The ChromeBook is
the next step in Google's attempt to
organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.
First, Google began
introducing applications such as gmail, Google Calendar, Sites and then
combined access to all these application through one single sign on - a Google Account.
Google established itself as a rising star when it purchased YouTube in 2006 for a whopping $1.65 Billion!
In a nutshell, you can now log into YouTube using your Google account
information.
The next step toward
world dominance was to create Google's own browsing experience - enter Google Chrome. Chrome can be installed on any device and
when logged in with a Google account, settings, favorites, search history
(etc.) are shared among those devices. Once logged into Google Chrome, the user is also logged
into any Google application that they access through the browser. Along with Google Chrome, came the Chrome Web Store. The Chrome Web
Store, similar to Apple's App Store, offers Applications (Web Links) and
Extensions (small downloads that usually add a button to the Google Address
Bar). The primary advantage to the applications (along with a richer user
interface) is single sign on, meaning the user can sign up for these apps using
their Google account information. So
once signed into Google Chrome, the user can gain immediate access to the
applications - and many of the applications allow the user to store associated
files right into their Google Drive
(online storage).
The latest portion
of the takeover bid is the Google ChromeBook. The
ChromeBook is basically a device that allows user access to the Chrome
Browser. While there are a limited
number of Google programs that can be installed and accessed while offline, the
primary function of the device is through the Chrome browser with internet
access. Learn more
about all of the ChromeBook features. Single sign on is again the primary
benefit. While the user could choose to
use the ChromeBook in Guest mode and log in individually to the Chrome browser
or individual application - it is best to Log into the ChromeBook itself, which
automatically logs them into the Chrome Browser and all Google (and 3rd Party)
applications.
I suggest logging
into ChromeBook with your personal Google account and buy (most are free) some web
apps (get some ideas here).
Try out Google Drive, YouTube, Blogger and some of the items listed in the
Epic BYOD Toolchest. Also access mail.mycomets.org and try out the online
Microsoft Applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote) by logging in with
your test Office 365 Account.
Please add your
Comments and Questions about Chrome and ChromeBooks.
I'm excited to play around with the Chromebook over the summer and experiment with apps. If there is an app that I like and want to use frequently in class, is there a way to get that app on all of my classroom Chromebooks-- would that entail each student logging on and selecting the app, or would I just create a classroom login for the days when I want all students to use a specific app?
ReplyDeleteNearpod is an app you may want to look at. You can push out a presentation to the students and get feedback.
DeleteAlso Socrative and padlet may meet some of your needs.
Since the Chromebooks cannot print, is there an easy tool for having students submit completed work electronically? I know we can do this through Edline, but are there other easier platforms? What is the best way to handle a situation where students need a hard copy of something?
ReplyDeleteI will dig into some options as we investigate Office 365 and Google Apps.
DeletePersonally - I suggest having a goal where the amount of hard copies in greatly diminished - but I fully understand there are projects and things that will need to be printerd
I'd like to try out the online Microsoft Applications, but I was not awarded a High Tech Teaching grant. Am I able to access mail.mycomets.org? Should I buy my own Chromebook so that I'm keeping up on using the technology out there?
ReplyDeleteCan't recall isf I suggeted this before the end of school - but the ELA department does have chromebooks that you should be able to borrow for the summer
DeleteAs I have been playing with google docs and office 365 I am still frustrated with the lack of an equation editor. I believe I might be able to go totally paperless with a good equation editor. Any thoughts on this? So far I haven't found any real advantage of using docs versus ms...I do know that kaizena, which is a good commenting app, only works with google docs.
ReplyDelete