Chromebooks
What is a Chromebook?
A Chromebook is a web-only computer. It runs the Chrome web browser and has limited hard drive space. It is designed for cloud computing, requires a wifi connection, and works seamlessly with Google Apps for Education, including Drive, Documents, Presentations, Spreadsheets, Forms, and Sites. Functionality can be expanded, including offline capabilities, by the use of Chrome browser apps and extensions, many of which are free and available from the Chrome Web Store. See the Chrome Browser section of this website for more information.
There are several Chromebook manufacturers. In this rollout, GUHSD will be purchasing Samsung and Acer models.
For more information:
Why did GUHSD buy Chromebooks over PCs or Macs?
Most of what students need to do in a classroom setting can be done on a Chromebook. With the move to Google Apps for Education, all students have access to the basic suite of productivity tools.
The following list represents some other advantages:
Cost - About $300 each
1/10th the setup time
Little IT set-up needed
Automatically updates
Easy to use, fast, light
Start up in 7 seconds
Long battery life, about 6 hours
Lots of Web 2.0 tools available for free
Many Chromestore apps and extensions to extend functionality
Students can access data from any computer - at school or at home.
Works with digital resources we already use
Allows for collaborative, project based lessons and learning
Technology based, online collaboration and personalized instruction helps with student engagement and learning
