With schools looking to make their budgets stretch further, many are putting their faith in Chromebooks because not only are they great value for money, but there are many befits for students AND teachers alike. Let’s take a look and find out why Chromebooks are increasingly popular in schools.
What exactly is a Chromebook?
A Chromebook is a laptop or tablet which runs with Google’s Chrome operating system. Chromebook is generally used when you are online and everything you do on it is saved to the cloud rather than to the device itself.
Screen size and brands
The screen size of Chromebooks can be anything from 11.6 inches to 15.6 inches. As well as Google Chromebooks, quality manufacturers such as HP, Acer, Dell and others also sell Chromebooks, so there are lots to choose from.
Chromebook vs Laptop
The main difference between Chromebook and a Laptop is that Chromebooks run on the Chrome OS, which means that Windows and macOS programs don’t work on these devices. Chromebooks don’t come with any internal storage capacity because the Chrome OS is completely based on the cloud.
Chromebook and the hype
When Chromebooks were first launched there was a lot of hype. But do they live up to it? Well, there are quite a few advantages of Chromebooks over laptops and we’re going to go through them now!
The price
Everyone loves a bargain, and schools in particular need to make sure that they spend their budgets wisely. Regular laptops are usually at least twice the price of a Chromebook, or even more. The savings you’ll get from buying Chromebooks can be put to good use buying other school materials. There is another big saving, too. These laptops do not need to have any software installed, which means you actually save even more money!
Save time
When students are turning on their devices, it can take forever to get them all sorted. In classes with young children, if you have a computer which takes time to boot up, you will probably already have lost their attention. With ultra-fast boot-up times (usually 8-12 seconds) Chromebooks enable you to get straight into work mode and have a much more dynamic lesson. They boot up so quickly because they use SSDs instead of much-slower physical hard drives. Chromebooks are fast!
Lightweight
Chromebooks are light and easy to carry around as they don’t contain the traditional hardware of other laptops. For students, especially younger ones, a Chromebook is light and compact, and will easily tuck into a backpack. It’s important to note that you need access to the internet to work on a Chromebook as they use a cloud-based system.
Cloud-based Storage
Cloud storage! This is a type of storage where all of your digital data is stored in a virtual space on the internet, which is dedicated to you or your school. As technology advances, more and more data will be stored in the cloud! When you buy a Chromebook, you get 100GB of Google Drive storage for free, which is a really good deal. Other services such as OneDrive and Dropbox charge you extra for this kind of storage.
Long Battery Life
Chromebooks will supply around six hours of battery life, which is quite good compared to a mid-range laptop. Some Chromebooks have a battery life of up to thirteen hours. In class, of course, there will be a power source nearby if required.
Reasons why Chromebooks are good in the classroom
Teach students to collaborate
Today’s workplaces are changing all the time, and the type of offices that today’s students will work in may be totally different. “Students want to work in spaces that allow for time in groups to generate ideas and for time alone to focus,” reports eSchool News. Chromebooks make online learning flexible and portable. Thus, they are perfect for students to work alone and in classrooms with others. When the time is right, they can connect with other students – even those situated in different rooms and in different schools. Even different countries!
Apps and filters
Life is easy with the Google Admin Console. Selected apps can be pre-installed, accessed, or blocked. Teachers can view usage and configurate reports for individual students as well. And, additionally, schools have the option of filtering and monitoring mail, and internet content.
Should a teacher encounter a problem using Chromebooks, support is available twenty-four hours a day/seven days a week online, by email, by chat, or phone. You’ll never be stuck for a solution.
Varied study projects
With Gmail, Calendars, Google Classroom, Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Sheets and video conferencing, students have everything they need at their fingertips. These all allow students to connect with others and to collaborate on classroom projects. Anytime, anywhere.
Easy to use (For students and teachers)
Tech needs to be easy-to-use, or it can put people off engaging with it. Chromebooks are really easy to master.
Here are just a few of the many practical benefits of working and learning with Chromebooks:
Speed merchants
Chromebooks boot up in seconds, so students are ready to work straight away which means teachers and students don’t have to drum their fingers at the start of class. No more waiting, waiting, fidgeting and waiting. You get the idea.
• They offer more than enough cloud storage! Even if students share a Chromebook, they can still sign in and get a personal learning experience.
• A longer battery life means few interruptions in learning.
• Chromebooks offer extensive protection from viruses and malware. This means that learning is safe and secure.
Tech skills are boosted
Students will learn a wide variety of computer skills – from basic keyboarding to advanced ethics in online research. Whatever the age or skill level of students, Chromebooks allow students of any age to experience and sharpen their knowledge of how tech works and how it can be used for everything from a simple class project to a large, group project.
York-based primary school teacher Julie James says: “The small keyboards of Chromebooks are perfect for little hands, and free Chrome apps such as Typing Club make is easy to integrate keyboarding into the school day. These devices allow for the smooth-running of classes and children get excited about using them.”
Students can also learn how to code and work on projects using spreadsheets – in fact, Chromebooks and their apps can teach an unlimited array of useful skills! The employees of tomorrow will no doubt need advanced technology skills, and Chromebooks can help students deliver them.
Affordable for Schools
Chromebooks represent great value for money and have proved to be extremely popular with schools which have initiatives aimed at providing every student with their own personal computer.
In essence, Chromebooks are basically a simpler version of a PC laptop, but students can still easily learn all the computer skills they need for educational success. Yes, there may be more advanced and more powerful models on the market, but their reliability and affordability make them long-lasting, powerful tools for everyday use in the classroom and at home.
Take a look at our range of Chromebooks here!
