Chromebooks Are Taking Over the Educational Market

I remember when I first heard about Chromebooks in 2011. At that time, I didn't see how they could possibly work in schools. The reasons for my skepticism included their lack of a hard drive and the requirement to have wireless Internet to be able to work for schools.

Fast forward three years to 2014, and I cannot see how we would operate without them. Schools have beefed up their wireless infrastructures and almost all have moved to a cloud-based productivity solution so that saving to hard drives is no longer needed.  Additionally, the long battery life and quick start-up and shut-down features take away several obstacles, such as students tripping over power strips, and loss of valuable class time while computers are booting up and shutting down.

Something I really like is the ability for students to personalize their learning based on their interests and needs. There are so many apps and extensions that are available! Students can choose the ones they wish to use for each situation. Almost all of them are free, so the price is right.

As a person who supports teachers as they use technology in their classrooms, Chromebooks have energized me and my colleagues. Students and teachers now have the ability to use productivity tools with built-in collaboration capability. The instructional implications are huge. So not only are Chromebooks convenient, but they tend to nudge educators to teach in different ways. Students are the benefactors.

I recently discovered Intel's new website that has Chromebook tips and ideas for those who want to learn more about using Chromebooks in the classroom: Intel.com/ChromeEDU.  You'll find helpful articles written by Erin Klein, Vicki Davis, and Leslie Nielsen.  Also, they are running a contest. Those who follow @IntelEDU and tweet about their favorite Chromebook feature with #IntelChromebooks will be entered to win their own Intel-powered Chromebook!  Intel is known for its high quality teacher professional development, so this new community is worth checking out.

The Impact of Routines

This  past week, I visited some schools to meet with principals, visit classrooms, and make recommendations for how to move technology integration to the next level. My goal is to highlight some of the best uses of technology I saw during my visits. 

Kelly Parks' 4th grade students at Keith Elementary School were using Chromebooks to access a Khan Academy video to demonstrate 2 digit by two digit multiplication. Students watched the video, pausing it to practice on scratch paper when needed. Each student had a stack of sticky notes for this purpose. When they felt like they had a good understanding of the process, they responded to a discussion forum prompt on Edmodo. In their responses, they included an example of a problem and explained the process in their own words. 

When students finished, they used IXL Math to practice 2 digit multiplication problems. I asked a student to explain it to me.  She showed me the home page and explained that her teacher tells them what category to select, based on the day's learning target. This takes them to a page with math problems. Students solve the problems on paper or on a small dry erase board and submit answers. She said "I like using this program because I know right away if I'm doing problems right. And the reports let me see how I am improving with practice." Yep, a 4th grader said that. 

Kelly has established routines for how technology is used in her math classroom. She shares a cart of Chromebooks with the other 4th grade teachers in the school. They have a standing schedule, so she knows that once a week she can count on having access to the Chromebooks. Students know what to expect on the day the Chromebooks are used: video tutorial, Edmodo response to a teacher prompt, and IXL Math. On days when the Chromebooks are not available, students rotate between four stations during math workshop, and she makes use of the limited technology she has available (one ipad and a Mimeo). The stations are: 1) Problem Solving (facilitated by teacher); 2) Practice; 3) iPad - This station has one iPad; students watch a Khan Academy video and respond to an Edmodo discussion board prompt; 4) IXL Math using Mimeo. 

Effective technology integration occurs when the use of technology is routine and transparent and supports curricular goals; Kelly's math classroom is a good example of this. Students are actively engaged, participate in groups, and receive frequent feedback - a perfect environment for learning.  

Using a Google Site as a Blog

This  past week, I visited four schools to meet with principals, visit classrooms, and make recommendations for how to move technology integration to the next level. My goal is to highlight some of the best examples I saw in classrooms during my visits. Here is the first.  

Lori Sparks' 4th grade students at Commerce Elementary School were using Chromebooks to write book recommendations on a class website. Mrs. Sparks set up a Google Site, using the "Announcements" template for the pages, which is a format that is much like a blog. Each student had their own page and wrote about a book of their own choosing. 

The level of engagement was high; I did not observe even one student being off-task. When they were finished writing their own recommendation, they read their classmates' book recommendations and made comments. Mrs. Sparks remarked that she finds the comments feature to be very motivational to the students and is a quick and easy way for her to provide feedback, because everything is linked up in one place. I noticed that her feedback included clarifying questions and encouragement. She told me that setting up the web site, which is protected and only available to her class (at least for now), only took her about five minutes to set up. 

The use of a Google Site, like in this example, could be used in similar ways at any grade level and subject. It saves time, makes it easy to provide feedback (no files to find or papers to haul), is engaging, and allows for collaboration (which tends to be motivational). Also, when students see their work published online, they want to do their best work. A WIN WIN WIN WIN!