Do you have Chromebooks in your classroom? Today teachers have a lot of choices to make when setting up their modern classrooms. Which innovative edtech apps will they use? How will they create game-based lessons? And which device is best for their students? Fast and flexible Chromebooks have become the go-to devices for educators around the world and this post looks at why they're a hit with schools and teachers.
Firstly, what is a Chromebook?
A Chromebook is a small, basic laptop, that runs Google’s Chrome OS and needs an internet connection to function. It’s easy to use, fast and by comparison, more budget-friendly than its macOS or Windows counterparts.
Why are they great for the classroom?
There are several factors to consider when managing Chromebooks in the classroom, and here’s why the Chromebook has become a popular teaching tool.
1. Chromebooks are cost-effective
Schools are initially attracted to Chromebooks because of their comparatively lower price. Chromebooks are cheaper than iPads and traditional laptops and offer high levels of flexibility.
2. A range of educational apps
The G Suite for Education is free and offers apps that enable collaboration, communication and productive teaching. Chromebooks now also have support for Android apps, and there is a wide education range available, from learning tools to teaching aids.
3. Personalized learning & cloud storage
With, "G suite for Education," each student has their own user account, with their unique settings, apps and homework. If they save their work to the cloud, they can access it from any device. Now students can no longer blame the dog for eating their homework.
4. They’re easy-to-use
Chromebooks are great for students because they’re easy to carry, durable and have a long-lasting battery life. They are also quick to power up and you won’t have to waste precious teaching time waiting for them to switch on, or worse install updates. If they break, it’s very easy to get a child started on a new one, they’ll simply have to login to their account.
5. They promote collaboration
Apps in the G suite for Education like Google Docs and Google Slides enable students to collaborate on documents and projects in real-time. These collaboration and teamwork skills are essential for the future workplace and help prepare students to succeed in tomorrow’s jobs. Whether in the library, in class, or at home, they’ll be able to participate in group work and work together on their projects.
6. Online Teaching Resources
A quick Google search reveals 100's of online resources designed to help teachers make the most of Chromebooks in their classroom. From lesson plans to teaching tutorials, there is a lot of support for how to transform your classroom using these devices.
Discover Mobile Guardian
Campus offers schools a complete, single-vendor solution when it comes to MDM. Our multi-OS platform supports Android, ChromeOS, iOS, and macOS devices. It's priced and purpose-built for education. Mobile Guardian simplifies managing Chromebooks, in the classroom and out. Our classroom management tools for Chromebooks include Live Screen Views and Tab Control and many more.
Explore our Campus solution designed for K-12 Schools.
Onwards,
Robyn Hobson
Team Mobile Guardian
Robyn Hobson
Advocate and leader of best practices in EdTech
