Today at Charlie’s Lessons, we’re taking a look at Google Gemini’s Canvas feature and how we can build apps or games for our classroom in minutes. We are looking at how to take something simple and turn it into a tool you can take into your class tomorrow to use with your students.
Getting Started with Google Gemini Canvas
To get started, open a browser like Chrome, go to the apps launcher in the top right hand corner, and select Gemini. You can do all of this on a basic, free account, so don’t worry if you don’t want to pay for a license. Once you are at the Gemini homepage, start a new chat, go to the tools button, and select Canvas.
Creating a Student Picker
To see how simple it is, let me show you an example using a classic classroom tool: a roulette wheel to pick students. In the prompt box, you can type: “Make me an app which is a roulette wheel where I can change the names of each student. This app will help me pick students in the classroom.”
When you submit, you will see the code being built on the right side. The great thing is that we don’t have to worry about the code section at all—years ago we would have to write that ourselves, but Gemini Canvas does it for us. In a moment, a preview section appears in the center showing the wheel with student names on the left.
Fine-Tuning the Features
From there, you can ask Gemini to make quick improvements. For example, you can tell it: “Include an option to remove a student when they are selected. Include a spinning sound effect when the wheel moves and also a sound effect when a student is chosen.” Submit those instructions, and Gemini incorporates those exact sound effects and removal options right into your project.
If you ever make changes you aren’t happy with, an arrow key at the top lets you step back to a previous version. There is also a refresh button, as well as a code button. Clicking the code button allows you to copy the contents so another teacher can paste the code into their own Canvas workspace and modify it. When you are ready to bring the app into your classroom, click the share button in the top right hand corner to generate a link for yourself, colleagues, or students.
Building Digital Flashcards
You can also create content-focused tools, like flashcards. For example, you can prompt: “An app that uses flashcards with words and definitions based around vocabulary related to the environment at a B2 level include 10 items.” In seconds, you get an interactive flashcard set with progress tracking.
Canvas also includes a small toolbar in the bottom right hand corner with an option called “Add Gemini features.” Clicking this allows Gemini to analyze your app and suggest its own built-in improvements—like adding a “Deep Dive” button or a “Quick Quiz” option that creates a personalized gap-fill sentence based on the active word.
Teacher Resources and Wrap-Up
Building apps tailored to your specific classroom needs is a huge plus for teachers, and it only takes a matter of seconds. For more practical AI tools, lesson plans, and real ideas I’ve come up with after over 18 years in the classroom, check out my ebook, the AI Teacher’s Toolkit.