Rolling out the Chrome

Yesterday I handed out the Chrome User Agreement and had the kids read and sign them.  The gist is that they need to take care of the Chromebooks and they are their responsibility.  After that, I assigned the devices, recorded it in a Google Doc, and went about putting them to use.  We did have some connectivity issues--I needed to set up the wireless for each student's user profile--and that took time, but on the whole it was painless.  The kids had a good time choosing user icons or taking selfies for their sign on page.  It was fun on the whole.

After set up, our first order of business was an introduction to Quizlet.  I created a vocabulary set and put the link on my web page.  The kids had a pretty easy time maneuvering through the site and in all it was a successful venture.  Next time, I'm going to have the students create the set--putting the onus of responsibility on their shoulders.  Today I plan to have the kids create their own GoodReads account.  I'll be back to record the results of that venture later.   

Chromebooks for All

Well.  Ok. Not all.  But a few of our classes here at Navy High have been lucky enough to receive class sets of Chromebooks.  I have been included in a pilot program that is offering 1:1 Chrombooks for our classrooms in an effort to reduce the amount of paper consumption in our school.  Though there have been some hiccups along the way--Google Docs is still having a hard time staying connected--I can see the great opportunities this is going to offer both my students and me.  Currently I am working hard on my website, trying to create web-based study tools and posting them there for the kids to have access.  I have full plans to almost completely remove the necessity of paper--and offer those options up to only those who specifically request paper copies (I'm thinking the few folks who do not have access to the internet via Smartphones or computers outside of school).

In truth, I'm nervous about what being a connected educator actually means; I've always utilized tech in my classes, but almost exclusively as a presentation tool rather than an student-centric mode of delivering information.  I have purchased and begun reading Troy Hicks' The Digital Writing Workshop and I am exploring some of the flipped classroom literature, not because I plan to flip, but because it puts the tech in the students' hands more often than not.  I'm well on my way here, but like anything else, it is going to take time for the dust to settle and to see if I can be as or more effective utilizing these new tools.  I'll keep you posted.