Last Spring, Google announced their  "Chromebooks" - notebook computers running Google's Chrome OS. They will be available in June.

There are two models right now. Samsung has one with a 12.1" screen, 8.5 hours of continuous usage, a mini-VGA port and a weight of 3.26 lbs. Samsung's WiFi model will cost $429 with the 3G model costing $499. Acer's will have an 11.6" screen, 6 hours of continuous usage, a HDMI port and a weight of 2.95 lbs and will start at $349. Both will have 2 USB ports, a 4-in-1 card reader, webcam and an Intel Atom dual core processor.



Chromebooks will run Google's Chrome OS, an operating system that is basically a web browser. This has some great features. It is fast (starts up in 8 seconds) and easy to use. You can access your data anywhere because you end up having it online. It supports all the new web standards and runs Adobe Flash. The Chromebooks come with built in Wi-Fi and 3G to allow you to connect anywhere. The 3G models will include a free 100MB per month of mobile data from Verizon Wireless for 2 years.

Just like the Chrome browser, it is very safe and secure. It is designed to be safe and protect against viruses, malware, and more. It even updates automatically.


Everything; apps, documents, and settings are stored in the cloud, just like using the Chrome browser and Google Docs and apps. There will be offline access to Gmail, Calendar, and Docs also, so in the rare occasion where there is no WiFi or 3G, you can still access your data. There is Google Cloud Print to print things, you can connect devices to upload files, and their is a file manager built in.

There are millions of web apps you can use, including Docs, Evernote, Tweetdeck, and even Angry Birds. All available from the Chrome Web Store. Most are free.

If someone else wants to use the Chromebook, you can have them login with their own Google account, or as a guest. Either way, they can't see your information or data.

Now, why am I writing about this? Because I happen to like Chrome OS and have been using it for quite a while on the Google CR-48 I received a while back and I love it. I was already using Chrome Browser and 90% of what I did was in the browser and web based, so it was an easy transition.


I think Chrome OS is a great idea for education (you can read my original article on Chrome OS for Education here.)

Chrome OS and Chromebooks are good for schools for a variety of reasons. It's a simple login with fast startup, there are no crashes or issues, student data is not on the device, multiple students can use them without worrying about data sharing, and student data and settings are backed up to their Google account. It can run apps virtualized through CITRIX. It is easier on the IT department with less issues and crashes and no software or apps to install and no disc to image. IT can configure and manage the Chromebooks and accounts through the web. There is less work needed by IT and no servers to store data.

Google is also offering a special deal for education, with Chromebooks being offered for $20 per month per student. This may sound like alot, but it includes Google support, updates, and a warranty to replace hardware in the case of an accident. In the end, the warranty, support, and decrease in IT workload will save schools money and issues.

All-in-all, I think the Chromebooks are a great idea for education.

Here is a great article by Vicki Davis about some of the issues that need to be addressed about the Google Chromebooks in Education.


UPDATED October 2011: Google is now offering schools and businesses the option to purchase the Chromebooks outright instead of using the monthly payment option.




Related Articles

Google Chrome OS - great idea for education!

I am a huge Google user. I use Chrome as my browser, Gmail, Google Calendar, Contacts, Docs, Tasks, iGoogle, Reader, Bookmarks, Sites, and Blogger. I have a CR-48 Chrome OS Chromebook. I use an Android Smart Phone. I know how to use Google's apps. But, there are times when I'd like some ideas for using Google's apps in the classroom that will help my students learn subject matter and how to use some of these apps.

Google Apps for Education has a lesson plan page that has tons of lesson plans, from educators, using Google's apps. It's a great place to find some ideas to teach content and Google app use.

You can search the lesson plans by Google app, subject, or grade level.



Related:

Google Apps Education Training Center

NASA has some great resources for educators and students and this is another great one.

NASA's Goddard Space Center is in Maryland and they design, manage, and control a variety of experiments and space missions. I got to visit it and get a tour in my senior year of college when I presented my senior theses. NASA had funded it. It was a great experience with some really interesting things to see and learn about.

They have a great Virtual Tour of Goddard set up that goes through the entire life cycle of a mission from idea, to design, to construction, to testing, to launch to operations and finally the analysis of the data collected.



This is a great way to get students excited and interested in STEM subjects as well as introducing them to the engineering design process and science experiment process.



I've covered a lot of NASA Resources. Click on this link and you'll be taken to all of the articles about NASA.

Some of my favorite NASA resources:

NASA at Home and City - Space developments related to life on earth

SpiderOak is another free backup, sync, sharing and storage system. It works on Windows, Mac OS and Linux.

There is a free 2GB account and you can earn up to 50GB of free storage by referring friends.

It's another great way to make sure that your files are backed up and available to you any where.



Related:

Cloud File Storage, Sync, Backup

Ubuntu One available for Windows - offers 5GB of free cloud storage

Adobe Education Exchange is a great resource for educators, with resources, lesson ideas, lesson plans, and a place to collaborate with other educators.


The 2011 Educator's Choice Awards is an awards program for educators. Any educator can enter. You submit your innovative teaching and learning materials and you could win some really nice prizes. Submit your projects, lesson plans, curricula, tutorials, and more. Educators will rate the work submitted. There are four categories: Primary/Secondary Cross-Curricular, Primary/Secondary Digital Arts and Media, Higher Education Cross-Curricular, Higher Education Digital Arts and Media.

The finalists have been announced!!

Google Apps Education Training Center is a site from Google that has a number of training resources and materials for educators to use to learn about using Google Apps for Education in their classroom.

The site has training materials on mail, calendar, docs, sites, and more and includes videos, webinars, lesson plans, and more.

It is also good for anyone who uses Google's tools and resources in school.

If you use Google Apps for Education or use any Google apps in school, you should check this site out.


Related:

Google Resources for Educators - list of Google training materials, lesson ideas, and how-to's for using Google in education.

I was originally scheduled to present at the CECA conference today in Hartford, CT, but was unable to get release time from my school.

The first session I was going to do was "Innovative Free Technologies for Teachers." I was going to share tech like Evernote, Google's many apps, and more and show teachers how they can use them to engage their students, enrich their lessons, and even get organized and improve communication. Many of the items I was going to talk about were from the following lists:

Android Smartphone Apps I use as an educator

25 Free Resources from Discovery Education

Google Apps for Educators

Technology my Students Use in Class

and

Technology I Use on a Daily Basis

I was going to introduce about 10 different resources and include discussion time for the participants to share the ones they use and how they use them in school. I did a similar one at CECA last year and it was a great session with great audience participation.

The other session is still going on because I was co-presenting with Tracey Mercier on Twitter in Education. I sent her some of what I was going to do with her in the presentation and I'm hoping the session goes well for her.

Here are some of the things I was going to share:

Twitter for Education - a great resource for educators

Educational Twitter HashTags

TweetDeck - great way to use Twitter



Hopefully, I'll be able to attend and present at next year's CECA conference.

Kathy Schrock is always posting something great in terms of educational resources. In the past, she created an interactive chart of Google tools aligned with Bloom's revised taxonomy.

She also now has an interactive chart of Android Apps aligned with Bloom's revised taxonomy and is looking for input on other apps to include. She listed free apps that are content neutral so any teacher can use them.

If you use an Android device, or your students/school does, this is a great resource.

Anno’s Counting Book by Mitsumasa Anno is one of those books that my kids and I looked at constantly when they were in elementary school. Starting with 0 and ending with 12, it’s the most complex and interesting counting book I’ve ever encountered.

The first page is an empty landscape, corresponding to 0. The wordless book adds objects to each consecutive page, corresponding to each number and reflecting the seasons, time of day, and other events in nature and human life. The number of objects in the landscape grows exponentially and symmetrically, and the detailed watercolor illustrations inspire careful examination.

Anno’s Counting Book is a helpful book for developing mathematical understanding of basic and, later, more complex concepts, but what makes it extraordinary is its evocation of the beauty of numbers. It inspires questions about beauty and what makes something beautiful, about whether beauty can tell us anything about truth, and about the relationship between mathematics and aesthetics.

I recently got an Android SmartPhone (HTC Droid Incredible 2) and have been exploring the Android Market looking for apps.


I really like Android. It's easy to use, powerful, has tons of apps, and HTC's Sense UI is really nice. The browser is also really great, supports multiple browser windows and has Flash and Air. Android has great notifications and multi-tasking too (although no one, not even Apple, can beat webOS's notifications and multi-tasking - it's too bad HP is pretty much shutting down webOS.)

In the past, I've written about educational apps for the Palm/HP smartphones running webOS. Today, I'd like to share some cool apps for Android. All of these apps allow me to use my smartphone as a mobile computer and pretty much do anything on it that I can do on my desktop or laptop.

For anyone who uses Google's applications, Android is a dream because it comes with them all and they work great. There are also great apps for all of the other services I use.



1. Google - search, Gmail, Calendar, Reader, Google Plus, Docs, Google Tasks, Blogger, Maps, Google Voice, Voice Search, Translate, Music, goo.gl, YouTube, and much more. They all work great, with Docs having full editing features and Translate even translating spoken word. I use lots of Google apps so this makes my life much easier and more productive.



2. Evernote - a must have app and service for pretty much everyone - teachers, students, administrators, mom's, dad's, business people, etc. The Android App is excellent and you can sync your notebooks to your phone for offline access. Take notes, clip web sites, upload files, upload and search photos, share notebooks, and much more.



3. Email - I have my Gmail account, Optimum account, and School email all set up, along with the Gmail account for my grad school.



4. QuickOffice - access, view, and edit Word, PowerPoint and Excel files.Free version comes with phone and can view documents. Pro version adds editing for a fee.



5. Cloud Storage apps - Dropbox, SugarSync, and Zumodrive - access, upload, download all your files and data.



6. Kindle - access my books on my phone. Great for research or relaxation. Syncs with my Amazon account so I can start off where I left off on my TouchPad.



7. TweetDeck - I love Twitter as a learning and sharing tool and the TweetDeck app on Android is great. Works just like the desktop/web version.



8. Web Browser - the web browser is excellent on Android. It supports multiple web pages open at once and has Adobe Flash and Air. I have yet to meet a website that I couldn't view in it's entirety. It's also very fast. I can access all kinds of web services and sites using the browser, including PowerTeacher, our district's SIS.


I've used a PDA since the Palm IIIxe in 2000, moving up through a Palm T3, Palm TX, Palm Centro Smarpthone, Palm Pre+ Smartphone and now an Android smartphone. I love the ability to access information and data, and connect with others, and get work done, all with a device I carry in my pocket.


Check out Android Central for tips, resources, device and app reviews, news, help, and more on Android.


Related:

Technology I use on a Daily Basis - updated for this year

I just added a new permanent page to my blog: 25 Free Resources from Discovery Education. As the name implies, it is a listing of 25 excellent, free resources from Discovery Education. There are also a couple of bonus free resources and links to resources on how to use Discovery Education's tools and resources.

Check it out.

I'll be using this this coming Saturday when I present this topic at the CT Day of Discovery conference.

FETC's Fall Virtual Conference is Thursday, October 27th, from 10:30am - 6pm.


This is a great way to get some excellent professional development and connect with other educators without traveling.


There is a keynote speaker, multiple sessions, and even an exhibit hall, all accessed online for free.

EduCon is a unique educational conference that focuses on conversations and innovations for improving education. It is held in Philadelphia, January 27th-29th and you can also participate virtually.

EduCon follows some very interesting guiding principals:

Guiding Principles of EduCon

• Our schools must be inquiry-driven, thoughtful and empowering for all members 
• Our schools must be about co-creating - together with our students - the 21st Century Citizen 
• Technology must serve pedagogy, not the other way around 
• Technology must enable students to research, create, communicate and collaborate 
• Learning can - and must - be networked 

EduCon does not feature "presentations" but rather "conversations", similar to EdCamp, except more planned out ahead of time.

Zygote Body is the next incarnation of Google Body. Google Body was a searchable and interactive 3D model of human anatomy. It was part of Google Labs, which Google is shutting down. Zygote was the company that helped create Google Body and they are going to continue the development of it. 


You can go to the launch page and enter your email address to be notified when it is up and ready. 


It's nice to see that even though Google is shutting down Google Labs, the wonderful projects that were part of it will live on in other forms. 




Other Anatomy Resources:

Healthline Body Maps - human anatomy resource

Open Heart Surgery Simulation - interactive and educational

eSkeletons - skeletons and comparative anatomy of primates

MEDtropolis - health information and Virtual Body

Anatomy Arcade

Medical Animations

Great Free Anatomy Resource

This week, an article was posted about how some middle school science teachers felt that labs were messy and a waste of time in science. They stated that they could get the students to know the material better through lecture and a couple of demo's and the students just looked at labs as free time. They also stated that when they did less labs, the state test scores went up.

I'm horrified that these people are science teachers. Exploration and experimentation are vital to science and science education. Students need to learn how to explore, collect data, analyze, conclude and communicate what they found. They need to work in groups to solve problems. This is what people do in real life. They don't sit around getting lectured to.

Test scores are, unfortunately, being used to much as a measure of student learning, when in fact most of these tests are invalid and useless. I also find these teachers' comments about students treating labs as free time an indication that these teachers lack classroom management skills. I also think that the labs they are using are not well designed.

I can look up science facts online very easily. But that doesn't mean that I understand them, or can even evaluate if these "facts" are actually true. Science changes constantly as scientists and engineers explore the world and find new things and new ways of doing things. Remember these science "facts"-  the earth is flat, the earth is the center of the universe.

To succeed in any endeavor, a student needs to be able to think critically - they need to analyze and solve problems. They need to learn how to work as a team and communicate. They need to have an understanding of where science comes from and how it is explored. They need to understand that failures lead to answers also. They need a basic functional literacy in science. They can only get this through projects and labs.

These projects and labs should be hands-on, but there are also plenty of labs and investigations that can be done online, for free, and are still very educational. This is a great alternative to hands-on labs that are too expensive or possibly dangerous. Students can also use free web 2.0 sites to do projects, webquests, and more that will teach them so much more than facts.

As an Aerospace Engineer (worked for 10 years as an engineer before becoming a physics teacher) I can tell you that the only way I was successful is because I learned science and engineering through labs and projects. You can not learn to apply concepts and facts by sitting in a lecture hall. My college, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, understood this and they have a very unique educational program called the WPI Plan that is based on projects.

I'm very sad that some science teachers are focusing on facts and test scores rather than actual teaching and learning in their classrooms.


Here are two other articles by other educators who agree that this is not a good idea:

http://www.joebower.org/2011/10/science-labs-are-messy.html

http://davidwees.com/content/should-labs-be-part-science-education


And here are some more articles I've written on this topic:

WPI Plan - A Great Educational Model for All Schools

http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-get-started-with-project-based.html

http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/04/project-based-learning.html

Edutopia also agrees that their research shows that Project Based Learning, which includes labs, is very effective way to learn.


What do you think?