Chromebooks could be great classroom resources, but they must be used effectively. I agree with the screen overuse fears and worksheet comments. The Chromebook is an excellent supplement to learning especially for skill reinforcement and practice. Google?s collaboration tools are great for group assignments and peer/teacher edits, but must be limited. There are a lot of good simulations for students to use, again only to reinforce skills.
If they are used to babysit students, then this will become a huge problem. Teachers are not trained well in the use of Chromebooks with students, so professional development is seriously lacking. Many of the teachers aren?t computer savvy, which creates a problem too.
Finally, typing cannot he used as a writing replacement as it affects memory/learning. Think about note taking versus typed notes. When a student writes, they remember. Typing doesn?t lead to memorization as the mind just remembers keystrokes.
Also, the district needs to be looking for price discounts as they are not paying the lowest available prices the average consumer can find locally. It?s sort of like Medicare pricing for prescriptions.
