Book Review: The Chromebook Classroom by John Sowash

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Are you considering rolling out Chromebooks in your school or classroom? If so, then this book is a great starting point. Chromebooks are great devices for the K-12 environment. John Sowash has done a great job putting together a sort of how-to book for implementing them.

The Chromebook Classroom starts off with the technical stuff people need to know about using Chromebooks. Sowash points out some of the advantages of the devices such as durability. You can read more about durability of Chromebooks HERE as well. Sowash then gives some little tips, such as how to take screenshots, clicking methods, etc. It is a well thought out section of the book that folks new to Chromebooks would do well to read.

Sowash then goes into some of the nitty gritty details of the devices. While not a section for everyone, this is a section that any IT administrator would need to look through. It details enrolling the devices and maintaining the devices, Again, a very well thought out section for anyone responsible for the ‘behind the scenes’ part of making EdTech work in a school.

Perhaps one of the most valuable sections for educators is the third, and final section. This is where the rubber meets the road. Lesson ideas. Let’s be real, many teachers want to use EdTech, but struggle with coming up with meaningful lessons involving them. Remember, the SAMR model should dictate our use of technology. We don’t simply want to replace what can be done on a worksheet with an online worksheet. Kids see through this, and you are falling short of the technological nirvana we seek. Sowash has a plethora of ideas on how to use a Chromebook in the classroom. Certainly, some are better than others, but as with any resource, pick and choose what works for you.

Overall, this is a great book for anyone who wants to bring Chromebooks into the classroom. The lesson ideas can actually be used on many devices, not just Chromebooks, so this book has value for people who are already invested in other devices as well.

In the interest of transparency, I was approached and asked by John Sowash to read and write an honest review of his book. I was provided a copy for this reason.