Mrs. Williams monitors progress and suggests edits as the seniors work on their career presentations using the new Chromebooks. (Photo coutesy of Connie Barnhart)
The 7th graders work on their Latin American brochure on the school's new Chromebooks, as Mrs. Boman gives help and suggestions. (Photo coutesy of Connie Barnhart)
By Connie Barnhart
An unusual metal box may be seen meandering the halls of PRCDHS. The large metal chest on wheels is being pushed by teachers from classroom to classroom. It contains a mobile lab of twenty Chromebooks that expand technology within classrooms. These Chromebooks are thin computers that can serve as laptops or tablets. Students can either use the attached keyboards or the touchscreens to input information.
The mobile Chromebook lab was purchased with the help of a Powder River Endowment Fund grant and with additional money from the school's technology fund in order to supply Chromebooks for individual use in larger classes. The lab arrived recently and Levi Mitchell, IT specialist, put the charging/storage cart together, set up the Chromebooks and their licenses, and mobilized them on the school network.
The Chromebooks are optimized for classroom collaboration through the Google platform tools. Kendra Hartman is in charge of lab check out and has been giving after-school Google classroom instruction to teachers so that they can incorporate the Chromebooks into their curriculum using Google tools. Responses from students using the Chromebooks have been very positive. Students say, "They are so fast!" and "They are fun to use!"
Mrs. Patty Williams and her senior English class are one of several classes which have been successfully using the Chromebooks.
The seniors recently participated in a career unit in which they job shadowed for an afternoon in Billings. Using the Chromebooks, the students can be seen working on Google slide presentations about their career experiences. Mrs. Williams is able to see the individual progress of students and is able to offer suggestions to edit as they work with the Chromebooks. When completed, they will present their Google slide project to the rest of the class.
Mrs. Rebecca Boman and her 7th grade class are pictured at left, using the Chromebooks on a Social Studies unit. Her students are researching Latin American countries and will be producing a brochure to share with the rest of the class. Mrs. Boman has also used the Chromebooks with her senior PAD class using interactive lessons on ICivics. Students were so engaged they continued with the activity beyond the classroom on their own time.
The mobile Chromebook lab is allowing teachers and students to use technology without leaving their classrooms. Students need to have as many technological tools as possible to adapt and succeed in today's rapidly changing world. Technology is our link to the outside world and is the great equalizer for small rural schools. The mobile Chromebook lab is providing another technology link for our students.
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