Chromebooks and the R-A-T Model (Blog Post 4)
Google Chromebook is very similar to an iPad or other tablet device. The Chromebook functions through the Google platform using Google Chrome, and also work with Google’s educational software – Google Classroom, etc., as well as student, parent and teacher personal Google applications. Everything the student creates using the Chromebook is stored on the cloud, so if the Chromebook is damaged the work is not lost, and the student can work from home, school, or anywhere with available WiFi. They are lightweight, easy to use and inexpensive.
I was particularly interested in Chromebooks as used in the K-12 environment because the Greenville County School System (which my daughter attends) has a 1:1 policy once a student enters third grade. As students enter middle and high school the county offers various virtual course options using the Google platform. I was interested to learn more about how these devices help students and integrate into the classroom. This is a particularly helpful article for a brief overview. I felt that the R-A-T Model for assessing digital technology in the classroom was particularly applicable to the Chromebook because it seems to fulfill every level of the R-A-T Model.
(1) The Chromebook serves as ‘technology as replacement’. The Chromebook essentially stands in as a digital version of what would previously have been done on paper or in book format. For instance, textbook content can be viewed, books can be read, papers can be typed and math problems can be done by hand on the Chromebook. Courses in their entirety can be completed using the Chromebook rather than having in-person classes. Consider the online degree we are completing through USC – essentially these are the same courses we would be completing if they were offered in person, but we are accessing them digitally and completing the assignments, submitting the assignments, etc., digitally. The established system continues to function in the same way, just using what is likely a less expensive option for the school system.
(2) The Chromebook serves as ‘technology as amplification’. Although a teacher could choose to use the Chromebook simply as a replacement for a paper notebook or physical textbook, many teachers (at the very least) use the Chromebook to increase efficiency and productivity. Think of all of the days students miss due to weather (often completely unnecessarily). By using the Chromebook, students are able to complete coursework from home rather than wasting days of school and having to either make them up later or have them forgiven, losing valuable classroom time. Students will be able to easily work on coursework and homework from school, home, library, etc., without having to start all over. Less classroom time is spent passing out papers and getting books out, and more time spent completing coursework.
(3) The Chromebook serves as ‘technology as transformation’. Ideally, a teacher would use the Chromebook as a way to engage digital tools and apps that can address educational needs. There are various extensions that can be used with the Chromebook in the classroom – see this article for examples. The Chromebook should allow students to familiarize themselves with new technology that scaffolds the curriculum standards, and should allow students to extend their ability to collaborate both in person and digitally. Students can collaborate with children across the classroom, school, state or even globally through the use of a digital platform. This is a valuable tool as students will be likely to need these skills when entering the workforce in the next 15-20 years.
The R-A-T model is a great one because it is a simple way for teachers to see how technology can impact their students, and that the goal should be transformation rather than replacement or even amplification. The Chromebook is an excellent tool to use for transformation because it works off of a framework that most teachers and students already use and understand – the Google platform. Even teachers that are not familiar with the Google platform are often familiar with the programs that preceded the Google platform – PowerPoint and so forth, and transitioning to the Chromebook should be a fairly seamless process. Introducing easily understood and used technology to teachers and students allows them the freedom to move into more advanced or new technology with more confidence.
Links that teachers may find particularly helpful when using the Chromebook in the classroom:
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