10 Essential Google AI Tools For Educators & Librarians
Transforming Teaching, Learning, and Creativity with Cutting-Edge AI Solutions
As we dive into 2025, it’s the perfect time to explore a specific subset of tools from Google AI. These innovative resources have become invaluable for streamlining workflows, enhancing learning, and fostering creativity in classrooms and libraries.
This list compiles 10 of Google’s most powerful AI offerings, tailored to support educators and librarians in their efforts to engage students, simplify tasks, and inspire curiosity. Whether you’re planning lessons, supporting research, or developing library programs, these tools can transform your approach.
NotebookLM Deep Dive:
Google AI Tools for Educators and Librarians
NotebookLM
NotebookLM is an innovative research assistant developed by Google AI that streamlines the process of working with large volumes of information. By uploading documents, users can pose questions, generate summaries, and organize key insights seamlessly. This tool is particularly useful for educators preparing lesson plans or librarians helping patrons sift through dense materials. Its intuitive interface empowers users to efficiently extract and synthesize information, making it a game-changer for anyone managing extensive research or complex projects. Best of all, NotebookLM is completely free, ensuring accessibility for educators, students, and librarians alike.
In Action:
Libraries: Help patrons answer specific research questions or summarize complex articles quickly.
Classrooms: Use NotebookLM to create targeted lesson content by extracting key ideas from multiple readings.
Students: Organize research for projects or essays, quickly pulling out relevant points for assignments.
Learn About
https://learning.google.com/experiments/learn-about
Learn About harnesses the power of AI to create highly visual and interactive explanations of complex concepts. Designed to bring abstract ideas to life, this tool is especially suited for STEM subjects, where traditional methods of explanation can sometimes fall short. With dynamic visualizations and engaging presentations, Learn About transforms topics like coding, robotics, or physics into understandable and fascinating lessons. Its accessibility ensures that educators, librarians, and students can easily integrate it into their learning environments, enriching the educational experience.
In Action:
Libraries: Use Learn About during STEM workshops to visually introduce concepts like renewable energy or coding basics.
Classrooms: Teachers can explain topics such as molecular structures or electrical circuits using dynamic animations.
Students: Independently explore STEM concepts through interactive visualizations, reinforcing understanding.
Read Along by Google
Read Along by Google is an AI-powered literacy tool designed to assist early readers. Featuring an interactive reading buddy named Diya, this tool listens to children as they read aloud, providing immediate feedback on pronunciation and fluency. The app includes a variety of age-appropriate stories tailored to different reading levels, making it ideal for building reading confidence. By combining real-time support with engaging content, Read Along fosters an enjoyable and supportive environment for children to develop foundational literacy skills.
In Action:
Libraries: Incorporate Read Along into children’s literacy programs, encouraging young readers to practice in a fun and interactive way.
Classrooms: Assign it as a tool for at-home practice to support classroom reading initiatives.
Students: Use it as a self-paced tool to improve fluency and confidence in reading.
Illuminate by Google
https://illuminate.google.com/
Illuminate is a storytelling and data visualization tool that bridges the gap between information and engagement. With this tool, users can create visually stunning presentations on historical, cultural, and scientific topics, making complex ideas easier to grasp. Illuminate enables educators and librarians to inspire curiosity through interactive visuals and storytelling. It’s perfect for creating thematic displays, lesson plans, or workshops that captivate audiences and deepen their understanding of intricate subjects.
In Action:
Libraries: Design visually appealing displays, such as an interactive timeline of the civil rights movement.
Classrooms: Teachers can develop lessons on topics like space exploration using engaging visuals and narratives.
Students: Create multimedia presentations that elevate school projects and showcase creativity.
Talking Tours by Google Arts & Culture
https://artsandculture.google.com/experiment/talking-tours/8AGlfzgsYmBeIA?hl=en
Talking Tours transforms educational experiences by offering virtual audio-guided tours of museums, cultural landmarks, and historical sites. Through AI-driven narration, users can explore global treasures from anywhere, making it an excellent resource for educators and librarians. Whether it’s a history class exploring the ancient pyramids or a library hosting a virtual tour of the Louvre, Talking Tours bridges the gap between physical and digital learning environments.
In Action:
Libraries: Host themed events with virtual tours linked to collections, such as art or travel-related books.
Classrooms: Teachers can use Talking Tours to immerse students in cultural history or geography lessons.
Students: Explore world-renowned landmarks to enhance cultural awareness and inspire creativity.
National Gallery Mixtape
https://artsandculture.google.com/experiment/national-gallery-mixtape/iwHPaSXS-zrryg?hl=en
National Gallery Mixtape reinvents art appreciation by allowing users to curate personalized playlists of artworks. Based on user preferences, this AI-driven tool highlights famous pieces and hidden gems, providing a unique, tailored experience. Perfect for art lovers, educators, and students, Mixtape makes exploring art history more engaging and accessible, connecting individuals to art in a way that feels personal and meaningful.
In Action:
Libraries: Pair curated art playlists with related literature for creative programming or displays.
Classrooms: Integrate Mixtape into art history lessons to engage students in discovering new pieces.
Students: Explore art that resonates with their personal interests and draw inspiration for creative projects.
Whisk
https://labs.google/fx/tools/whisk
Whisk turns images into creative story prompts and visualizations, making it an invaluable tool for workshops and classroom activities. By uploading images, users can generate narratives or use the visuals as inspiration for writing exercises. This tool encourages imagination and fosters a connection between visual and written storytelling, making it a favorite for educators and librarians focused on creative programming.
In Action:
Libraries: Host storytelling sessions where patrons use Whisk to create stories based on historical or artistic images.
Classrooms: Use it to teach descriptive writing and creative thinking in English or art classes.
Students: Generate unique story ideas for assignments or creative projects using personal or provided images.
Gemini for Google Workspace
https://blog.google/products/classroom/google-ai-gemini-workspace-for-education/
Gemini is an AI assistant embedded in Google Workspace that simplifies productivity tasks like drafting emails, creating presentations, and organizing schedules. This tool empowers educators and librarians to streamline their workflows, enabling them to focus more on engagement and less on administrative tasks. Gemini is particularly effective for collaborative environments, enhancing team productivity.
In Action:
Libraries: Plan events, manage schedules, and draft communication materials with ease.
Classrooms: Simplify lesson planning and create collaborative projects with Google Docs and Slides.
Students: Organize group projects, schedules, and presentations efficiently.
LearnLM
https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/google-learnlm-gemini-generative-ai/
LearnLM tailors educational content to individual needs, offering personalized tutoring and real-time feedback. It is perfect for differentiated instruction, allowing educators to support students at varying levels of proficiency. Whether it’s guiding a student through challenging math problems or helping them improve their writing, LearnLM adapts to specific learning goals.
In Action:
Libraries: Offer LearnLM during homework help sessions to provide personalized support.
Classrooms: Teachers can integrate it into instruction to meet the unique needs of each student.
Students: Access tailored guidance to overcome challenges in specific subjects.
Gen Chess
https://labs.google/genchess
Gen Chess reimagines chess as a tool for creative learning, encouraging experimentation with new moves and rules. By fostering innovation and strategy, it provides an exciting way to teach problem-solving and critical thinking. This tool is great for educators and librarians looking to inspire students through engaging, non-traditional activities.
In Action:
Libraries: Organize chess tournaments with a twist, promoting creative gameplay.
Classrooms: Teach critical thinking and strategy development through innovative chess exercises.
Students: Explore new strategies in chess while enhancing problem-solving skills.
Bonus Tool: My Storytime
My Storytime enables families and educators to record and share personalized audio stories. Designed to connect listeners with familiar voices, this tool brings storytelling into the digital age. Whether used in classrooms, libraries, or at home, My Storytime fosters creativity and enhances literacy in a meaningful, personal way.
In Action:
Libraries: Host virtual storytelling events or encourage families to participate in creating shared audio stories.
Classrooms: Assign students to create and share recordings as part of language arts lessons.
Students: Record their own stories or listen to personalized tales, enhancing literacy and creativity.
Revolutionize Your Workflow
These tools empower educators and librarians with innovative ways to engage learners, manage tasks, and spark creativity. With many of them free to use, they’re accessible to everyone looking to enhance their workflow and inspire their communities.
Which of these tools have you tried? Are there others you’d recommend? Let’s share ideas and continue exploring the endless possibilities that AI brings to education and libraries.
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Elissa, I am interested in My Storytime. I noticed that you sign in via your Google account. This made me wonder about privacy and FERPA compliance issues. I can't use this with my students because of privacy concerns. Would you happen to know anything about their compliance with that law? Thanks!