My school district went 1 to 1 with Chromebooks a few years ago. Now, I don’t know what I’d do without them, but at the beginning, it was a little overwhelming. If your district is going 1 to 1 with technology, check out these tips.
Top Tips for Going 1 to 1 with Technology
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#1 – Go over expectations for using the devices.
Your students are used to using devices at home, but your expectations at school are probably different from the rules at home. Be very clear about what you expect.
These are my rules:
- Always carry your Chromebook with two hands.
- Never leave your Chromebook unattended on your desk or on the floor.
- If you’re sitting on the floor with your Chromebook, it needs to stay on your lap.
- Keep food and drinks away from the Chromebook.
- Stay on the assigned websites.
If my students break any of these rules, they lose their device for a day. They have to do all the assignments on paper. Losing it once is enough for them to learn their lesson.
#2 – Keep your technology organized.
I wasn’t very organized my first year with the Chromebooks. My students’ earbuds were a tangled mess in their desks. They constantly lost their password papers, and half the time they forgot to plug the Chromebooks in at the end of the day.
Then, I purchased an earbud organizer from Really Good Stuff, and it’s amazing. My students’ earbuds don’t get tangled anymore. Plus, my students store their password papers in the pockets. They don’t get lost nearly as frequently.
To solve the problem of uncharged Chromebooks, I made “Technology Assistant” one of my classroom jobs. At the end of the day, that student makes sure all the devices are plugged in and charging.
#3 – Find ways to integrate technology into your lessons.
There are so many amazing ways to use technology in your classroom! My absolute favorite is Google Classroom. You can create a class for each subject you teach. Then, assign your students website links and documents.
Find out all the amazing things about Google Classroom.
I also use the Chromebooks for math centers and reading intervention. There are some amazing websites to help your students practice important skills.
One of my guided math rotations is a technology center. These are some of my favorite math websites. They are great for fact practice, review of skills you’ve covered, and practice of the current skills.
For reading, my students use the websites to practice the skills we’ve learned. While they work on the Chromebooks, I am able to pull strategy groups. These are some of my favorite reading websites.
#4 – Use the devices for collaboration.
One of my students’ favorite things to do on the Chromebooks is to collaborate on Google slideshows. They are able to share the slideshows with each other. Then, they all work on the same slides and present them to the class.
We create slideshows for our fairy tales unit, continent research, and animals unit.
#5 – Engage your students with technology.
One of the best things about the Chromebooks is the level of engagement they create for students. My students love using Kahoot to review for tests. You can make up any questions you want, and the students use their devices to answer them. You can have them work in groups or independently to do the Kahoot quiz.
My students also love watching BrainPOP videos. They are available for so many different topics! After they watch the movie, my students love taking the quiz, playing the game, and doing all the other activities. Your school needs a BrainPOP account for a lot of the videos, but it’s definitely worth it.
Find out how to use Google to organize your classroom.
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What Do You Think?
What are your favorite ways to use technology in your classroom?
Let me know in the comments.
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