Google Apps for education and
chromebooks
AVOIDING THE HIGH COST OPTION
A bit about the ISANet project and our work
What is Google Apps for Education?
Google Apps for Education is a free suite of
hosted email and collaboration applications
exclusively for schools and universities. Registration
is required to ensure the business qualifies and to set
up the Edu domain.
The suite is advertising free, and Google use the data
you provide to ensure that the services integrate and
work well within your domain. They assure us that
they do not use the data in any other way.
Whose gone Google?
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May 2013 – Dubai and the Middle east?
April 2013 – Malaysia has 10,000 schools, and
the government’s plan is to equip them all with 4G
Internet access, a virtual learning platform, and at
minimum a 10:1 ratio of students to computers.
March 2013 – Chromebooks come available in
Australia, Canada, France, Germany and The
Netherlands. University of Bristol
Feb 2013 – All Nippon Airlines
Jan 2013 - Chicago Public Schools bringing 270,000
students, teachers and administrators into the cloud
Summer 2011 – Claires Court, Halliford School and Norfolk County Council
A quick look at the core Apps
G-Mail
Google Drive
Google’s productivity suite
Document – Docs
Presentation - Slides
Spreadsheet – Sheets Forms
Drawings
Google Sites
Google Calendar
Google Groups & Contacts
Google Maps, PicassaWeb albums
YouTube and video channels
Chrome browser, Extensions and Apps
Gmail
Gmail – 25GB of storage, in 2012, 99.983%
availability
It’s through Gmail that the core services are
integrated.
Gmail provides all sorts of extras in addition to email
 Instant messaging
 Video chat and advanced conferencing
 Phonecall and other voice features
 Translation bots and other geeky features
Google Drive
Google Drive provides 5GB per user
Supports all file types for file storage & transference
Allows you to view Microsoft and Adobe files
Allows you to convert such files to the appropriate
Google format for editing
Plays most video formats
Google Drive is both a web-based service and a local
‘extra’ drive on your chosen hardware, synching so
files stay current – PC, Mac, iPad, phone
Allows you to share really big files that won’t email
Google Drive – 99.9% uptime guarantee
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Google’s productivity suite
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Document – Docs
Spreadsheet – Sheets
Presentation - Slides
Forms
Drawings
Scripts
All open up from your Drive
Can be created anew or translated from an existing file
Can be shared, private, anyone with the link, public
Permit collaboration of up to 50 at a time, with editing,
commenting and viewing rights adjustable.
Google Sites
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Dynamic (and secure) web pages for students, staff and clubs
 Google Sites is an easy way to create web pages for intranets or class
projects. You control what's public and what's private. No coding or
HTML required.
 System and site-level security controls - Administrators can manage
site sharing permissions across the school and authors can share
and revoke file access at any time.
 Simple, but powerful - Creating a web page is as easy as writing a
document. Embed documents, presentations and video and more to
develop impressive, interactive websites.
 Anytime, anywhere access - Google Sites is securely powered by the
web, so you can access your sites from school, from home and even
on your mobile phone.
 Works across operating systems - Google Sites works in the browser
on PC, Mac and Linux computers. Teachers, students and parents
don't need to buy or download software.
Google Calendar – 99.9% uptime guarantee
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Google Calendar enables users to easily schedule meetings, share event
calendars and stay organised – no matter how busy their days are.
 Manage class timetables, club meetings, office hours, game days, and more
 Easily schedule appointments
 Overlay multiple calendars to see when people are available. Google Calendar
sends invitations and manages RSVPs.
 Google Calendar is integrated into Gmail and is interoperable with popular
calendar applications.
 Calendars can be shared school-wide or with selected colleagues. Share with
classes, teams and clubs
 A range of sharing permission controls help maintain security and privacy.
 Access with your mobile device, Even receive calendar notifications via SMS.
 Publish calendars for students, parents and supporters, publicise big school
events by publishing an events calendar for all to see. Easily embed calendars
into web pages.
 Using https://www.gtimereport.com/ crunch a whole host of calendars into
one print out.
Google Groups & Contacts
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Google Groups allows users to set up their own mailing lists and easily share
docs, sites and calendars with colleagues. Administrators can control
memberships if desired and connect Groups to LMS and SIS systems.
 Fast setup, allowing teachers and student groups to create and manage
their own small groups and lists without burdening IT.
 Easy, safe sharing - Users can share docs, calendars, sites, shared folders
and videos with a group instead of individuals, while admins can keep
control of group membership. Robust APIs even allow for integration with
LMS, SIS and course management systems, so access permissions stay upto-date.
 Less clutter and noise - Customisable subscription settings let users receive
mailing list discussions as a digest or by browsing the web.
 Searchable archives - Group members can access and search archives of
mail sent to their lists to efficiently find topics of interest.
 Reply on behalf of a group - Groups can serve as a central point to receive
and respond to communications and members can reply on behalf of the
group.
Google Maps
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An entire
educational
world of its own
Not just find
locations and
plot routes, but
also create your
own maps and
links to stories,
research and
even chat
through maps
http://googlema
psmania.blogsp
ot.com/
This picture taken from
the 1 April Google joke
PicassaWeb Albums/Google+
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The integration
of a disparate
number of other
Google services
such as Picassa
continues, under
the Google+
brand, a service
for 13+ age
students.
If time, here’s a
quick look at
Google+
YouTube for EDU
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YouTube EDU lets you discover, create, and share educational videos. Educational and
instructional videos are some of the most popular videos on YouTube.
YouTube EDU is YouTube’s corpus of 700k+ high quality educational videos from partners like
Khan Academy, Stanford and TED-Ed.
YouTube created two programs to help schools and teachers utilize YouTube EDU most effectively:
YouTube for Schools and YouTube for Teachers.
 YouTube for Teachers provides tips & tricks for bringing YouTube into the classroom and
organizes YouTube EDU videos to align with common core subjects.
 YouTube for Schools allows schools to access all of the YouTube EDU content while limiting
access to non-educational content.
To find content that suits your needs, start on the YouTube EDU homepage and browse according
to the following three learning segments:
Primary and Secondary: Channels that span from preschool to secondary school, also known
as our K12 segment
Higher Education: Channels that include colleges, universities and college departments around
the world
Lifelong Learning: Channels for continuing learners that include everything from museums to
language instructors
The Google Apps grow
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These are some Apps that sync with your Drive
Wevideo
Lucidcharts
Sliderocket
Conceptboard
Simplebooklet
Sumopaint
And hundreds more…
Chrome browser
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Chrome browser is one of the unsung heroes of the set
As of February 2013, according to StatCounter, Google Chrome has a 37% worldwide usage share of web
browsers making it the most widely used web browser in the world.[10] Net Applications, however,
indicates that Chrome is only third when it comes to the size of its user base, behind Internet Explorer and
Firefox (wikipedia).
It provides access to the various Apps and Extensions
you have added, plus easy access to the Google
playstore.
Allows you to see what you have been doing on all of
your connected devices.
In short, an entire ecosystem
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What’s to like in Education?
Cost free
Used by thousands of schools and universities already
Supported by a growing community of Google certified
teachers, trainers, conferences and communities
Works on any pc or mac platform, on school networks
and on android and iOS devices
Allows for collaborative working, rapid feedback, rollback on revisions and history
Questions
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Chromebooks for Edu domains
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Laptop clamshell design – circa £230
Up and running in under 10 seconds
Using Chrome OS, runs through
the web browser
So not need for virus or other
locally installed software, everything
coming through the wireless connection
The user that logs on to the Chromebook gets their
own experience – so easy to use any device
Must have the Management Admin console – cost?
Samsung Chromebook – boring details
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Battery life - Up to 10 hours
Bluetooth - NO
Brand – Samsung
Built-in ethernet connection - NO
Built-in Webcam- YES
CD/DVD/Blu-ray Drive -NO
Dimensions - H17.5 x W289.6 x D208.5mm
card - video RAM
Shared Hard drive - 16GB SSD
Memory card slot - 3-in-1Model name / numberXE303C12-A01
UK Operating system -Google Chrome OS
Processor - Exynos 5250 1.7GHzProcessor
RAM - 2GB
Screen Resolution - 1366 x 768
Screen size - 11.6“
USB ports 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0
Weight - 1.1kg
Wireless networking - 802.11b/g/n
And almost no value in the Pub!
What Chromebooks allow
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"There is no software to install, no imaging that needs to be
done. The less administrative burden you have to manage,
the more computers you can put out in the classroom and
sustain and maintain over time".
“Chrome devices enable you to...
 Scale access to the web with computers that are simple to use
and easy to distribute
 Share devices among students, with no manual set-up for
different users
 Enjoy constant connectivity through integrated Wi-Fi, for
always-on access without relying on school networks
 Administer machines throughout the school, no matter how
many Chrome devices you have or where they’re being used”
KIPP LA schools
What Chromebooks allow
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“Learning doesn’t stop when the school day ends, so why limit
access to applications, collaboration tools and homework
resources after school?
The educational disconnect between school and home can now
be bridged with Chrome devices, which make it easy for...
Students to access the web, their applications and files
wherever they are, with light weight, long battery life and fast
start-up
Teachers and students to collaborate on homework and
learning after the last bell
Administrators to assign and manage one machine for each
student every school-year, with no manual maintenance,
security patching or time-consuming support”
What about Android devices – iPad competitors
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These are just beginning to roll out, as appropriate
battery life and processor speed makes them
competitors with iPads.
Pricing is under £100 per device for 7/8inch screens,
twin cameras.
We can manage them using the admin console, and a
first trial within the ISANet project begins this
summer.
However, unlike the Chromebooks, I don’t know
whether they can be user independent – more likely 1:1
Storage carts and charging
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A number of suppliers now support Chromebooks
DIY – using flightcases, 20 Chromebooks will charge
of a 13A socket!
They are getting smaller!
Questions
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The Ecosystem requirements
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Great Internet connection
Good wi-fi coverage – about £200 a wireless point,
plus wireless point server
Filter
Staff training
A couple of Google Evangelists, including the Boss
What can be achieved
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The Claires Court example – in 18 months
Creation of a ‘Hub’
All pupils from Y2 engaged, personal id from Y4
Lead pupils through the school developed as mentors
- Digital leaders programme by Sheli Blackburn http://goo.gl/OkKCK
- Quad blogging from Y5 by Dave Mitchell http://quadblogging.net/
All staff moved to Gmail
All intranet moved to Drive
A complete culture change, pupil support more effective
From Y2 to Sixth Form, a multitude of uses discovered
120+ teaching, support and admin staff training
Parent workshops to explain the transition
Gone Google – where next
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As the software disappears
 Harden up the curricular offer to include
Programming
 Introduce Gaming (Minecraft Edu) and other crosscountry initiatives
 Development of Digital Leaders to include layers up
to Google Certified Individuals
 Develop Android solutions, and further develop
BYOD options
 Use University research to confirm that the approach
is giving rise to higher standards
Claires Court Essentials
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Credits
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Many thanks to:
ISA and the ISA ICT committee for their on-going
support and encouragement
Ian Nairn of c-learning for his technical and
commercial support in bringing the ISANet and
ISAGrid for Learning ideas to fruition
Google and the Google Certified teachers (800+ in the
world now) whose generosity of spirit is powering this
remarkable change for education.