I know they are not reading the articles I send over to them about what other schools are doing to improve achievement and engagement. The after school professional development sessions are scarcely attended, they are not required to attend, why bother?

Great question. Why bother?

I bother because teachers bother. Everything I just described is what a teacher endures every day in their classroom. Students look at them like they are aliens when they attempt to teach them the very basics they need to be successful in their lives. Year after year they have students that sit, eyes glazed over, listening to little or nothing that is being taught. They are called creepy or worse by the students and regarded with disdain and distrust daily despite giving their heart and soul to their students.

Even worse, the parents are not reading the progress reports and report cards that are being sent home. Despite taking time after school to write emails detailing the work ahead for the week, these emails go unread and disregarded. They don’t get paid extra to stay after and work with students that need extra help but they still do. Unfortunately, too many students ignore this help because it isn’t required. Why bother?

We all bother because what we do is important. Not everyone can say that about their work and we, educators and those who support them, take pride in what we do. It isn’t always going to feel good and we are not always going to be appreciated but the world is a better place because of the work we do.

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A month ago my superintendent came to me with the idea of pursuing a one-to-one program for our district. I was pretty excited to hear this because I really didn’t think it would be a reality. The voters approved a $20 million bond proposal in 2010 and we just completed building a new high school that included $1.2 million in technology upgrades. I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t see that kind of investment for another decade.

With the support of the superintendent and the school board you would think that all I needed to do is pick out a device, plan the PD, and prepare to be the hero to the students. Not so fast.

I brought the idea to our Technology Advisory Team and the response from the teachers was lukewarm at best. There were a few in the room that were adamantly against it and I was shocked. Even worse I was unable to answer the question “Why do we need one-to-one?” I don’t usually come unprepared but this time I did. This was supposed to be a slam dunk! Tough questions usually come from the school board and by the time I get to them my t’s are crossed and my i’s are dotted.

Everyone else is doing it!

Answering that “everyone else is doing it” is not going to fly. I know that one-to-one will have a profound affect on our district but I couldn’t put that explanation into words in that meeting. Just because I struggle to put that into words doesn’t mean that 1:1 won’t have a profound affect on our district but it will go a long ways towards winning over skeptics. I was happy to find Gary Stager’s “Selling the Dream of 1:1 Computing.” I have mentioned Gary in earlier posts and even argued against his thoughts on BYOD. Regardless of my disagreement with him on some topics I respect Gary and view him as a visionary. In “Selling the Dream of 1:1 Computing” Stager says:

The laptops offer the potential today for students to engage in the real work of mathematicians, scientists, composers, filmmakers, authors and engineers.

We have an obligation to build upon the technological fluency the students bring to us.

Wow! If I could have said that in the meeting I’m pretty sure we would be far closer to one-to-one. He also says:

Computers are integral to the world of our students and it is incumbent upon us to build upon the skills, attitudes and interests they bring to us.

Every child in our district should be taught to program computers and understand the critical role computer science is playing across nearly every other discipline.

Computer use must be appropriate, transparent and ubiquitous across the curriculum and computer science must be offered to all students interested in more specialized knowledge.

I should resign now and hand the reigns over to Gary. I have reviewed the iPad and the Chromebook for the one-to-one but how do you program on an iPad? You don’t. How do you create things on a Chromebook? You don’t. These are consumption devices. “Every child in our district should be taught to program computers and understand the critical role computer science is playing across nearly every other discipline.” That is digital literacy defined!

It would have been “easier” if the Technology Advisory Team had rubber stamped one-to-one. It would not have been what is best for our students. Without the challenge from the team I may not have dug deeper, I may not have found Gary Stager’s post and our students may not have received the device that they need.

The battle is not over. I still haven’t convinced those that questioned me in that meeting. I’m probably going to run into more resistance when the cost of the program is dramatically higher than we had first hoped. The bottom line is that we need to do it right.

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It was hard to send the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook back this week. I have really grown accustom to using it and now my Macbook feels a little awkward. I find myself going for the apps button and it is not there. I have a “Chromebook” within my Macbook that I am using now but that is just the Chrome browser. That brings me to my final thoughts on the Chromebook.

1) It is highly portable

I carried the Chromebook with me everywhere because I knew I wouldn’t have to wait a minute or two for it to boot up. It is exceptionally light and small enough that I would compare its portability to an iPad.

2) I could do (almost) anything on the Chromebook that I could do on a Windows machine

Notice I said “Windows machine”. The Chromebook cannot touch my Macbook for what I do on it but previous to the Macbook I used a Windows machine and with the remote access features that Chrome has I was able to hop in and out of servers and manage the network easier than I could on my Macbook. I am especially fond of the Chrome Remote Desktop app. It uses the full browser and was very fast. I have replaced Parallels on my Macbook with this app because it is faster than Parallels and doesn’t bog down my Macbook like Parallels can.

3) I use Google Docs for everything now!

I have always dabbled in Google Docs but the Chromebook experiment forced me to adopt Google Docs as my main office suite and I love it. I even have my daughter using it full-time now. She had a document freeze up on Microsoft Word and then she lost the entire document. The recovery featured failed and she was stuck writing the paper over again. I used this opportunity to show her Google Docs and what would have happened if the browser had frozen or if her computer died. She was hooked. Using Google Docs is just more practical than using Microsoft Office and more reliable.

The Chromebook doesn’t do everything but no computer really does. I do think that my transition to the Chromebook was easier because I am a “Power User” and I am also a bit more resourceful than the typical user. My daughter is using the $250 Samsung Chromebook in all of her classes (she is in 10th grade) and she loves using it. She has asked if she can use it until the end of year and I don’t see why not. On the other hand, she has allowed a couple of students in her classes to try it out and their reactions have been mixed. One told me that he did not like it at all but he couldn’t play Minecraft on it. Others think it is “cool”. My final thought is that they are right. Google makes cool stuff and that is why the Chromebook will survive and be a success for Google.

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The Chromebook Pixel is indeed a reality. You can grab one on the Google Play store for $1300 right now.

It is a monster compared to the two Chromebooks that I have reviewed. It sports an Intel i5 processor, 4GB of ram, and a 32GB SSD as well as a touchscreen display. I haven’t tried it out yet but I’m sure that Google will contact me soon to test drive the device. Yeah right. Despite not trying it I have used Chromebook (or Chromium) on a Lenovo T420 with an i5 processor and 4GB of ram. No SSD but I was able to get a good idea of what the extra horsepower can do. I won’t lie, it is pretty great.

But is it necessary? This is a cloud-centric device. Extra stuff under the hood is great and I wouldn’t turn one down if Google wanted to send it to me but this isn’t the market that the Chromebook should be targeting. In fact, you would be better off and a bit better diversified if you purchased the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook for $475 from cdw.com and picking up an iPad for $499 from Apple. Total cost is $974 and you have two great devices that cover everything the Pixel does. The $326 that you save could be used on accessories, apps, or a technology donation to your favorite public school district.

The reason I like the Chromebook is that it is affordable, fast, and easy to use. The Chromebook Pixel takes one of these away. Perhaps Google is testing the waters to see if higher end users will be willing to pay the same cost for a touchscreen cloud-centric device that they would pay for a MacBook Air. If they do Apple is doomed. I doubt that will happen. There is so much more you can do on a MacBook Pro that you cannot do on a Chromebook. We have discussed this in our Technology Advisory Team meetings. I have made it clear that if I had a blank check we’d be handing out MacBooks to our students for 1:1 and not Chromebooks. The MacBook is a content consumption and creation device. The Chromebook is primarily a content consumption device.

Google would be better off to get Java working on the Chromebook out of the box than introducing a product that is out of the reach of educational institutions and anyone not completely in love with the Chromebook. With that said I’m off to buy my Pixel.

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I received a Samsung Series 5 Chromebook today on a 30-day trial from CDW-G and my first reaction was “Wow!” I really like the Samsung Chromebook that I’ve used the past couple of weeks but there are differences in these two devices that make it easy to pay an extra $200 for the Series 5 Chromebook. Paying $250 seems like a great deal even if you are only getting a browser-based operating system but I think that the Series 5 Chromebook is worth the $200 and here is why:

1) Faster Processor – The ARM processor in the Samsung Chromebook is a good processor but the Intel processor in the Series 5 Chromebook is better. This ties into number two but speed is important whether you are running a resource hog like Windows or a light-weight like Chromebook. The faster the better.

2) More Memory – Every time you open a new browser tab or webapp you use a little more memory. People are always amazed at how many tabs I have open but I am constantly moving from site to site using them for research and writing. I noticed a definite lag when I had more than 5 tabs open. It was an annoying lag too.

3) Sturdier – The Samsung Chromebook is flimsy. It was made to be as cheap as possible. It is made of plastic and that isn’t terrible but if you twist the base just right you can make the touchpad act a bit flaky. When I opened the Series 5 Chromebook it reminded me of my Mac. It has a sleek gun-metal color, large touchpad, and a sturdy keyboard. When I balance it on my leg (like I’m doing now) it doesn’t bend.

An extra $200 for a 1:1 program seems like a lot of money. It could potentially mean an extra $200,000 investment. Our superintendent asked about iPads again because the price is getting closer to the iPad but cost is not swaying me. I still believe that the Chromebook is a better device for our 1:1 program.

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I’m writing this post from my Dell D630 which is a computer I use for hacking, development, and general Linux play. What is unique is that I am running the ChromeOS from the Dell D630. I have done my own ChromeOS builds before but never made much of a fuss over it. Considering the current Chromebook craze that is going on I thought it would be beneficial to point out the Chromium Project has some easy to follow directions on getting your own build of ChromeOS on to your computer.

A few notes to that. First, it doesn’t work on all computers. I tried it on a few different models that I have available to me and found that both Acer netbook models I tried it on failed. One wouldn’t boot at all and the other had no drivers for the network or wireless cards which means I couldn’t get beyond the first screen. I tried it on the Dell D630 that I’m on and I ran into two issues. The first is that the wireless doesn’t work. The wired network does work so I was able to connect to the Internet. However, the main touchpad does not work. This isn’t a total loss because the scrolling button works as a mouse for me. The newest laptop that I tried it on is the Lenovo T420 laptop. Everything but the wireless worked and man did blaze.

There is a list of hardware that works and doesn’t work on the Chromium site. I noticed that the Samsung NC10 is listed as fully compatible. I have about 20 of those lying around the district and that is almost enough for a pilot. A very low-cost pilot. I installed ChromeOS on to the NC10 and everything seemed to worked. It isn’t as powerful as the Samsung Chromebook but feels sturdier. My biggest issue is the touch pad. It is touchy regardless of the settings and it can be flaky. Simple scrolling is especially frustrating. I like to use Simple (also known as Australian Scrolling) Scrolling because it imitates what I have on my MacBook. If you are looking for the setting click on the clock area, choose “Settings” and click on “Touchpad Settings”.

If you are looking to put the ChromeOS on your own device but you are not up for building your own head over to Hexxeh’s website and download the Vanilla image. Easy instructions on the website.

The post Any Computer Can Be a Chromebook (Almost)! appeared first on The Geek Department.

It can also be extremely productive and has weaved itself into the fabric of society. If I take a picture of someone with my phone their first response is “Post that to Facebook and make sure you tag me in it.” Just about every website that has a membership program allows you to signup using your Facebook or Twitter account. Some even require it! Sociology and psychology classes have an open experiment pool running on Twitter that can be tracked with the latest trending hashtag. Facebook groups allow students to collaborate on a platform that has become their version of email. There are new social networks popping up daily and harnessing these sites (or at least understanding they are there and how they work) should be a priority for educators and administrators.

Social media has become so important to marketing that companies are employing entire departments just to manage their social media presence. Currently the University of Michigan is hiring a Social Media Director that will be paid 6 figures!

Social media is not a red light district. Like every other part of the Internet it has it’s dark side but we must be diligent to teach students how to properly use social media just as we diligently teach them proper use of nouns, the square root of 81, and what the heart of a frog looks like. Social media is no longer just relevant. It is important. Educators are educating themselves every day on Twitter via chats that connect them to other educators around the world.

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“Technology is a tool, like a hammer or a balance. It’s mere presence does nothing.”

I ran across this video on Justin Reich’s blog on Education Week and man was it right on.

We attend education technology conferences where we are bombarded with smart boards, audio-visual equipment, tablets, classroom management systems, all that promise to change the way we do things in the classroom and most of the technology we see will impact the classroom. The important thing to remember is that you need to use the right tool at the right time. I have teachers tell me all the time that they didn’t get a chance to use their smart board today or that they have never used their AppleTV. My response is simple and short, you will know when to use it. We do provide technology training and encourage our teachers to take advantage of the tools in their classrooms but I know that my teachers know their lessons and their classes and the time will come when one of these new technology tools will enhance the same lesson they taught last year without the tool. Forcing the technology will not enhance the classroom and could distract from the learning.

What technology tools do you have in your classroom? What technology tools do you believe would have the greatest impact in your classroom? Let me know in the comments below.

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I’m at Day 10 and I have found that my use of the Chromebook has evolved a bit. I was wrong in thinking that I could completely end the use of my MacBook. I do too much on the MacBook to simply walk away for 30 days. I have noticed that I have no inclination to take the MacBook home with me at night. I use it sparingly for work tasks. The Chromebook goes everywhere with me. I take it to classrooms during the work day and I take it home at night to use for Twitter, Facebook, and my blog. We even had some fun with it last night using the Webcam Toy app.

I’m not convinced that the Chromebook is the device yet but I have really enjoyed using it. Last night I used it for two different Twitter chats (#gaed and #byotchat) and to learn Ruby on Code Academy. No problems at all. The device is so light that I had it balancing on my knee while drinking coffee and reading the chats.

I had a similar experience with my iPad awhile back. I even took a picture that I posted on Twitter of my setup at the kitchen table. I had just bought a keyboard for the iPad and I could do just about everything I needed on the one device. Just about.

As we continue to test different devices for our 1:1 program we need to define what we want these devices to do, not just today, but 3 years down the road. If the device will only be for web research and writing than a $250 Chromebook is the right device. Another big question is whether the diversity of the iPad (apps, touchscreen) are worth the spending an extra $200 for the iPad. What I don’t want us to do is spend too much time worrying about cost and choose a device that is the wrong device.

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