For years, the knock on Chrome OS was that it was “just a browser.” A PC, people thought, had to be more than that. But now, almost six years since that first Chromebook, just a browser has turned out to be just enough for a growing group of users. Chromebooks outsold Macs for the first time in the first quarter of this year, and according to Google, US schools buy more Chromebooks than all other devices combined.
Even now, the Chrome OS revolution is only beginning. In the next few weeks, Chromebooks will suddenly have accessto the millions of apps in Google’s Play Store, which will work on a Chrome OS device the way they work on Android phones. Also, Google’s beginning a big move into the boardroom, trying to convince businesses to use Chromebooks instead of their old Windows XP machines. And a whole new breed of Chromebooks is about to hit shelves. Not only are they high-end, they’re going to be completely different from the laptops we’ve known before.
For a sneak peak at what may be possible, Lenovo is looking at adding Chrome OS to the list of operating systems for its new laptop, the Lenovo Yoga Book.
With all due respect, this is what I call Edutech Shiny Toy Syndrome. And it is out of control. Kids don’t need screens for individualized educational experiences. They are already on those stultifying, addictive, isolating screens far too much. Bah! Humbug! Source: Silicon Valley’s Schools Program — Students Are an Afterthought | National Review I don’t…
The think-tank examined the relation between social media use (including online time) and mental illness: While twelve percent of children who spend no time on social networking websites on a normal school day have symptoms of mental ill health, that figure rises to 27 percent for those who are on the sites for three or…
I have a hard time remembering all of those classes I took and especially what in the world I learned in them. Part of it is probably because of the volume of it all. Just from sixth to 12th grades, seven classes a day x 180 days x seven years = 8,820 class periods. Part…
There are times when you want to zoom on a Chromebook, for example, when you are demonstrating a website for your class and you want the students to only look at a particular part of the website. There are three ways to zoom on a Chromebook. Magnify the current webpage. By using the control– (that’s…
From February 12 through February 14, the Ohio Educational Technology Conference will take place at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. This is the 20th year that I’ve attended the conference, so it’s becoming second nature. I will be presenting twice. First up will be my 5 minute ignite style FREdTalk presentation on Wednesday, February…
The Fuze Code Studio, as seen on Nintendo Today, will let you write 2D and 3D games using Fuze BASIC, with access to the Joy-Con sensors and controls, along with a pack of included game graphics and sounds and the ability to make your own. For typing you can use Fuze’s touchscreen keyboard or plug in a USB…