s significance, a graphic organiser for students to map out the main idea and supporting details, and differentiated tasks for varying reading levels. For instance, some students could be asked to draw their interpretation of the Merlion’s story, while others might write a short paragraph summarising the passage.

Using Gemini for Secondary Levels

Another scenario: Teaching Secondary 2 students how to write persuasive essays. I could use Gemini to brainstorm essay topics relevant to Singaporean society, such as the importance of national service or the impact of social media on youth. A prompt like, “Generate five essay topics suitable for a Secondary 2 English class in Singapore, focusing on persuasive writing and relevant social issues,” could give me a great starting point.

Gemini for Younger Learners

For younger learners in Primary 1, I might explore using Gemini to create phonics activities. A prompt like, “Generate a 20-minute phonics activity for Primary 1 focusing on the ‘sh’ sound. Include a short story with words containing the ‘sh’ sound, and a hands-on activity,” could generate materials that I could adapt for my classroom. Perhaps Gemini could suggest a story about a shy fish or a worksheet where students identify words with the “sh” sound.

It’s important to note that Gemini is a tool to assist, not replace, the teacher. The lesson plans and activities it generates may require adjustments to suit the specific needs of my students and align with the local DAS curriculum guidelines. However, the potential for Gemini to streamline the lesson planning process and offer creative ideas is exciting, particularly when developing engaging and contextually relevant literacy lessons.

Custom Gems

One of the most intriguing aspects of Gemini is the ability to create custom Gems. These personalised AI assistants could revolutionise how we approach tasks in the classroom, particularly in assessment and supporting diverse learners. In the DAS context, where we prioritise inclusivity, this is especially exciting.\

Personalising the Gemini Experience

Custom Gems offer a unique level of personalisation, allowing you to tailor Gemini to your specific needs. Creating a Gem is as simple as clicking the wand icon, which prompts Gemini to refine and rewrite your instructions. While the customised Gem itself can’t be directly shared, the underlying prompts defining its behaviour can be. This means you can effectively share the “recipe” for your Gem with colleagues by copying and sharing the prompts used to create it. This workaround allows for collaboration and knowledge sharing, enabling educators to benefit from each other’s Gem-building strategies, even if the Gems remain personal.

Streamlining Rubric Creation

I’m particularly interested in exploring how custom Gems can help with rubric creation. Rubrics are essential tools for clarifying expectations and providing consistent feedback. However, creating detailed and effective rubrics can be time-consuming. I envision a “Rubric Generator Gem” that could streamline this process.

For example, I might feed Gemini examples of rubrics I’ve used in the past, focusing on criteria like content, organisation, language use, and presentation. I could also provide it with learning objectives for a particular assignment. Then, I might prompt the Gem with something like, “Create a rubric for a Secondary 3 English essay on the importance of National Service. The rubric should assess content, organisation, language use, and critical thinking.”

The Gem could generate a rubric tailored to that specific assignment, with clear descriptors for each performance level (e.g., Excellent, Good, Fair, Needs Improvement). This would save time and potentially offer new ways to articulate assessment criteria.

Supporting Students with Dyslexia

Additionally, I’m exploring how Gems can create rubrics that are particularly helpful for students with dyslexia. These students often benefit from clear, concise, and visually organised information. I can train a Gem to create rubrics incorporating these principles.

Gemini can also assist in creating dyslexia-friendly rubrics. I could prompt it to:

• Use bullet points and short phrases for clarity
• Employ consistent formatting and spacing
• Suggest visual cues like colour-coding or symbols
• Provide examples of student work to illustrate each level of performance

By creating dyslexia-friendly rubrics, I may make assessment criteria more accessible and less overwhelming for these students. This aligns with our focus on inclusive education and personalised instruction at DAS, where we aim to support all learners in reaching their full potential.

These are just potential applications of custom Gems. While I haven’t fully explored the capabilities, the possibility of using AI to personalise rubric creation and make assessment more inclusive is a promising development for all educators. It offers a way to reduce teacher workload while enhancing the learning experience for all students, including those with learning differences.

Gemini in Google Sheets

Gemini’s integration with Sheets is another area with enormous potential. Imagine asking questions about your data in plain English, such as, “Gemini, what are the trends in student test scores over the past three years?” Gemini can analyse the data, provide insights, and even generate charts that you can easily insert into your spreadsheet. This could be incredibly useful for tracking student progress, identifying areas where students are struggling, and making data-driven decisions about instruction. It simplifies data analysis and makes it accessible to all teachers, regardless of technical expertise.

Explore More

If you’re an avid user of tech tools or simply curious about them, do check out Google Labs to discover and try Google’s emerging AI products still in the experimental stage. Among these is NotebookLM – a research assistant tool capable of explaining complex concepts in simpler terms, creating presentation outlines, identifying trends, and generating new ideas from research papers, textbook chapters, brainstorming notes, or any other source material.

Article written by:
Soofrina Mubarak
RETA Fellow

Hakimah Nur Diniyah
RETA Associate Fellow