There’s an emerging trend in education technology that’s subtly changing the make-up of the industry...and it’s awesome. Similar to the rise of Uber, Twitter, and YouTube altering the dynamic of their respective industries, Chromebooks are subtly becoming the raison d’etre of digital learning.
The Rise of Chromebooks
...by the numbers
Chromebooks deployed in the U.S. education system:
- 2013: 2.5 million
- 2014: 3.9 million
- 2015: 5.2 million (expected)
- 2016: 6.7 million (expected)
- 2017: 12.24 million (expected)
Why Chromebooks?
As technology becomes more integrated into our personal and professional lives, school districts nationwide have recognized their responsibility for teaching students how to use technology productively. But of all the devices out there, why are Chromebooks taking over? Here are three main reasons fueling the surge of Chromebooks in education:
1. Cost
iPads cost $678 on average per device (not including syncable keyboards), while Chromebooks only cost $200 each on average. Chromebooks can also have much lower management costs when compared to Windows PCs. According to J.P. Gownder, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester: "Schools with Windows PCs usually have IT staff imaging laptops and deploying applications all summer long; with Chromebooks, a simple management console suffices, no imaging required.
On a cost and simplicity basis, Chromebooks are hard to beat in education. David Andrade, CIO of Bridgeport Public Schools, successfully deployed 9,000 Chromebooks in his district and adds: “The affordability and easy maintenance of Chromebooks clinched the deal; we could buy three [Chromebooks] for the price of a single desktop computer, and the district’s small IT team wouldn’t have to struggle to keep up with the repairs and updates on aging PCs. We would also save on support time and costs since [they] update automatically.”
2. Ease of Use
Chromebooks are managed by administrators through the Google Admin console, an easy-to-use interface that allows admins to easily enroll students and manage devices remotely. No manual configurations or updates are required, and installing new software or extensions on devices happens instantly through its cloud-based operating system.
The Google Admin Console also comes with Google Classroom, a class management tool that allows teachers to easily assign, collect, and monitor assignments in real time. Both interfaces require minimal professional development for teachers to get started. Maria Boulmetis, a science teacher at Coventry Public Schools, gives a great personal account of her experience introducing Chromebooks into her classroom. Click here to read Maria's story.
3. Ease of Control
The availability of teaching tools and apps designed specifically around the Google Admin Console makes Chromebooks ideal classroom devices, but the fact that they’re also significantly less likely to get viruses than other devices makes them more secure platforms.
GoGuardian + Chromebooks
Chromebooks and GoGuardian® are a match made in heaven. Much of our initial growth can be attributed to the successful growth of Chromebooks in education, and the complete Chromebook management solutions we provide. Since our inception in 2014, we’ve grown more than 26% month-over-month. GoGuardian is now in over 2,500 school districts, and on more than 2 million devices across 5 continents; simply because we’ve become the Chromebook management platform for educators.
Testimonials
"Our district bought Chromebooks, and Go Guardian was one of the best things we ever did to support them. I am able to send usage reports to parents, flagged sites to students to warn them, block sites found harmful while also having sites pre- blocked by category, and we get a great picture of how our kids are using them. We were up front with our students and, for the vast majority, they have met our expectations. I think GoGuardian was a big part of that transparency for all stakeholders. "
–School District Administrator and GoGuardian user, Nov. 2014
"Giving your students a Chromebook and locking it down to where they could visit only a handful of websites is best compared to being given a Ferrari and told not to go more than 20 mph. We gave our students these powerful devices, but we were scared of the Internet, so we locked it down. GoGuardian allowed us to open up the Internet for our students so that they may explore it, learn from it, and most importantly, build smart and practical habits when it comes using the Internet. We are doing our students a disservice if we block everything except a few websites. This will not teach them anything once they leave your room and get on a computer without GoGuardian. View GoGuardian as training wheels on a bicycle. You want to teach your students how to best utilize the web just like you would want to teach a student how to ride a bike.”
–Supervisor of Technology and GoGuardian user at Edina School District in Minnestota, Nathaniel Lindley
“Our stolen Chromebooks showed up in GoGuardian and fortunately, all missing Chromebooks have been returned. Both were left unattended and turned in. Students made up elaborate theft stories to cover their irresponsibility. Glad to have them back. Our school resource officer is amazed at the amount of information gathered by the GoGuardian Theft Recovery report.”
–School IT Admin and GoGuardian user, Oct. 2015
Visit www.goguardian.com to learn more, watch videos, or request pricing information.
