Google Gemini

Overview

Gemini is Google’s AI-powered assistant designed to support learning and teaching across Google Workspace for Education. To comply with data protection and compliance policies, Google Gemini is only available to practitioners through their Hwb account.

How to access Gemini in Hwb

To access Gemini from the Hwb website, log in and click the Google app on the Hwb dashboard. Open the Google waffle (the grid of squares in the top-right corner) and select Gemini.

To access Gemini outside of the Hwb website, open gemini.google.com and sign in using a Hwb account. Check the top right corner of the screen to ensure that Gemini is signed into a Hwb account and not a personal Google account.

Gems in Gemini

A Gem is a reusable prompt that can remember its role, rules and materials or documents across every conversation. Open Gemini and click ‘Explore Gems’ in the left-hand menu. Learn more about Gems in Gemini. 

Gems can be shared with other practitioners so they can benefit from customised prompts and instructions. After a Gem has been created, click the share icon to share with others and control who can view or edit individual Gems. Find out more about sharing gems. 

How Gemini can support schools

Reduce workload and personalise learning

• Draft differentiated classroom activity plans and feedback comments.
• Adapt resources for learners with additional needs.
• Support translation of materials into Welsh or other languages.
• Generate scaffolded tasks and extension activities.
• Design bespoke diagrams, infographics and visual aids using Gemini’s image generator.
• Support in-depth exploration of complex topics.

Support professional learning

• Suggest strategies for classroom management and pedagogy.
• Create reflective prompts or coaching questions.

Enhance school operations

• Draft newsletters, announcements and parental communications.
• Create policy documents, handbooks and meeting minutes.
• Generate action plans and summaries from school data.
• Share prompts with other practitioners via Gems to aid knowledge transfer quickly and easily and help create consistency where it is helpful.

Gemini in Google Classroom

Gemini features are built into Google Classroom to help practitioners create resources and enhance learner engagement. To access Gemini within Google Classroom, open Google Classroom and Gemini can be found in the menu on the left.

How Gemini in Google Classroom can support schools

• Draft assignments and rubrics.
• Create differentiated versions of the same text to suit a range of reading abilities.
• Create quizzes and stories. 
• Explore strategies for the top misconceptions about a topic.

Key considerations 

• Gemini should be used in accordance with wider school policies such as digital literacy, online safety, acceptable use, safeguarding and data protection. Its use should also reflect any existing AI strategies set by the local authority.
• All information shared with Gemini should be carefully considered to maintain privacy and safeguarding. Practitioners are responsible for ensuring that no personal, sensitive or confidential information is entered into Gemini.
• Gemini is designed to support not replace professional judgement. It may produce inaccurate or biased responses and is susceptible to copyright infringement. It can appear to express personal opinions or emotions, which are not genuine. Additionally, it may misjudge prompts; failing to respond appropriately or offer unsuitable replies. If content generated by Gemini is considered inappropriate, it must be reported to the school IT team, education technology support partner or local authority. Find out more about the Gemini app policy guidelines.
• Ensure that deepfakes or AI-generated representations of individuals generated with Gemini are not created or shared without clear, informed consent, in order to uphold ethical standards and safeguard privacy.
• Gemini can translate materials into other languages, but this should be considered a simplified or approximate translation. It is not an approved translation tool and may not be accurate.
• For additional resources on generative AI, including guidance, training and learning activities visit the Keeping safe online Generative AI page on Hwb.

Usage limits

Learn more about Gemini app features and usage limits.

Data retention 

Gemini chat history remains accessible to an individual practitioner for 3 months. This allows a practitioner to revisit prompts easily. After 3 months the chat history is automatically deleted.

Data assurances

• Schools should consider if a new Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) is needed, or if their current DPIA should be updated. For further information, refer to Supporting Your Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) for Google Workspace with Gemini.
• Practitioners using Gemini in Hwb benefit from enhanced protections and controls called enterprise data protection. Always ensure a Hwb account is used, not a personal Google account, check the icon in the top right corner.
• Prompts and responses will not be reviewed by humans and not used to train the underlying large language models (LLMs). 
• Gemini only uses information shared in prompts, uploaded files or information which is publicly available.
• Gemini in your Hwb Google Classroom can access the content shared in that specific classroom, along with publicly available information. If learner data is contained within a file in the Google Classroom (which is viewable to all), then Gemini in Google Classroom can access it. It does not have access to learner account information.
• Gemini and Gemini in Google Classroom through Hwb respect the permissions and access controls set within Hwb Google Workspace.
• Gemini and Gemini in Google Classroom through Hwb adhere to privacy and security commitments, including UK GDPR. Visit the Generative AI in Google Workspace Privacy Hub for further information.

Differences between a Google account in Hwb and a personal Google account