Using technology like Chromebooks is critical in helping students progress academically while helping them learn the skills that they’ll need through their personal and professional lives. While there are several ways to use Chromebooks for rigorous teaching and learning, here are 10 ideas to try soon. 

Top 10 Ideas for Using Chromebooks 

1. Relay information and tasks. Share learning goals and objectives, provide instructions for assignments, and post links to resources needed for activities.  
2. Personalize Google Classroom topics. Refresh the virtual classroom by designing personalized topics in your Workspace. Include emojis for added personality! 
3. Use Google Docs for writing assignments. When students use Google Docs, it can be shared with other students for peer review and increased collaboration opportunities. These docs can also be reviewed at any time for providing timely feedback. 
4. Improve writing accuracy and fluency with Voice typing. Students can use the Voice typing tool in Google Docs to help them communicate their thoughts. This is especially helpful for beginning writers. 
5. Bolster curiosity with Explore. Students can use Explore in Google Docs and Slides to access resources on the web and from their Google Drive. Explore is in the Google applications space so students can stay on the document while investigating online. 
6. Amp up accessibility. Add closed captioning to slides to improve the accessibility of any presentation. Closed captioning can help improve student focus, boost engagement, and accommodate students with auditory disabilities. 
7. Create landmarks with headers and emojis. Students working on lengthy documents might find it challenging to organize ideas. Use the Header tool to break up content, adding emojis to draw the eye and more clearly separate ideas. 
8. Collaborate with colleagues. Besides having students work on assignments together, teachers can share ideas, collaborate on lessons and plans, and provide feedback to one another. Quickly share activities that can be used the same day and compare student results afterwards. 
9. Interview Subject Matter Experts. Using Google Hangouts, students can interview SME’s when progressing through a unit. For example, invite a marine biologist from the local aquarium to talk about sea life. 
10. Try app smashing! App smashing blends apps together to streamline workflow. Many Google apps combine to boost workflow like Google Keep which is a notetaking app that can be opened and previewed in a sidebar menu in multiple applications. 

The flexibility and affordability of Chromebooks makes them a popular choice for schools. While many teachers are comfortable with using Chromebooks, there are opportunities to advance their skills with tutorials provided by Google and professional development courses designed specifically for using Google Workbook for Education. The potential for Chromebooks is limitless and those that will benefit the most from this dynamic tool are our students.  

For information on how to add Chromebooks to your classroom, go to boxlight.com/chromebook-class-collection.