What to Know About Chromebooks for Students in Grades K-12
For years, a laptop was only really necessary once a student started college. Before that, it was up to a parent’s discretion to get their teenager a laptop, and personal computer devices for children younger than middle school were extremely uncommon. When students went off to college, it was their responsibility to supply their own device.
The role in computers in K-12 education has changed rapidly in the past few years, thanks in no small part to the COVID-19 and the months of virtual learning that were its direct result. Many K-12 schools and school districts have brought laptops into the classroom, often requiring them for each student to complete daily classwork and homework assignments. Several institutions are purchasing, distributing, and managing these computers for the entire student body. If this sounds like a huge undertaking, that’s because implementing a comprehensive personal device program for hundreds or thousands of students is not something that should be taken lightly. If this is something your school district is looking into doing, Chromebooks can help you successfully and efficiently equip your students with vital learning technology.
Implementing a 1-to-1 technology program in your school
Your first concern when setting up a school or district wide program to provide Chromebooks for students is likely the cost. How much are school Chromebooks worth? Chromebook price varies based on the manufacturer and model. In general, an HP Chromebook or a Dell Chromebook will be more expensive than a Lenovo Chromebook or an Acer Chromebook. Most Chromebook models are still cheaper than other personal devices. When a school or school district introduces a one-to-one technology program, the lower Lenovo school Chromebook price is a huge factor in the decision of providing a Chromebook vs laptop to each student. If your institution is looking to introduce personal technology into classrooms, the best budget Chromebook for students starts at around $99.
Not sure your school can afford to provide free Chromebooks for students 2022?
Certain community organizations may be able to help you get technology to all your students. In Texas, qualifying students may receive a free Chromebook Harris County Library System provides through a partnership with Google. They began providing free Chromebook for students 2021 and have continued to do so. If you are planning to require students to acquire their own device for your districts one-to-one technology program, you may want to run your program like the Los Angeles Unified School District. Through its program to provide a free Chromebook for students LAUSD has a certain number of devices they have purchased that can be loaned out to students who demonstrate a financial need.
If you are unsure what programs may be available in your area, Google free Chromebook for students to learn about local organization who may be able to help. The parents in your school or district will also want to know how to get free Chromebook for students, so you can pass this information directly on to them. Student discounts can also help to offset the costs for families if your district is asking students to provide their own computer. We recommend looking at a Best Buy student discount or an Amazon student discount if you don’t know where else to start. It’s already fairly affordable to purchase a Chromebook, student discount just brings the price down even more.
It is also vital to consider the age of the students who will be using the technology. The best Chromebook for kids in elementary school probably won’t be the best Chromebook for high school students. Younger students only need basic access to their virtual classrooms, word processors, and approved child-friendly educational sites. As long as they can clearly read their screen, they don’t need the Chromebook with best display capabilities. High school students take more complex classes and require more capabilities from their computers. For them, a CTL school Chromebook has more computing power to better fit their needs. Before launching your classroom technology program, do some research to determine the best Chromebook for students in your school or district.
Managing your school’s Chromebook fleet
Even the best Chromebooks for students won’t be much good if your IT department has no way to effectively manage them. This includes keeping track of which student has which device, seeing which devices are out for repair, and making note of devices that have needed multiple repairs in a short period of time. There are third party applications and programs you can purchase to help with this, but the Google admin console comes with all the features you need to ensure a successful one-to-one technology program for all your students.
First, ChromeOS simplifies your rollout process. If you are supplying Chromebooks for a small private school, it might be well within your capabilities to manually set up each device. If you are responsible for an entire school district with thousands of students, this would be a massive undertaking. That’s where Chrome Enterprise comes in. This allows a single administrator to configure and launch an entire fleet of student Chromebooks remotely from a single system. Using this feature, you can make sure your students have access to vital educational tools while still protecting them from inappropriate content and preventing distractions.
Through the Google admin Console, you can disable the ability to browse Incognito and make sure every student’s browser and search history is always visible. You can also remotely enable Google’s Safe Search and YouTube’s restricted mode across all devices in your network. This setting helps shield students from seeing inappropriate content in their search.
During standardize testing sessions, you can remotely program all Chromebooks to launch the testing program. Google admin console also allows an administrator to remotely gain control of a student’s computer and even lock, disable, or decommission it if need be. This may become necessary if a student’s laptop is stolen or misplaced to protect sensitive data pertaining to underage students from being accessed by strangers.
If a student is having issues with their device, the remote access feature can allow a member of the IT staff to troubleshoot the problem or show the student how a certain feature works. Through the Google Admin Console, school administrators can control what applications, websites, and even external devices, like printers, students can access. ChromeOS regularly updates to keep providing users with the most up-to-date features and best experience. The Google Admin Console allows a school or school district’s IT staff to manage updates across all devices from a single access point. They can also keep track of who last signed in to which device and receive automatic notification about any sign-in alerts or suspicious activity. The best Chromebook for students 2021 and beyond has always been a Chromebook managed by the Google Admin Console.
Educational features for ChromeOS
While Chromebooks, thanks to their design and simplicity, are already a great option for students, you can enhance their function as a learning tool with the Chrome Education update.
The best Chromebooks for students 2022 will have enhanced security, more thoroughly managed access, a simplified deployment process, and 24/7 IT admin support thanks to this optional license schools can access. With the help of the Chrome Education Upgrade, school IT departments can cut down the amount of time they spend managing individual student and staff devices to more comprehensively maintain the institution’s technology infrastructure.
A new feature was just released to ensure your district can provide the best Chromebook for students 2022 starting in June. The new Screencast application allows both students and teachers to record their screens and save the recordings to a communal drive. This is an easy way to upload lectures for students who missed a class or need to go over material for an at home assignment or test. It is also a great way for students to give presentations, especially in asynchronous classes or if they are not comfortable speaking in front of an audience.
Though Chromebooks are most frequently used in K-12 classrooms, this option makes self-paced learning easier and might provide the best Chromebook for college students 2022 and beyond. A one-to-one technology program offers a wide range of benefits for students of all ages and grade levels, and Chromebooks can be the most cost effective, time efficient way to get personal computer devices into the hands of every one of your students whether you are a small private academy or a large regional district. Interested in adding Chromebooks to your school or school district’s classrooms? Talk to a member of our sales team today to get started!
