Sunday, September 15, 2013

Why every kid needs a Chromebook

My district has steadily been purchasing more and more Chromebooks for our students. I've been using my Chromebook for several months now, and from what I've read and conversations I've had with those who are also using them, I feel confident advocating for the use of Chromebooks.

Here are the reasons why I believe Chromebooks are a game changer for education and why every student needs one:

~ It boots in less than 10 seconds and is ready for use before you even know it.

~ The battery life will last an entire day at school and will fully charge in less than 2 hours.

~ If your district is using GAFE then Chromebooks are a no-brainer due to the seamless transition between a technology device and the Google platform.

~ Google Drive... need I say more?

~ When you log on, all of your personal apps and customizations come with you. This matters because a student can use one device one day and then another device the next day and it won't matter because all their apps and customizations are linked with the account, not the device.

~ The device is light and small which makes storage, usage, and mobility very easy and convenient.

~  PD resources are plentiful which means there are lots of opportunities for teachers to get comfortable with the Chromebook and GAFE.

~ Google has shown it is willing to make and continue making substantial commitments to education, which means even more features and options in the years to come.

~ The management system is pretty easy and straight forward from the networking and managing side of things.

~ From the financial standpoint, the Chromebook can't be beat. At around $300 per unit, you can put a set of 30 on a cart for around $10,000. That makes 1:1 a much more viable option in cash strapped school districts.

For the record, nobody asked me to write this post and I have not received anything from anyone as a result of writing this post.

Also, for those of you who are already using Chromebooks, what are your reasons for using them? Why would you recommend and/or advocate for more of their use in education?