The 7 best Chromebooks of 2017: the top Chromebooks ranked #chromebook #laptop #tablet #win… bit.ly/2j9t6yT

Original Article Link: The 7 best Chromebooks of 2017: the top Chromebooks ranked #chromebook #laptop #tablet #win… bit.ly/2j9t6yT

GeekNews.Link @geeknewslink

The 7 best Chromebooks of 2017: the top Chromebooks ranked #chromebook #laptop #tablet #win… bit.ly/2j9t6yT

When rolling out #edtech like #Chromebook, #PD and tech training is important. buff.ly/2kEhGkn via @EdTech_K12

Original Article Link: When rolling out #edtech like #Chromebook, #PD and tech training is important. buff.ly/2kEhGkn via @EdTech_K12

Erin Noxon ❤ TESOL @tesolgeek

When rolling out #edtech like #Chromebook, #PD and tech training is important. buff.ly/2kEhGkn via @EdTech_K12

Chromebook Gluu Server | Gluu | Blog

Chromebook Gluu Server | Gluu | Blog: Geeky but interesting!  "The minimum requirements for a Gluu Server is 4GB of RAM and 2 CPU units, which just happens to be the specs of the ASUS Chromebook I recently picked up. Being a geek, I decided to try loading Ubuntu on it. And then once I had Ubuntu, it was hard to resist loading a Gluu Server. It worked! In this blog I’ll share some of what I found in case you’re looking for your next science project! I had to do some tricks along the way and install some software to make the experience a little more user friendly."



'via Blog this'

15 Google Doc Features You Didn't Know Existed (But Totally Should) http://ift.tt/1rbXyFY via @hubspot @lkolow #chromebook

Original Article Link: 15 Google Doc Features You Didn't Know Existed (But Totally Should) http://ift.tt/1rbXyFY via @hubspot @lkolow #chromebook

mono @mussinata

15 Google Doc Features You Didn't Know Existed (But Totally Should) http://ift.tt/1rbXyFY via @hubspot @lkolow #chromebook

#Chromebook Google's Chromebook Central Forum: The Best Help You Never Knew Existed - Chrome Unboxed (press… dlvr.it/NFb44B

Original Article Link: #Chromebook Google's Chromebook Central Forum: The Best Help You Never Knew Existed - Chrome Unboxed (press… dlvr.it/NFb44B

LibrePC @LibrePC

#Chromebook Google's Chromebook Central Forum: The Best Help You Never Knew Existed - Chrome Unboxed (press… dlvr.it/NFb44B

Chromebook market Size expected to grow to over 17 million units by 2023

Original Article Link: Chromebook market Size expected to grow to over 17 million units by 2023

Chromebook market size was estimated to witness 5.3 million unit sales in 2014 and is anticipated to exceed 17 million units by 2023. Education ...

17 Cool New Laptops For The Education Market In 2017

Original Article Link: 17 Cool New Laptops For The Education Market In 2017

... while this month, Lenovo and Dell announced a flurry of new education notebook models -- both in their Chromebook and non-Chromebook lines.

//

The Electric Educator: Why I Love the Chromebook

The Electric Educator: Why I Love the Chromebook: "I love Chromebooks. It's not because I'm a Google Certified Teacher / Trainer or because I don't like Microsoft, or [only] because they are cheap, or because they do something different than my Android, iPhone, iPad, Macbook, Windows computer.

I love the Chromebook because, in my opinion, it exemplifies everything that I love about technology and the potential for technology to impact education."



'via Blog this'

Nkosinathi-Buthelezi retweeted: #Chromebook costs more than 5 times less than a traditional computer! #TCO #IT bit.ly/2fDn4Wc

Original Article Link: Nkosinathi-Buthelezi retweeted: #Chromebook costs more than 5 times less than a traditional computer! #TCO #IT bit.ly/2fDn4Wc

Nanocloud Software @nanocloud_com

Nkosinathi-Buthelezi retweeted:

#Chromebook costs more than 5 times less than a traditional computer! #TCO #IT
bit.ly/2fDn4Wc

Adobe Spark for Simple Multimedia Projects

Original Article Link: Adobe Spark for Simple Multimedia Projects

One of the most important things we can teach our students is to communicate ideas to others. Multimedia is a great tool to do just that. As educators, we would be negligent if we did not help our students become effective consumers and creators of multimedia. Because I believe strongly in this, I am always on the search for simple tools that allow students to communicate with words, pictures, video, and audio.

One great option is Adobe Spark - a free tool from the creators of PhotoShop, InDesign, and many other professional design products.

Adobe Spark has a few immediate things going for it:

• Simple log in / signup process (You can use your Google Account)
• Super simple interface with minimal buttons and clutter. 
• Fully web-based and works outstanding on a Chromebook!

There are three different project options in Adobe Spark - posts (still image), page (mini web-site) or Video (photo slide show). 

I worked with my two oldest kids to create a short video project on pollution (their science topic for this week). They went out with their Android tablets to take pictures and then we incorporated their photos, text, and voices, into the video project.

The project interface is simple enough for elementary age students to easily navigate. Icons throughout allow early readers to navigate with ease.

The video project type allows you to select images, add text, and add short voice-over if desired. Adobe Spark automatically applies a fade in/out to pictures (Ken Burns effect) to add interest. A generous library of royalty free music provides background accompaniment.

There are 5 page layouts from which you can choose. The limited options keeps things simple and allows project development to progress quickly.

Audio recording occurs on each individual page. Simply press and hold the microphone button while you speak.

Spark also provides a solid selection of project themes to ensure that the fonts and colors used in your project are easy to read and match nicely. You must chose from one of the provided themes which can not be customized.

Adding images is easy as Spark provides a (limited) image library and also integrates with Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe LightRoom, DropBox, and Google Photos. For our project we uploaded pictures into a shared Google Photo Album and were able to easily access them from Spark. You can also directly upload your own pictures if you wish to get pictures from Google Drive or another storage solution.

It was quite simple to collect all of our material, design, and polish our video project. We spent about 30 min. putting everything together (not including taking the pictures). The entire project was completed on an Acer Chromebook.

Here is our finished Spark video project!

There are a few things to consider before adopting Spark for your next class project.

• Spark is not collaborative -  students will need to share a device if you want to make this a group project. 
• Spark is slow - I was a bit frustrated by the slow loading speed of our project, photos, etc. It works great, you just have to be patient. 
• Adobe adds a "made with Spark" screen at the end of your presentation. You can chop it out if you use a video editor.  
• Spark does not support video uploads - You can only work with still pictures

I was generally impressed with Adobe Spark and will certainly use it for future projects. If you are looking for a simple multimedia project option that works great on a Chromebook, Spark is a great option! 

Thanks for subscribing to my blog. I always appreciate feedback on my posts. You can find me on Twitter (@jrsowash), Google+, Linkedin (jrsowash), and YouTube (jrsowash)

Replacing the Research tool in Google Docs

Original Article Link: Replacing the Research tool in Google Docs

By now you may have noticed that the "Research" tool in Google Docs, Slides, and Drawing has been replaced by the "Explore" tool. While Explore adds a few nice features (see my previous post for a complete overview), it has removed the citation feature which was heavily used by K-12 teachers.

There has been a fairly vocal outcry from educators because of the removal of the research tool. If you are disappointed that the research tool is no longer available you can send your suggestions to Google by opening a Google Document and visiting help > Docs Help > Send Feedback. 

Google does seem to be listening to this feedback as a the Docs team has created a survey exploring the use of the research tool. You can complete the survey here.

**Update the survey above is no longer accepting responses. The Docs team is reviewing feedback and considering a solution.**

While I too am a bit disappointed that the Research tool has been removed, there are a few facts to remember: 

• The "citations" generated by the Research tool weren't really citations, they were footnotes.
• Sometimes all you got was a link to the source, not the author, date, publication, etc.
• While the Research tool gave you the option to switch between MLA, APA, and Chicago style, the formatting of the "citations" weren't in the correct format anyway. 
• The research tool didn't create a bibliography or works cited page. 

Yes, the Research tool was a great place to start and I would love to see it brought back. However, there are some even better ways to handle citations and bibliographies that you can use right now!

EasyBib - Add-On for Google Docs

EasyBib has developed a free add-on for Google Docs that make it super easy to cite books, articles, and Websites. Just enter the URL, title, or ISBN number and EasyBib does the rest. The add-on will create a works-cited page (bibliography) for you and supports dozens of citation styles (most of which I have never even heard of!). Get started by connecting the add-on here. 

EasyBib also offers a Chrome Extension, however it requires setting up an EasyBib account and is not as easy to use as the other citation extensions listed below. If you are an EasyBib user, or your school has paid for the premium version of EasyBib, the extension may be of value to you. 

Cite This For Me - Chrome Extension

Visit any website and click the "cite" button and you will receive an automatically generated citation in your preferred format. Click "add to bibliography" to collect all of your sources and then copy/paste or download your list for further use. One neat thing about Cite is the fact that you don't have to log in or create an account to collect your resources (although the recommend that you do.). I tested this extension on several obscure websites and it did a great job. It even prompts you to enter missing information that it is unable to find. 

Apogee Citation Creator - Chrome Extension

Apogee is a super light-weight extension tool. Click the button and get your citation. No configuration, settings, or advanced options. Copy the citation and paste it wherever you need it. Apogee isn't as accurate as Cite This For Me (sometimes it misses the author), but it gets the basics. 

Citation Machine - Website

For very specific or obscure citations (Podcasts, YouTube Videos, etc), you may need to create a manual citation. I have used Citation Machine for many years (it helped me earn my M.Ed. degree!). It has been updated a bit, but is still dead simple to use and supports hundreds of different source material. Citation Machine doesn't automate the citation process, but it guides you through and creates perfect citations. 

I have looked at four possible replacements for the Research tool. Even if Google brings back the Research feature (we can hope!), you will need one ore more of these tools to create a true, properly formatted citation. 

I know there are many more citation tools out there. If you have a favorite that you would recommend, please leave a comment below!

Thanks for subscribing to my blog. I always appreciate feedback on my posts. You can find me on Twitter (@jrsowash), Google+, Linkedin (jrsowash), and YouTube (jrsowash)

Turn any Website into a Chrome App

Original Article Link: Turn any Website into a Chrome App

Any time I find a promising web-based tool I immediately check to see if they offer a Chrome App. In most cases, there isn't anything special about the app, it just provides a simple way for me, and my students, to access that particular website.

I have recently been playing around with Adobe Spark (see this post for a review). It's a great tool, but they don't offer a Chrome App. I recently discovered that it's super easy to turn any website into a Chrome App. It only takes 3 clicks!

1. Visit the site 
2. Click the "snowman" in Chrome
3. Scroll down to More Tools > Add to shelf. 

That's it! You now have a link to your site on the shelf at the bottom of the screen and in the Chrome App Launcher. You can remove the app from the shelf if you wish and it will still be available from the App launcher.

Note that each individual user must do this; apps created in this way can't be pushed out to student devices.

Thanks for subscribing to my blog. I always appreciate feedback on my posts. You can find me on Twitter (@jrsowash), Google+, Linkedin (jrsowash), and YouTube (jrsowash)

📚 Announcing The Chromebook Classroom! 📚

Original Article Link: 📚 Announcing The Chromebook Classroom! 📚

Two years ago, I decided to write a book. It was easy at first. I had lots of ideas, had enjoyable conversations with various people about those ideas, and starting sketching out the basic outline for the book.

Then it got harder. A lot harder. Writing is a slow, solitary, grind.

I decided that I needed some help (and accountability) for this project. So I asked my PLN if they would be interested in helping develop content for my book. Over 60 individuals said yes! They contributed lesson ideas, technical help, and reviewed my early drafts.

Writing early drafts of The Chromebook Classroom

We even met together in June of 2015 to work on this project together. Here a picture to prove it!

After more editing, reviews, and revisions, we had a finished manuscript that was ready for design and print!

Today, I am excited to officially announce the release of The Chromebook Classroom, the first detailed exploration of the use of Chromebooks in the K-12 classroom!

Starting today, The Chromebook Classroom is available from Amazon.com or chrmbook.com for $24.95 (print) or $9.97 (digital). Bulk ordering options are also available.

Buy a copy of The Chromebook Classroom from chrmbook.com between now and Thanksgiving (Nov. 24) and save 25%! That's only $18.75!

I am very proud of the final product and grateful to all those who helped make this project a success!

Books are meant to be read and I believe that this book can help educators use technology more effectively. I hope you will consider purchasing a copy for yourself, a friend, or a colleague.

The Chromebook Classroom is available from Amazon or chrmbook.com

Thanks for subscribing to my blog. I always appreciate feedback on my posts. You can find me on Twitter (@jrsowash), Google+, Linkedin (jrsowash), and YouTube (jrsowash)

What's Up with Android on Chrome?

Original Article Link: What's Up with Android on Chrome?

The announcement of Android Apps coming to Chromebooks was one of the biggest announcements from Google in 2016. The original announcement happened back in May and the Google Play store is rolling out to more and more Chrome devices. 

I'm a big believer in ChromeOS (I wrote a book about it!), so I was interested in this major update to an already great platform. 

I have two Chromebooks that have had access to the Play store for quite a while (Asus Flip and Pixel). I have installed lots of Android apps onto both devices. 

Here's the interesting thing - I don't use them. 

So far, the ability to use Android on Chrome has absolutely zero impact on my daily use of my Chromebook. In fact, I have forced myself to use some Android apps (Pandora, Keep, Pixlr, Photoshop, Instagram) and it hasn't been a very enjoyable (or helpful) experience. 

The apps are designed for mobile phones and don't scale to fit my screen and the interface is designed for touch which means it takes more touches to perform an action. 

Pixlr, my primary photo editing app, is a good example. The left is the Android version of Pixlr. The right is the web-app. 

So far, I have been greatly underwhelmed by the use Android apps on my Chromebook. The only individuals who seem to be genuinely excited about Android on Chrome are those who want to access Android games. 

As an educator, I always ask "how would a classroom teacher use this tool?" So far, I'm not really sure. To me, it seems that adding Android to Chrome just complicates what was a beautifully simply platform. 

Android on Chrome is still very new, so I will reserve my final judgement. Perhaps app developers just need to make ChromeOS optimized versions of their apps. 

Help me out - have you found Android on Chrome to be helpful? What specific apps are you using that make your ChromeOS experience even better? 

Thanks for subscribing to my blog. I always appreciate feedback on my posts. You can find me on Twitter (@jrsowash), Google+, Linkedin (jrsowash), and YouTube (jrsowash)

First Look: Team Drives

Original Article Link: First Look: Team Drives

Google has been rumored to be working on a team aspect to Google Drive for years. This mythical feature was finally officially announced this past September but didn't actually emerge until last week when the Early Adopter Program (EAP) was launched for G Suite domains. Here's your first look at this substantial new feature to Google Drive. 

Why do we need Team Drive?

While sharing files with a individuals or small groups through Google Drive is simple and effective, managing a large collection of resources with a medium to large team can be challenging. 

Common Issues: 

• Files get “lost” in shared with me. 
• Files get removed from shared folders. 
• Shared files are accidentally edited. 
• Ownership issues

The biggest issue with traditional drive sharing is related to document ownership. If the owner of an important document leaves the company or school, their files will be removed if their account is deleted. 

Key features of team Drive

• Located in a separate area from personal documents
• Does not clutter up “shared with me”
• Files owned by team (not an individual)
• Simple access management

Note: At this time, Team Drive is only available Google domains that are in the EAP (Early Adopter Program). You can request early access here (you must be a Google Apps Admin). A full launch is expected in early 2017. 

Creating a Team Drive:

Team Drives appear in your personal Google Drive account. Visually, it gives the impression of two separate disk-drives (like your old c:// and a:// drives)

Creating a Team Drive is similar to creating a new folder, or a new class in Google Classroom. The material design styling of a Team Drive is quite different from the typical folder in Google Drive. 

Once you have created your Team Drive, you will see a brand new interface that stands in stark contrast to the simple folder-based structure of Google Drive. Educators will feel comfortable with this “Google Classroom-esque” design. At this time the colors and background image of your Team Drive can not be customized and are assigned randomly. 

Set Access Settings

Like traditional sharing in Drive, group managers can set the access settings for new team members. One important details is the addition of a new sharing access level to the Drive sharing settings you are familiar with: 

• Full Access (allows team management)
• Edit Access
• Comment Access
• View Access

Individuals with “Full Access” should be considered team managers as they can modify team membership settings. Set “edit access” to remove team membership capabilities. 

Team Drive supports sharing with individual users and Google Groups. Sharing with a group is an easy way to give manage group membership on a larger scale. 

Members can be removed at any time. Editing access rights can also be adjusted, just like in traditional Drive.

Add and manage content in your Team Drive just like you would in Google Drive. Notice that the “owner” column is no longer needed as the team is the owner of these resources. 

All standard Drive file types are supported by Team Drive. File and Folder upload are supported as well. Connected Drive Apps are NOT supported at this time.

Team Drive on Mobile 

One of the best features of Team Drive might be the simplicity of accessing it on your mobile device. No more searching through folders or the shared with me section of Drive. 

Quickly find, manage, and open documents from your team. 

Ideas, Thoughts, and Issues

Team Drive is in early release. Bugs and missing features are to be expected. 

The biggest issue at this time, you can not move content from your personal Google Drive into a Team Drive. You must create content IN your Team Drive. Ownership of Team Drive files resides with the team, not the individual who created them, so there are some challenges that Google needs to work through so that people don't accidently lose their personal work by adding them to a team Drive. 

Team Drive Use Cases

• Curriculum Departments - One easy application for Team Drive is curriculum planning and documentation in schools. Each department (Math, Science, Language Arts, etc) should create a team drive to store curriculum maps, pacing guides, lesson plan templates, etc. 
• Special Education departments can use a Team Drive to track IEP data, share common document templates and share common evaluation tools. 
• School administrators can use Team Drives to collect budget information, share departmental reports, and safely store district-wide templates and resources. 
• School Administrators and board members can use Team Drive to share board reports, minutes, and budgets.
• Students working together in small groups can use Team Drive to share and store group work without impacting or cluttering up their personal drives. 

Speculation: The launch of team drive would suggest the ability for Google Classroom to add a group project feature at some point in the future.

That a quick first look at Team Drive - a much needed feature for facilitating more streamlined collaboration. Have a question about team drive? Leave a comment below. If you have access to Team Drive and have some thoughts of your own, please leave me a comment and feel free to link to your own review or video of Team Drive in action! 

Thanks for subscribing to my blog. I always appreciate feedback on my posts. You can find me on Twitter (@jrsowash), Google+, Linkedin (jrsowash), and YouTube (jrsowash)