Write about one piece of technology that you would like to try this year, and why. You might also write about what you're hoping to see out of this edtech integration. | I sat down with MORENet, our Internet provider, today to talk about how they can help us with our PantherTech Initiative. One piece that was missing from our Initiative was the opportunity to use Chromebooks. I only had so much in the budget this year to purchase devices for our pilot, and Apple won out. Part of that was knowing the elementary schools want iPads, and the other part knowing that iPad is so dissimilar to what we have now. |
What's cool is that because we're full members of MORENet, they'll bring a cart of Chromebooks plus a trainer any day we schedule them. The trainer stays all day with the kids and does a 15 minute how to use a Chromebook talk for each class. All we have to pay for is the mileage and lunch expense, which ends up being around $40 a day. We've scheduled one Chromebook day a month starting 10/16. If need be, we can add more days. In the end, for the cost of one Chromebook, we're able to have Chromebooks 6 separate times. So awesome. In response to the Teachthough blog challenge, the piece of technology that I would like to try this year is the Chromebook. As I've stated before, I'm an Apple fan. That said, I've had zero opportunities to use a Chromebook, except for the playing around that I did once at Best Buy. I want us to be able to make the most informed device decision, so seeing the Chromebook in action is important to me. Especially because whatever device we choose has to best compliment the great teaching and learning we already do. | Can the Chromebook do what we need it to do with regard to teaching and learning? Is it more than its reputation of being a glorified Internet browser? Will it help us to achieve the modification and redefinition levels of technology achievement? We won't know unless we try it out in the classroom setting, and with MORENet's help, we get the opportunity to do that. |