Getting Started w/ Students

Make sure you have the Chrome browser installed on your teacher computer.  If you don’t have it yet you can get it here:

http://www.google.com/chrome/ (just click the blue “download” button)

All Students should know how create/use tabs for browsing so they can navigate successfully and efficiently.  

Logging In

Good internet practices - keeping password private, ethics

Primary

If you are in 1st or 2nd grade, set up your student browser by adding bookmarks to the toolbar.  Log in to your student account on any device.  Once you set it up on one device, it will show up any time you log into Chrome, anywhere.

If you need a refresher on adding bookmarks, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CPLGe2TZgQ

Next you can have them complete some simple tasks so they get comfortable and familiar with the device.  Some suggestions:

• Create a drawing, just add shapes, change colors, draw lines, type some text.  The should finish up by naming the document so it will be saved to the drive.

• Another simple task will be to have them retrieve a previously created document.  They will need to know how to go into the drive, find their name (or the name of the document).  

Intermediate

I began by talking about the difference between a chromebook and a “regular” computer.  The chromebook amy look like a laptop, but it’s not quite the same.

I spent some time explaining to students what “cloud computing” was all about.  I wanted to make sure that they understand that you can’t really save to the chromebook, but rather to their google drive.

I also stressed the importance of not sharing their password with other students.

For 3-6,  you might want to create a “Welcome” email to your students.  You can use this email as an intro activity to the Chromebooks.  In the email you can ask them to perform certain tasks related to their first time on the Chromebook.  

Here is a sample:

Hello everyone!!!

        I hope you had an easy time getting started on the Chromebook.  I have a couple of things I would like you to try out on the Chromebook.  First, you will need to reply to this email.  Just says something simple and let me know that you can send a reply.  Next I would like you to open a new tab and click on a web site in the toolbar.  Which one did you choose?  Include this in your email reply.  Next, go to your google drive and open a document.  Add your name to the document.  

This sample includes a lot of tasks.  You don’t need to include them all, it’s just an example.  Some basic skills to get started with might include:

• replying to an email
• creating a document (just create it, no need to get into all the word processing yet)
• accessing a shared document (adding/viewing comments and suggestions)
• creating folders in the drive
• adding a bookmark to the toolbar (3-6th grade only) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CPLGe2TZgQ
• saving or copying an image to their drive