Why Chromebooks Have Expanded in K-12 Classrooms

Did you know Chromebooks made up 60 percent of all U.S. education shipments in 2017? To put that number in perspective, in 2012, Chromebooks made up less than a single percent of the education market, according to Computerworld.

So why are Chromebooks gaining—and maintaining—the momentum within the K-12 classroom? And how do teachers and students use these devices for learning?

The Growth of Chromebooks in K-12

When K-12 officials were asked by Education Week Research Center which school-provided tools educators and students use most for instruction in their districts, “42 percent of survey respondents said Chromebooks, far outpacing PC laptops, at 15 percent, and PC desktops and Apple iPads, both at 13 percent.”

An article by Android Central reports that as of January 2018, there are:

• 25 million students using a Chromebook at school.
• 30 million students using Google Classroom.
• 80 million students using G Suite for Education.

Just Google (ha - computer puns) schools adopting Chromebooks in their classroom and you will easily find multiple articles with similar headlines:

• Ohio High Schools Hand Out Chromebooks to 4,000 Students
• Douglas School Board Considers $1 Million for New Chromebooks
• GASD to Purchase 650 Chromebooks

If you’re in the market for Chromebooks, Kajeet just announced the Kajeet Chromebook Bundle for K-12 schools! Find out more here.

But there’s more to the Chromebook growth than just popularity.

The main appeal of Chromebooks that educators hear frequently is price.

Kecia Ray, the executive director of the Center for Digital Education, said “It’s the price point. I don’t hear anyone talking about the bells and whistles,” when asked to explain the draw of Chromebooks in an Edweek Market Brief article.

When it comes to cost, Chromebooks are the cheaper option for K-12, especially as schools move to a 1:1 setup. The same article states, “Chromebooks’ low cost gives district leaders confidence that they can buy large numbers of the devices and replace them if needed.”

And the end of the day, kids are kids, and accidents happen. Devices will be dropped, spilled on, eaten by the dog (oh wait, that’s homework) – but you get it. Chromebooks are durable and built with students in mind.

Then there is the overwhelming usage of Chrome tools such as the G Suite for Education. When K-12 officials were asked, “which of the following are used for school-related purposes most frequently in your district or classroom?”, the results showed:

• 68 percent said Google G Suite and/or Google Classroom.
• 17 percent said Microsoft Office 365 and/or Microsoft Classroom.
• 1 percent said Apple iWork and/or Apple Classroom.
• 14 percent reported they do not use any of the aforementioned products.

If educators are already using Google’s extensive online platform, switching to a Google-based hardware is natural.

How Teachers and Students Use Chromebooks for Learning

By pairing Chromebooks with the Google G Suite, educators are seeing positive impacts on learning outcomes.

After Chromebooks and G Suite were rolled out, Google and the Evergreen Education Group studied the results and discovered, “Passing rates of students in one class...improved from 75 to 94 percent. Students at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina were outperforming the entire state on standardized tests and exceeding expectations.”

Jacob Standish, the digital learning conversion program manager for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, said, “With Chromebooks, teachers can direct activities to the needs of each student. Students don’t have to wait for their teacher to guide them, freeing teachers to create open-ended lessons giving students more freedom and creativity.”

A major part of the G Suite ecosystem is Google Drive. Teachers use the Google Drive to access tools such as Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and more. And all of these Google tools allow for sharing and collaboration directly within the document at the same time.

The Chrome browser also offers more digital tools that teachers can take advantage of such as creating a class blog for students to follow, or a class website that students make themselves. Plus there are tons of Chrome extensions available. If you’re looking for a few extensions to try, check out this comprehensive list of 50 extensions for teachers.

With Chromebooks, these tools are accessible at school or at home. But it’s important to remember that not all students have the same access once they leave school for the day.

Bringing Digital Equity to Chromebooks

Kajeet is dedicated to creating solutions to close the Homework Gap. (If you’re curious in learning more, check out our “Closing the Homework Gap:A Guide to Increasing Student Success with Home Connectivity,” eBook written by the Kajeet Founder and CEO, Daniel Neal.)

We understand that the Homework Gap still exists, and as more schools adopt 1:1 and send devices home, not all students have the same equal access to the Internet.

Which is why here at Kajeet we are excited to announce our new Kajeet Chromebook Bundle—the ultimate student connectivity solution! This offering combines the Kajeet customer support, service, and filtered Internet connectivity educators have come to know and expect – with the most popular and durable Chromebook for K-12 students.

The Kajeet Chromebook Bundle is more than just a Chromebook. It includes:

• The rugged CTL Chromebook NL7—built specifically for K-12 students.
• 4G LTE Internet connectivity with the trusted Kajeet SmartSpot® device.
• Data for an entire school year on any of six trusted carriers in North America.
• All-in-one Chromebook case designed specifically to hold both the Kajeet SmartSpot and CTL Chromebook.
• The powerful Kajeet Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution.

If your school or district is in the market for new Chromebooks, or you’re looking to connect your students to filtered Internet at home, Kajeet is here to help.

We’d love to hear more about your 1:1 programs in the comments below!