Chromebook pilot with teachers advice and recommendations

[tj2419]

We are going to being a Chromebook pilot programme with teaching staff where we offer them the opportunity to get a new Chromebook but it will replace their teaching machine in their classroom. They can use it at home but will need to connect it to the projector in their room to use during the day.

 

What I would like to know is what apps/extensions would you recommend I install ready for them.

 

e.g. in terms of SMART Notebook alternatives, and any other useful extensions you use for your teaching staff that may be useful.

 

Also have any of you run a similar pilot? Or have a different way of piloting them you would recommend?

 

Thanks

[FN-GM]

This thread might be useful

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/educational-software/185674-list-web-based-software-master-thread.html

[rogerdnixon]

I'd suggest getting touch/flip devices so you get Android app support - Jamboard is just out and is an amazing colaboation tool. Make sure they know how to use Cast for Education and then they/students can cast to their main screen and if you have touch devices it makes interactive whiteboards irrelvant as the board is in your hand.

Jam board:

Our list of Apps: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0vcQ-UNCMvIQks2WnFkV29JTUE/view

 

Key extensions are ones like Screencastify and Nimbus Screenshot, Share to Classroom and for us a custom SIMS app base on Ericomaccess Now

[tj2419]

Thanks guys really good advice.

 

We are looking at a mix of the Acer R11 and R13 devices (on beta channel) for our Chromebook devices.

[rogerdnixon]

Good choice - we are 1:1 with R11's and they work really well. I've got an R13 which is a great device.

[FN-GM]

@rogerdnixon I thought JamBoard was a hardware only thing? I didn't think you could get the software for it?

[6Foot2]

Link: Chromebook Chart - 2017 Chromebook Comparison

[rogerdnixon]

@rogerdnixon I thought JamBoard was a hardware only thing? I didn't think you could get the software for it?

 

It works without the big expensive hardware device on ChromeOS with Android Apps. Maybe the best collaborative working tool I've seen of its type - might wean me off Realtime Board.

[Ditto]

We are going to being a Chromebook pilot programme with teaching staff where we offer them the opportunity to get a new Chromebook but it will replace their teaching machine in their classroom. They can use it at home but will need to connect it to the projector in their room to use during the day.

 

What I would like to know is what apps/extensions would you recommend I install ready for them.

 

e.g. in terms of SMART Notebook alternatives, and any other useful extensions you use for your teaching staff that may be useful.

 

Also have any of you run a similar pilot? Or have a different way of piloting them you would recommend?

 

Thanks

 

Are you trialling GSuite for Education too, or is this a Chromebook only trial? If not, how are you managing the chromebook devices?

[tj2419]

Are you trialling GSuite for Education too, or is this a Chromebook only trial? If not, how are you managing the chromebook devices?

 

Yes, we are. It is going to form part of a big rollout and migration from Office 365 to G-Suite. Staff who join the pilot will have their email migrated to G-Suite and be issued a chromebook. Email will be delivered to G-Suite and Office 365 so if there is a problem all their emails are still on Office 365 too.

 

Thanks@rogerdnixon didn't know that about Jamboard! Already installed and having a play. Loved the look of the hardware but not affordable for us but the software looks promising.

[irfdude]

I will chip in with my observations.

400 pupils

50 staff with windows laptops.

I rolled out GSuite about 3 years ago. This was about 100 Chromebooks for students and the plan was to provide them to staff as well. The kids loved them and pushing out apps was a breeze.

Combining the C/B's with chrome casts was also well received as a way of showcasing pupils work.

With Scomis providing Sims on a browser via html5 it meant I staff could also still access it.

The biggest stumbling block was staff in the end. They were too heavily invested in Smart Notebook. And the effort involved in converting all their notebook resources was a too big an undertaking at the time.

Also I could never get the Chromebooks working on a smart-board. This was a problem as every classroom had a Smartboard. Apart from this one issue the roll out would have been a 100% successful.

They still use them and plan on extending Chromebooks for student use funds allowing.

[FN-GM]

Our email is still on Office 365 and we just have it all delivered to there, not to Gmail. We are moving to Gmail soon though.

[Ditto]

GSuite and Chromebooks were in place for a few months when I joined the school. We use Gmail exclusively and to date not many Office suite installations in the school. Each classroom has a set of chromebooks. The teachers are regular users of Google classroom. So far, Windows PCs have been available to some office staff, and the SLT. The staffroom has had a bank of Windows PCs. Lack of proper authentication for Windows users and the gradual pressure has led to the school install a couple of servers to deal with authentication, print management and Office licensing. For me it's a shame as I liked a purely cloud based school. Probably the biggest grumble from staff was external Word, Excel Powerpoint etc resources not converting well to google docs/sheets/slide. Word documents with images and powerpoint decks were probably the biggest issue. With a bit more determination, I think we could have driven off the wholesale implementation of MS Office and save some cash too.

 

We are an all-through school and the senior school are much more engaged with this set up. Primary are in the early stages but recently had Google classroom training. We have deployed a couple of apps and all went smoothly. It's included clicker docs recently but we are just scratching the surface. I'm looking at Clever Badges roll-out for the early years pupils and Grammarly for next term, partly because our MIS spell/grammar checker whilst powerful has not been implemented as well as it could have been. On the app front, I think we are scratching the surface but we need to control the implementations that are rolled out from a support perspective.

 

Some of our chromebooks are showing signs of age - missing keys, cracked screens, but mostly they've survived the 3 year journey well. We are considering whether it's cost effective to internally fix screens - external prices are so near the cost of a new device, it does not make sense to take that path.

 

From a GSuite Admin and Chromebook admin point of view, we are afloat and learning all the time (no training since arriving so all self learnt), but I know we have vulnerabilities we need to tackle. I've yet to find a 'schools best practice' guide to setting up GSuite for Education - maybe I should write one and put it on Amazon one day! Of course here is a great resource!

 

We had challenges with email groups and controlling who can receive what and who can send. There's another thread running on this topic and go in to more detail there.

 

I'm interested to investigate more on Jamboard and ChromeCast. Is there overlap between these two and Google Classroom and do both offer functionality absent from Classroom?

[ADMaster]

We have had G suite going on 7 years now 5 of those with CBs for students. Just this year I'm getting a few CBs for staff.

At our last laptop refresh we discussed moving staff to CBs as well but ran into some of the same challengers already mentioned. The show stopper for us was our gradebook ran on java. However its gone web based for the upcoming school year.

 

Chromebooks are just a breeze to manage, get yourself a good OU structure so you can target apps and settings to the group of users and you'll be set.

 

To the comment on repair, most of our fleet is 11.6" non touch screens and they cost about $70

Most system boards cost around $150 and I can get a new device for $200

I usually repair screens and replace if it needs a board. Then swipe the screen and I'm money ahead.

 

I've got fairly proficient at replacing screens over the years and can have one replaced in 5 minutes or so. The only ones I've not replaced yet and will have the supplier do the first few times while I watch and learn, are the R11 touch screens.

[luke1991]

We had a trial of 30 chromebooks for student use recently, what we came to find out is when over 10 devices were online in a confined area our Wi-Fi just couldn't hack it (we're Aruba 802.11n), so just a heads up to make sure you've got a pretty decent Wi-Fi system. We're planning to upgrade ours next summer

[FN-GM]

Replaced a new screen for a Dell Chromebook 11. £25 including shipping. Took just a few minutes to install.

[tj2419]

We had a trial of 30 chromebooks for student use recently, what we came to find out is when over 10 devices were online in a confined area our Wi-Fi just couldn't hack it (we're Aruba 802.11n), so just a heads up to make sure you've got a pretty decent Wi-Fi system. We're planning to upgrade ours next summer

 

Thanks for the heads up. Was that through the google trial a trolley for a term offer? If so how was the process?

[jmak]

Thanks for the heads up. Was that through the google trial a trolley for a term offer? If so how was the process?

Ooh. How do I get one of those?

[tj2419]

Ooh. How do I get one of those?

 

Speak to Darrell, @Haptic

[Ditto]

Replaced a new screen for a Dell Chromebook 11. £25 including shipping. Took just a few minutes to install.

That's sounds pretty reasonable. We have HP Chromebook 14 SMB - does the supplier you used offer these. Is @ICTDirect_Dave in this market yet?

[ICTDirect_Dave]

That's sounds pretty reasonable. We have HP Chromebook 14 SMB - does the supplier you used offer these. Is @ICTDirect_Dave in this market yet?

 

Much as I'd love to be, the Chromebook market doesn't leave much space for refurb.

 

We're still looking into it though! Maybe come Christmas I'll be able to start trialling some Chromebook options.

[FN-GM]

@GrahamB When you can get them cheap brand new I don't see the point in refurbs really.

[Ditto]

There is a point where replacement with a new one makes more sense, but for those with a broken screen if we can replace screen for around £30 on a 1 or 2 year old device, I think we would.

[Ditto]

Checked with our technician. We're paying about £180 per HP chromebook, so repairing a screen at £60 (£25 would be great!) or less is worth it for us. I'm led to believe we have a 5 years write-down policy. We never had a motherboard failure, just cracked screens and a number of keys popping off. Edited July 16, 2017 by Ditto

[Danp]

Thanks for the heads up. Was that through the google trial a trolley for a term offer? If so how was the process?

 

I like the sound of that. @Haptic can you help with this still?