Chromebookseffective Curriculum Ideas

Posted By admin  On 21.04.21



NetSupport Assist for Mac/Linux and NetSupport School for ChromeOS and Google Chrome Browser (All Platforms) (student tutor), Android (student tutor), iOS (student tutor, and Windows are both paid (with a free 30-day trial) management solutions that gives teachers the ability to simultaneously instruct and visually/audibly monitor, as well as interact with their students, individually. Sat: 675 7/23/2016: Library of Congress fights off massive cyberattack. Choosing the best Chromebook for your school, students and curriculum can be difficult when the options seem endless. Before considering the best model, consider the overall benefits of Chromebooks: They can be turned on in 8 seconds, and often last 8 hours. Book your Tech Coach for more ideas! Chromebook Techsperts. Students need to have a solid understanding of what they can do with their Chromebooks to use them effectively. Create class “Techsperts” who can give regular technology mini-lessons. Or, consider creating a class Flipgrid where students can share their technology tips with each other. The school routine can get a bit stale after a while. Mix things up by creating learning stations. Students will spend 10-12 minutes at each station, engaging with content, and exploring different ideas and concepts. Elementary teachers are great at designing this type of lesson, but the idea seems to get lost in middle and high school.

We are, admittedly, a tech family -- Apple snobs to be specific.

<wink>

My husband is an IT consultant. I am a blogger.

Needless to say, we are picky about our devices. We are picky about compatibility, security, and parental controls.

A Chromebook was never on our radar until a certain teenager spilled an entire glass of water on her inherited MacBook Air, which promptly fried the entire machine.

Knowing that she really needed her own device for homeschooling high school, but not wanting to pay the Apple price tag, we began to search for options for her... options SHE could afford, since she would be footing the bill for the new machine.

After much research, we helped her decided on a Toshiba Chromebook, and what a GREAT decision that has been!

The Chromebook fits the needs of our homeschool high school student perfectly.

*These are my personal opinions based on usage of the Chromebook. I have not been compensated for this post. This post may contain affiliate links.

With all of the new devices out there, it is important to educate yourself.

High

To be honest, we had heard a lot about the Chromebooks, and also liked the price point. (Anna's machine was under $300.)

Rather than go through all of the specifics right here, I'm going to send you to a Chromebook buying guide so you can see exactly what they can (and can't) do.

Let me preface this by telling you we have a family computer - an iMac - that resides in our school area. It can be used for online classes, big print jobs, and other special things.

The Chromebook does NOT take the place of this main computer -- it is a 'supplement computer', if you will - perfect for our teen - a device for her alone.

Basically, if it is in the Google suite of products, you can do it on your Chromebook.

For my daughter, word processing, research, and an online math curriculum are on our priority list. The Chromebook allows her to do all three.

  • Google Docs

Anna writes a lot of papers and annotates many documents. She does all of this in Google docs, which simply requires a Gmail account. She can work on a paper and then SHARE that with me through Google docs. I receive an email to read and make comments on a paper when she shares it with me. I can write comments on the paper (via my computer) and they are automatically added to the document.

In this way we communicate in a very professional, efficient manner about her schoolwork. It is working WONDERFULLY for us!

Look where she sent me an invitation to read over her latest essay...

  • Security/Parental Controls

I have heard criticisms of this feature, but we think the parental controls are sufficient -- coupled with good old discipline and common sense.

Basically, the Chromebook has a main user, who controls what sites can be accessed and has the ability to see every site that has been visited. My daughter is just a SUPERVISED USER. My husband is the main user. He can see each and every thing she has done on her Chromebook.

You can read more about supervised users and see how it all works.

There are no time restrictions on the Chromebook, but my daughter has access to her computer during school hours, and all other times it lives in my bedroom and she has to ask us for permission to use the computer.

  • Research

Curriculum

Any research that can be done online can be done on the Chromebook. After all, it is just a Chrome internet browser.

  • Online recorded classes

We are using Mr. D math this year, and his online platform is fully accessible through the Chromebook. Anna can watch the recorded math lessons, complete her lessons, and enter grades.

Simple.

There is a conflict when it comes to LIVE classes, however, and this is why we always have the family machine. I was told by the tech support person through another online academy we use (Memoria Press) that Google Chrome has a conflict with Adobe and that the microphone feature will not work in some instances. This is something they are working on, but for now Anna has to use our iMac for her online Latin class.

I want to honestly share some of the concerns we had about the Chromebook, so you can make an informed decision for your homeschooler.

  • Printing

Chromebooks use something called Google Cloud Print, which to be honest, took a little bit of research and setup.

Now, however, it works like a charm and my daughter prints with no problem from her Chromebook.

Here's a helpful video if you have no idea what Google Cloud Print is.

  • The 'Cloud'

Since a Chromebook doesn't have any memory (everything is stored in the Google cloud), some people may be uncomfortable with that.

This is a very personal decision. If you don't feel comfortable with all of your homeschooler's work being stored only in the 'cloud' -- and not locally -- then a Chromebook might not be for you, or you might want to get an external hard drive.

  • Doesn't support all online classes

If your child has online classes, you should check with that particular institution to see if their class format is supported by the Google Chromebook. Many aren't, because they are plugins that will only run on a Windows or Mac machine.

Chromebookseffective Curriculum Ideas Preschool

Again, I believe a Chromebook is a great STUDENT computer, but not a main computer that they would rely on for 100% of their classwork -- make sense?

I need to reiterate my thoughts from above:

The Chromebook is a great homeschool middle/high school machine. It can do many things and is a great entry level laptop if you want to spend less than $500 (many times less than $300). I would advise, however, that you also have a family computer (Windows or Mac based) for your student so online classes and any other applications that are not supported by Google Chrome are possible.

Our Toshiba Chromebook has been the PERFECT fit for what my 9th grader needs this year in her Challenge I studies.

So -- does your homeschooler have their own laptop? Are you in the market for one? What is the technology like in your homeschool?

*Note: I will not be able to field technical questions in the comments of this post, but if you have a general question about the Chromebook I will do my best to answer. Please remember, I reserve the right to delete any inappropriate comments since this is my 'home' on the web. Thank you!

Chromebookseffective Curriculum Ideas Middle School

*Post update: 7/17: We have purchased another Chromebook for my son to use in his Challenge years. This time we picked the following model:

Choosing the best Chromebook for your school, students and curriculum can be difficult when the options seem endless. Before considering the best model, consider the overall benefits of Chromebooks:

  • They can be turned on in 8 seconds, and often last 8 hours
  • Any frustration with a netbook’s poor internet connectivity or tablets’ lack of keyboard now have a similar, but better alternative.
  • The Chrome browser is one of the most secure browsers around
  • The Chrome OS has nothing for a virus to attach to as it’s not a typical OS

Interface recently reported Auckland’s Carmel College’s enthusiasm for Chromebooks. After considering a range of alternatives including Apple iPads, netbooks, and Android tablets to roll out its 1:1 programme, the school eventually opted for the Chromebook based on a successful trial and its low cost. It was also a good fit as the school had already been using Google Apps for Education.

Chromebookseffective Curriculum Ideas Activities

So! Chromebooks sounds great, but which model will you choose?

1. Dell Chromebook 11

The Dell Chromebook 11 starting at USD$279 (AU$350), is affordable, has a long battery life, two USB 3.0 ports and falls in line with the specs already set by other Chrome laptops on the market. It’s has a hardy shell, perfect for students who throw their computer around in their schoolbag.

2. Toshiba Chromebook 2

For $418, the Toshiba Chromebook 2 boasts more RAM and a full HD 1080p screen and Skullcandy speakers making it a superior model in its class. This model works perfectly for students as both a school and recreational computer, saving on purchasing a home laptop for streaming and movies along with a school model. Make sure you’re planning on using the Google ecosystem though, as it is an expensive choice if you decide to use Windows.

Chromebookseffective Curriculum Ideas High School

3. Acer Chromebook 13

Powered by Nvidia’s ARM Cortex A15-based Tegra K1, this Chromebook is impressive for a smaller unit. Its size and 1.5kg light weight makes it one of the most portable models, perfect for younger children with heavy schoolbags. It only comes in 1 colour and has a slightly clunky keyboard, but for $330, this featherlight model is worth the compromise.

4. HP Chromebook 11

The HP Chromebook 11, with pricing starting from $440, feels strong and solid, yet remains on the affordable end of the scale – perfect for parents with multiple children needing Chromebooks for school. The Chrome OS is limited on this model, but as apps continue to develop, these limitations are encountered less and less. This Chromebooks will appeal to students who have used a Macbook Pro or Samsung ATIV Book 9, as the UX and feel are similar.

5. Acer Chromebook C720

Starting from $440, this is the perfect choice for web browsing and office-applications, ideal to stop distracted teenagers procrastinating during homework time! The C720 features an Intel Celeron 2955U CPU running at 1.40 GHz. It uses the Haswell micro-architecture and built on a 22 nm process. With a long battery life, a personalised Google account login and interface, this lightweight model is a simple yet effective machine.

Chromebookseffective Curriculum Ideas

The OS is basic though, so look elsewhere if you want to use Photoshop filters, do video editing, or play 3D games.

  • Best Chromebooks for K-12 schools - November 25, 2014
  • New Zealand Educators Turning to Google - August 20, 2014