Chromebooks for schools

My kids both used Chromebooks in their schools (different schools) and there were never any problems. On the basis of seeing how well they worked, my wife and I switched the CBs too. I still have a Windows laptop for some programs but for general stuff CBs are so much faster and smoother. Plus, they never sit and wait for 30 minutes whilst they update themselves prior to startup with zero option given.
 
checjb said:
My kids both used Chromebooks in their schools (different schools) and there were never any problems. On the basis of seeing how well they worked, my wife and I switched the CBs too. I still have a Windows laptop for some programs but for general stuff CBs are so much faster and smoother. Plus, they never sit and wait for 30 minutes whilst they update themselves prior to startup with zero option given.
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This happened to me in a lecture the other day. My Surface was playing up, so I restarted it. Big mistake. The update sequence took 20 mins.

Can see where the OP is coming from with Chromebooks to be fair. A Chromebook each is going to be better than one iPad between 2/3.
 
I think more schools should use tools like khan accademy rather than specific to apple or google.. the software is designed on all platforms and you have a history of where you are and what you should be doing
 
My primary school uses chrome OS for the students and in all class rooms. No idea on costs etc. but if you need more people to talk to then I could put you in touch with someone in the school.
 
iPads are a pain in the backside in schools. If you want any control you need to have them as managed devices, this means you also need a Mac to set them up. You will also need some MDM to manage them which is more expense.
Go with Chromebooks or Android. Much easier to deal with.
 
I configure both Ipads and Windows Netbook/Laptops devices in a School environment. The Ipads are a pain to configure / manage but if I had to give any positives for them. Some fantastic educational Apps but this relies on the teacher being aware of them and having some experience using them. They are great devices to pick up and use for research purposes. Good battery life etc.

Downsides to an Ipad:

  • In built keyboard is not appropriate for writing up essays / longer documents
  • No access to the School printers being supported (Might not be an issue for you)
  • No access to the School shared drives (There are workarounds but we don't support this for student Ipads)
Ipads work best if you can assign an Ipad to a student and that they get to keep for the duration of their time in School. This allows them to customise the settings to their liking.

Netbooks used to be really awful but last year we got a hold of the HP Probook x360 range. Really impressed with the build quality on these. They have the plus side of being fully compatible with printing / school shares and are managed through Active directory / SCCM.

Make sure you check how many wireless devices your wireless access points can hold. The old WIFI here used to practically fall over when throwing more than 10 devices at it. Things are much better now though. How is your IT Systems managed within the School currently?
 
Hi Harvey,

I Work in an academy in Stoke and we have rolled out around 120 Chromebooks to our students via 5x trolleys over the past couple of years.

Easy to sync with your AD server, manage and configure with Gsuite etc.

They integrate with Classroom really well and there are so many shortcuts and time savings to be made against conventional laptops, workstations and how work is created, marked etc.

We have also found that students respect the equipment more.

If you have any questions related to the technical side, or T&L then fire away
 
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