I'm a huge fan and user of Google Apps for Education and Chromebooks and have written about them at length here. Here is a generic version of what I presented as reasons why my district should Go Google that you can use in your own school/district.
Why Google Apps for Education and Chromebooks:
Here are some of the reasons why Chromebooks make sense in education:
Educational Goals:
- Increase student engagement
- Expose our students to the latest technology - software and hardware
- Create student centered learning environments
- Allow students and teachers to do new things, work collaboratively and create projects
- Prepare our students for the transition to online testing as we move toward Common Core State Standards implementation
- Provide equitable access to computers to all students (1:1)
Here are some videos and resources explaining Google Apps and Chromebooks in Education:
- Why Google Apps for Education? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWDI_249CFY&feature=youtube_gdata_player
- Why Chromebooks for Education https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSBorbRZOA&feature=youtu.be
- Chromebooks for Education http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWGPzoKGxhU
- What is Google Apps for Education? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiWP_C7CX78
- Google Apps - who else is using it? Lots of schools! http://blog.backupify.com/2013/05/14/getting-schooled-by-google-the-growth-of-google-apps-for-education-infographic/
- Six Reasons Educators Say They Are Choosing Chromebooks Over iPads, Netbooks And PCs
- http://www.forbes.com/sites/eliseackerman/2013/07/22/six-reasons-educators-say-they-are-choosing-chromebooks-over-ipads-netbooks-and-pcs/
- Bridgeport Public Schools chooses Google for Education to bring affordable technology to their students http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2014/07/bridgeport-public-schools-chooses.html
Educational Benefits of Chromebooks and GAFE:
- Fast boot time – 5-6 seconds - They boot up in less than 7 seconds and resume instantly -- eliminating the typical down time wasted while traditional computers start up and connect to a network.
- Applications, school work, and settings are stored in the cloud, so multiple students can use the same Chromebook and still have their own personalized experience when they sign in.
- The Google Applications are free for student use; such as Google Docs (word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation).
- Allows for easy student and teacher collaboration and feedback.
IT Benefits of Chromebooks and GAFE:
- Web Based Management
- Reduced setup time
- No programs to install – all student work will be saved in the “cloud”
- No viruses and very secure
- Updates are automatic and often
- Easy to use - minimal IT support needed.*Inexpensive - allows more devices to be purchased
Features of Google Apps for Education
- Free
- word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, sites, networking, collaboration, and lots more
- (including Word, PowerPoint and Excel files)
- students can access their files from any device
- students can share their work with their teachers
- students can collaborate with others on the same project at the same time
- unlimited potential
- safe (management of GAFE and Chromebooks)
- allows students to create projects, instead of just consuming information
Chromebooks
- Cost - 1/3 cost of a laptop
- 1/10th the setup time
- less IT support needed, automatic updates,
- easy to use, fast, light
- start up in 6 seconds
- battery lasts 7+ hours or more (9+ hours for some)
- thousands of free web-apps available
- internet based - student data is stored online and accessible from any device
- works with digital resources we already use
- Research shows that technology-transformed interventions improve learninge
- Allow for collaborative, project based lessons and learning
- Technology based, online collaboration and personalized instruction helps with student engagement and learning
- Over 30 Million Google Apps for Education Users
- 180 Countries
- 74 out of the top 100 Colleges in the US, including 7/8 Ivy League schools, use Google Apps.
- over 2400 school districts in the US use Google Apps.
Editor's note: This post below was contributed by +Rich Kiker, the top-rated Google Certified Trainer and founder of Kiker Learning.
Educators should demonstrate certain traits to effectively serve today’s learners. Google Apps for Education gives us a virtual landscape where educators can deploy these traits anytime and anywhere. We have extended our educational tools to include Chromebooks and Android tablets, so now educators can create an environment poised for inquiry, driven by discovery, and saturated with opportunities for student achievement.
To this end, any teacher, coach, parent, or mentor can shape a child’s journey by plugging into connected learning to empower a learner with voice, design thinking, and digital awareness.
This is why I am educator who has #GoneGoogle with conviction.
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