Dive Brief:

• Google for Education has added several new tools and updates to its Classroom suite along with new apps educators will love, just in time for the start of the school year.
• Engadget reports a new app will help keep parents informed and engaged with teacher updates, and the Classroom mobile app now has broad annotation capabilities that bring back some of the best functionality of paper and pencil work and grading.
• Teachers can keep content organized with new tagging options, Google Forms now supports use of images, Inbox is open to Google for Education users and new “expeditions” have been added to Google’s stock of virtual reality field trips. 

Dive Insight:

Google’s updates for the 2016-17 school year reflect several trends in education today. It’s expanded list of expeditions coincides with greater use of virtual reality in classrooms. Google has facilitated much of that growth with its very low-cost Google Cardboard goggles, making more teachers think about its value in the classroom.

With the updates to the Classroom suite, Google is also providing a foundation for removing even more paper from schools. So much that used to be done with paper and pencil is now digital. In some subjects, though, that makes completing assignments and grading harder. Now in math, for example, students will be able to complete digital work with the new annotation tools and easily write in equations or other visuals. Just as “going green” saves companies in paper and mailing costs, paperless classrooms have monetary benefits for schools, too.