Herold, B. (2014). Chromebooks Gaining Popularity in
Districts. Education Week, 34(12), 1-12.
I chose this article to review because I was interested in
how other districts are tackling the problem of providing for the technological
needs of students and using them for educational purposes. Our librarian has been a big fan of the
Chromebook ever since a few were purchased for her library a year or so
ago. I felt this piece connected to our
Clark/Kozma debate of last week in that each piece of technology has its
limitations and its best usages. The
schools who are using Chromebooks are choosing to do so because it fits their
instructional style. Yes, Clark fans, they
could instruct differently and achieve the same results, but they are making
technological purchases based on their instructional method and which type of
technology enhances that method best.
The article is titled “Chromebooks
Gaining Popularity in Districts” and is dated November, 2014. I thought it was also important to find an
article that was somewhat current as technology changes so fast. The article discusses the advantages and
disadvantages of Chromebooks, provides examples of districts who are
successfully using Chromebooks and examples of districts who have chosen to
take a different route to meet their technology needs.
The most compelling advantage of the Chromebook seems to be
the inexpensive cost and the Google Apps for Education that is provided free
from Google for all educational institutions.
The biggest disadvantages cited were its inability to install and run
familiar programs like Microsoft Office and its inability to do much of
anything without internet access. I have
summarized the advantages and disadvantages of Chromebooks in this table to
simplify the process:
Advantages
|
Disadvantages
|
Low Cost (about $250 each)
|
Internet based, meaning no hard drive to save information.
|
Lack of hard drive means less susceptible to malware and virus as
well as computer hacking.
|
No hard drive means no Microsoft, or other educational software that
requires installation.
|
Chrome based apps, including Google’s Apps for Education to support
student and teacher collaboration.
|
New software to learn – does not use Windows or iOS.
|
Fast to turn on and get to work.
|
Not a tablet
|
Long battery life.
|
Requires wireless infrastructure to be useful
|
Cloud based storage, for less file-management for administrators.
|
Google privacy concerns
|
An example is cited in the article of a district who is
using Chromebooks to collaborate using Google Slides and Forms. The teacher assigns groups of students to
work on different slides of the same slide show. Once it is complete, the students view the
entire slide show and learn for each other’s contributions. Then they write a book review using a Google
Form created by the teacher. The teacher
says she has done similar projects before the Chromebooks using posters and
hand written book reports, but the process now is quicker and much more
engaging for students.
Other districts are choosing to stick with i-Pads and
conventional laptops. Most districts
cited said they wanted their new technology to blend with their existing
platforms and by necessity this eliminates Chromebooks. One school decided on the HP Revolve which
is a hybrid laptop-tablet because they did not require the internet to work and
would still run the Microsoft Office products students and teachers are
accustomed to using. The district chose
these devices even with the $1,100 price tag.
One thing the article seems certain of, Chromebooks are
selling like hotcakes! The second quarter
of 2014 saw Chromebooks with a 29.4% of the market share and growing. With free Apps for Education and low cost
Chromebooks, Google seems to clawing its way in to the educational market.
My personal reaction to this article is excitement. I am a big fan of Google Apps after using
them for only a year. I email my student’s
their assignments and grading rubrics and have them submit their assignments by
replying to my email. In my experience,
Google Slides, Docs and Sheets are very similar to Microsoft products in form
and function. My technology classes use
many of the online services like Animoto, Schoology, Kahoot!, and Prezi so the
lack of hard drive does not matter as much to me. I am
able to share Google Docs in Schoology and upload Google Slides to
NearPod. I would have to re-think our
digital imaging software for some type of online editor, but I am sure that is
possible.
The price tag is also a big selling point. Our district cannot
afford to spend $1,000 a piece on computers for students. As we move to digital textbooks (our Science
department has done this), Chromebooks become more cost effective because they
are no more expensive than issuing a student four or five hardbound textbooks
(about $70 each). Our library is also
offering digital books available anytime online.
Chromebooks appeal to me because students cannot download or
install anything to corrupt or damage the computer. All you have to make the computer ready for the
next user is log out. As testing
approaches, concerns for existing computers grow and we realize we need more
functioning computers if we want to complete all STAAR testing online. We have spent the last week preparing
computer labs by cleaning them up, updating software and checking for proper
settings. It was a big hassle followed
by several days now during testing when we are unable to use the computers for
fear of messing them up. At this time, I do not think Chromebooks are an option
for online STAAR testing because they require installation of the TestNav and
Java software. I have read on a Region
10 website that TestNav is supposed to become Chromebook compatible for the
2015-2016 school year. If this happens,
Chromebooks are going to become a lot more popular in the State of Texas for
online testing alone.
While I do not think I would buy a Chromebook for personal
use (too many video games I need to install), I can see how Chromebooks could
be a cost effective, easy-to-manage solution for schools. It would provide students with full computer
functionality while allowing them to access textbooks and Google accounts
without fear of downloading unwanted software.
Teachers and students would be free to collaborate and create with
relative ease using Google’s Apps for Education.
