From the dawn of classroom computing, there
have been two choices for outfitting students and teachers: PC or Apple
hardware. Enter Google’s Chromebook format, which can not only help teach a
classroom of kids but also teach the big boys of computing a thing or two about
making inexpensive notebooks.
Born of Google’s Web browser, the Chrome OS
relies more on cloud resources than local components and that means that it can
get by with less hardware than the typical computer for schools. This not only
reduces upfront costs but can lower long-term maintenance as well.
This is where Chromebooks excel, with models
costing as little as $200, half what schools typically spend on computers,
although some can cost as much as $1,300. There are stationary desktop
Chromeboxes as well that cost $350. Just plug the small box into a monitor,
keyboard, mouse and LAN and you have a general purpose computer.
Chromebooks are also
cheap to keep. IDC recently examined how computers were used and maintained at
12 schools and estimated that due to the simplicity and online nature of
Chromebooks, their deployment and support costs were 69- and 92-percent lower
than with PCs. As far as total costs over three years are concerned, it was the
difference between spending $1,472 (for a traditional PC) and $388 (for a
Chromebook).
While there are dozens of potential school
notebooks available, at the moment there are only a handful of Chromebooks on
the market from Acer, Google, HP, Lenovo and Samsung. To examine the state of
the art for school notebooks, I gathered four of the newest together, including
the Acer C710, Lenovo’s ThinkPad X131e, Google’s Pixel and Samsung’s XE303C12.
They all are smaller and lighter than the
typical school computer, but, as is the case with any new computing format, the
weak point for Chromebooks is software. Chrome OS lacks such school mainstays
as Word, Excel and Geometer’s SketchPad, and the University of Colorado’s PHET
science and math simulations that require Java don’t work on the Chromebook
platform.
To compensate, the Chrome OS includes goodies
like the eponymous Web browser, Gmail and access to Google Docs. There’re also
specialty teaching programs for astronomy, anatomy and many foreign languages as
well as education packs for elementary, middle- and high schools.
Plus, there’s a variety of free or low-cost general
purpose tools, for image editing, video creation, teaching typing and even mind
mapping. For districts struggling with the cost of software, this will seem
like a gift from the digital gods.
The Chromebook software circle is widening
with Compass Learning recently completing a project that allows its entire
library of PreK-through-12 curriculum material to be used by Chromebooks. We
used their software to teach several lessons with these Chromebooks during the
lab evaluations.
Finally, Chromebook takes a step ahead of
traditional computers with its Management Console. The Web-based software and
allows teachers and administrators to track who has which system, block certain
apps from running and even create a common user interface for the institution. The
software costs $30 per system and is money well spent.
Because many Chromebooks fall short of the
mark in terms of local storage, the emphasis is on cloud storage of term
papers, presentations and all the accoutrement of teaching. They all come with
between 100GB and 1TB of online storage. This is more than enough for a year’s
worth of schoolwork, but the cost can add up quickly after the introductory
period ends.
Chromebooks have a big benefit compared to
Macs and PCs: a hidden way to instantly wipe a machine clean and make it ready
for a new student or teacher. Rather than hours spent wiping a drive clean and
installing a new operating system and applications, it takes a click and a
couple of minutes to make it good as new.
It all adds up to systems that will easily
fit into a school’s computing landscape without breaking the bank. But, instead
of a single Chromebook that’s best for schools, there are actually two that together
have the power to revolutionize education.
For students, Samsung’s xe303C12 is not only
inexpensive, light and thin, but can run for a full day of learning on a charge.
It has only 2GB of RAM and may not be the fastest around, but is more than
powerful enough to be a constant learning companion. The best part is that at $250
each, it is something most schools can afford.
Paradoxically, I recommend splurging with Google’s
Pixel, but only for teachers. It is not only thin, light and powerful but its ultra-high
resolution touch-screen makes it much more intuitive to put a lesson together
and then project it for the class. In fact, the only major drawback is its
$1,300 price tag, but the typical school gets 20 or 25 notebooks for kids for
every one for a teacher, so it won’t bust the budget.
In other words, the Samsung XE303 and Google Pixel
are a one-two punch for maximum educational impact.
