Chromebook Cart

My school recently purchased a cart of 31 Chromebooks for our K-6 building.  This is the first step into possibly going 1:1 in our building in the future.  The thought process right now is that we will get Ipads for Kindergarten and first grade, with grades 2-6 getting Chromebooks.  Since we have gotten the Chromebooks I have noticed a few things while using them with students.

First, I have noticed that the students like using them and look forward to having them in class.  Part of that is undoubtedly due to the fact that they are new.  Students, like everyone else, enjoy trying out new things and in this case they have enjoyed having the opportunity to use the Chromebooks.  The other reason I think students like using the Chromebooks is that they are comfortable learning in this way.  Students today have gown up in a digital world and feel comfortable using these tools.  They also expect to be able to use digital tools at school, as in the rest of their life.

The second thing I have noticed is that as a teacher I need to work on ways to use the Chromebooks as more than just a substitution for what I was already doing.  We have done some things with the Chromebooks that quite honestly we could have done just as well with pencil and paper.   I feel that the wonderful thing about using the Chromebooks, and technology in general, with students is that it gives teachers the opportunity to do more in the classroom then was possible in the past.  My challenge as a teacher will be to find ways to use these tools to help students enhance their learning.

Third, I have noticed that I don't have to have all of the answers.  When working on the Chromebooks the students have asked me some questions I didn't know the answer to.  In those situations I have encouraged the students to ask a classmate or just Google their question to see if they can figure it out.  This is has led to some great collaboration among peers and some much better projects.

I firmly believe technology in schools is a great tool that will help teachers as they strive to prepare their students for success in the future.  Technology can never replace the guidance and instruction that a teacher provides, but it can be a great tool to use with students.