SCREEN VALUE > SCREEN TIME
Technology that turns screen time into learning value
Grounded in learning science, Google for Education tools prioritize active creation and deep thinking over passive consumption – keeping educators firmly in control.
Rethinking classroom screen time with learning science
We’re using what we know to take a novel, informed approach to the issue. Instead of less screen time, our platform provides a way to make it productive.
The Concern
Is screen time a problem?
Is screen time impairing learning and eroding attention span? Should screens be allowed in the classroom?
Our Priority
Focus on screen value, not time
Encourage creativity and curiosity while ensuring student wellness with age-appropriate tech guided by learning science.
Classroom technology that earns its place
Google for Education empowers educators by providing educational tools that fit into the rhythm of learning.
Tools that follow the educator's lead
Whether accelerating independent work or group engagement, Google for Education tools keep educators in the lead, making shifts from digital experiences to face-to-face connection seamless.
Technology grounded in learning science
By anchoring digital tools in learning science, Google for Education ensures technology serves as a bridge to deeper thinking, prompting students to learn and apply skills and knowledge.
Tools that spark student creativity
Google for Education provides the digital tools students can use to bring their ideas to life. From collaborating in Google Docs to exploring with Gemini, students build, solve, and think more deeply by putting their knowledge into practice.
Educators agree: purposeful technology drives active learning
93% of schools confirm purposeful technology drives active learning
Source: Unified National Alliance / Senate letter signatories
73% of teachers believe AI will improve student outcomes
Source: Google/Ipsos "Our Life with AI," Jan 2026
76% of students find learning more engaging due to classroom technology
Source: Promethean, 2022
How Gemini helps students make the most of screen time
Driven by models fine-tuned for education, Gemini inspires active learning and stimulates curiosity, helping to ensure screen time is as helpful as it can be for learners.
AI assignments within Google Classroom and third party learning management systems via Gemini LTI are set up by educators, informed by their curriculum, and provide insights into student interactions.
Guided Learning in Gemini helped students gain up to 1.7 years of learning progress in a single school year during pilot studies.1
Explore the tools and how to use them
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Manage student devices
Pause all student screens to bring the room back together for in-person discussion, lock students into specific assignments to keep them on task, and remotely view student screens to provide real-time support and guidance.
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Provide the right content
Set up teacher-led AI activities so students can get adaptive support that’s grounded in their class curriculum, with insights and visibility for educators that help identify learning gaps and inform instruction.
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Use flexible admin controls
Equip admins with central controls to manage screen time, like downtime policies and distraction limits, while preserving the flexibility teachers need to run their classrooms.
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Gemini for Education
Provide students with an interactive study partner that helps them brainstorm ideas, explain concepts, and create personalized practice materials.
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Gemini Notebook
Guide student research using only the sources you select. Features like interactive Mind Maps, study guides, and Audio Overviews ensure students focus on analysis and synthesis grounded in classroom materials. Students can even create their own notebooks with their own sources.
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Keep your family safe online
Family Link provides tools that respect families' individual choices with technology, helping them create healthy, positive digital habits. With easy-to-use tools, you can understand how your child is spending time on their device, share location, and manage privacy settings.
Manage student devices
Pause all student screens to bring the room back together for in-person discussion, lock students into specific assignments to keep them on task, and remotely view student screens to provide real-time support and guidance.
Provide the right content
Set up teacher-led AI activities so students can get adaptive support that’s grounded in their class curriculum, with insights and visibility for educators that help identify learning gaps and inform instruction.
Use flexible admin controls
Equip admins with central controls to manage screen time, like downtime policies and distraction limits, while preserving the flexibility teachers need to run their classrooms.
Gemini for Education
Provide students with an interactive study partner that helps them brainstorm ideas, explain concepts, and create personalized practice materials.
Gemini Notebook
Guide student research using only the sources you select. Features like interactive Mind Maps, study guides, and Audio Overviews ensure students focus on analysis and synthesis grounded in classroom materials. Students can even create their own notebooks with their own sources.
Keep your family safe online
Family Link provides tools that respect families' individual choices with technology, helping them create healthy, positive digital habits. With easy-to-use tools, you can understand how your child is spending time on their device, share location, and manage privacy settings.
Screen value in motion
Maximizing screen value is all about seamlessly integrating tools where they matter most. This example lesson shows how digital tools and interactive collaboration are blended to ensure students leave with something they made, not just consumed.
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1. Stage setting & ideation
Paper-based brainstorming. The teacher confers one-on-one with students.
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2. Active digital creation
Purposeful creation and drafting in Google Workspace & Gemini.
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3. Pause & peer discussion
Pause devices using Class tools to facilitate face-to-face collaboration.
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4. Reflection & submission
Reopen devices for final revisions and submission via Google Classroom.
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5. Human closing
Close screens; conclude lesson by elevating student voices and oral sharing.
Get started with resources for your role
Take the next step toward better screen time management with guides, tools, and training.
Educators
Find tools, guides, and training for classroom implementation.
IT Leaders
Learn about the Google Admin console, set up Off Hours, and explore policy templates.
Education Leaders
Explore district-level policy frameworks, parent communication templates, and board-level positioning.
Have questions? Get answers here
Gemini for Education is fine-tuned with LearnLM to act as a Socratic coach – offering hints, prompts, and guided scaffolding instead of direct answers. Furthermore, tools like Google Classroom give teachers complete visibility over AI-enabled assignments.
Parents can use Family Link to control and manage device usage after school with features like daily screen time limits, downtime schedules, individual app time limits, and blocked apps.
This “Technology that earns its place in the classroom” one-pager from Google for Education contains information to help alleviate concerns that parents might have about screen time at school.
Gemini for Education provides a responsible experience for students. Gemini identifies content that may be inappropriate for younger users and triggers policies to help prevent inappropriate responses. Additionally, as part of its onboarding, Gemini provides youth AI literacy resources for students, endorsed by ConnectSafely and the Family Online Safety Institute, that give tips on using generative AI responsibly. You can read more about privacy and safety features on the Gemini for Education page.
1 Results based on preregistered randomized controlled trial (RCT) pilot studies in Sierra Leone. Individual results may vary based on school curriculum, implementation, and student.