Official Canada Blog
News and notes from Google Canada
Chromebooks are at the head of the class in Canada's K-12 schools
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Author:
Bram Bout, Director, Google for Education
Summary:
Chromebooks are now the top-selling device to schools in Canada.
Around the world, education has undergone a technological revolution. Cloud-connected devices and learning applications are shaping new ways of teaching and learning. Across Canada, school districts are using
Chromebooks
and
G Suite for Education
to expand learning opportunities for students from diverse communities and backgrounds. And now,
Futuresource
has reported that Chromebooks are the number-one-selling educational device for Canadian K12 schools.
With this news, Canada joins the U.S., Sweden, and New Zealand, where Chromebooks are also the top devices used in classrooms. Futuresource Associate Director Mike Fisher says that the offering of Chromebooks, combined with productivity tools and a management console for IT staff, means that “a growing number of schools are turning to Google when bringing technology into the classroom.”
Here are a few examples of how districts across Canada are using Google’s educational tools:
Giving schools more choice and flexibility
Toronto District School Board
, the largest district in Canada, leaves technology purchases up to individual schools. Chromebook usage has soared across the district to 20,000 devices since the first pilot purchases in early 2015. “Hundreds of schools are purchasing Chromebooks out of local school technology budgets,” says Kevin Bradbeer, the school board’s s
enior manager of client relations
. “We're seeing grassroots decisions to choose this platform over three or four other choices.”
Both students and teachers appreciate the quickness of Chromebooks. Bradbeer says students power up their Chromebooks in seconds, so they can get right to work in class.
Students collaborating on Chromebooks at an elementary-junior high school in Edmonton.
Affordable devices that bring powerful computing to all students
The
Upper Grand School District Board
, in Guelph, Ontario, purchased 4,000 Chromebooks in 2013 for special-education students, but found that other students consistently borrowed the Chromebooks to bring into their classrooms. Bill Mackenzie, an Upper Grand information and communication technology consultant says that special-needs students are the “tip of the spear for technology, because if it helps them, it will help everybody.” The district now has 15,000 Chromebooks, about one for every two students, and the number continues to increase.
Edmonton Public Schools
has nearly 100,000 students. About 25% of students are immigrants or refugees and part of the district’s diverse English Language Learner population. “Equity of access to technology is a challenge, for sure,” says Terry Korte, a supervisor in District Technology. “We try to avoid the fads and stick with the things that make the biggest difference for teachers and their students.” Chromebooks have helped to make that difference in Edmonton since 2012.
The large Alberta district now has over 46,000 Chromebooks, which was the school’s catalyst for moving into the cloud and using G Suite for Education. “Our goal is to have technology in the hands of students when and where they need it,” Korte adds.
Easy access to a world of apps and content
From a teacher’s perspective, Chromebooks help students learn more effectively by giving them access to a world of educational content. “Chromebooks are inherently networked, so students can find their own way to learn specific concepts online,” says Lance Pedersen, a computer and technology studies teacher at Alberta’s McNally School.
At Edmonton’s Queen Elizabeth School, educators take advantage of the myriad of learning opportunities that Chromebooks and G Suite for Education provide, whether they’re teaching French or guitar.
Students at an Edmonton elementary-junior high school code with Makey Makey on Chromebooks
These Canadian districts all cite the similar advantages that make Chromebooks and G Suite for Education the top choice for classrooms across the country. “When it comes to cost, performance, and reliability,” Toronto’s Bradbeer says, “Chromebooks really are in the sweet spot of all three.”
Labels
#AI
1
#cbcindigenous
1
#chromebooks #googleforeducation #googlecanada
1
#Chromecast #ChromecastGames #Christmas #Xmas2015 #AngryBirds #Google #AngryBirdsFriends
1
#digitalskills
1
#EarthDay
1
#Google
1
#Google #GoogleCanada #Innovation
4
#Google #GoogleCanada #Arctic #Whistler
1
#Google #GoogleCanada #GoogleCalendar #Android #iphone
1
#Google #GoogleCanada #GoogleKW #Waterloo #Engineering #Innovation
2
#Google #GooglePlay #Family #FamilyLibrary
1
#Google #GooglePlayMusic #Beatles #Music
1
#Google #GooglePlayMusic #GooglePodcasts #GoogleCanada
1
#Google #Olympics #GoogleOlympics
1
#Google #Olympics #GoogleOlympics #GoogleCanada #Rio #Rio2016
2
#GoogleCanada
3
#googlecanada # google.org #challenge #GIC #ImpactChallenge #canada
1
#GoogleCanada #GooglePlay
1
#googlecanada #pixel3
1
#googlecanada #pixelslate
1
#GoogleExpeditions #SaveThePolarBears #GoogleCanada #PolarBearsInternational
1
#GoogleMaps
3
#googlemaps #indigenous
1
#GoogleNewsInitiative
1
#GoogleSearch #Events #MarchBreak
1
#GoogleSearch #GoogleMaps
1
#GoogleStreetView #StreetView
1
#googletranslate
1
#GrowwithGoogle
2
#Indigenous #nationalaboriginalday #indigenousmapping #google #googlemaps #googleearths #canada #canada150
1
#JobsOnGoogle #Employment
1
#language
1
#MobileMonth
3
#NewsWise
2
#ParksCanada
1
#ParksDay
1
#photos #food #GoogleCanada
1
#PledgeToVote
2
#saferinernetday
1
#SmallBusiness
2
#streetartproject
1
#StreetView
2
#ThinkBrand
3
#WorldEnvironmentDay #Environment
1
#YearInSearch
1
#youtube #creators #canada #montreal #quebec #YouTubeSpace
1
#youtube #creators #nextup #canada
1
#youtube #Toronto #Google #advertising #ad #pulse #youtubepulse
1
#YouTube #YouTubeFanFest #YTFF #Toronto #Google #iisuperwomanii #unicornisland #molsonamp
1
2018
1
360
1
Ads
15
Adwords
5
Agency
3
Agency Edge
2
AI
1
Allo
1
Analytics
1
Android
5
Android Apps
4
Arctic
6
art
1
Assistant
2
Availability
1
Award Winners
1
Back to School
7
bestbuy
1
bestbuycanada
1
Big Tent
1
Billboard Charts
1
Brand
4
Buffer Festival
2
Buffer Industry Day
2
Canada
2
Canada 150th
1
Canada NGO
1
Canadian
1
Canadian Innovation
2
Canadian Music
2
Canadiana
1
CBC
2
CBC News
1
CBCMusic
1
CBCNews
1
ChanningTatum
1
Chrome
9
Chrome Experiments
4
Chrome OS
3
Chrome Webstore
1
Chromebooks
5
Chromebox
1
Chromecast
6
chromecastultra
1
ChromeOS
1
Civic Engagement
3
Cloud
1
Cloud Computing
2
Codemakers
4
Comedy Week
1
Community Grants
4
contest
1
CSS3
1
D4G Canada
1
Daydream
1
Digital Economy
6
DIY Videos
2
Doodle
1
Doodle 4 Google Canada
2
Duo
1
Elections
4
engineering
1
Enhanced Campaigns
1
EnMasse
1
Enterprise
5
eTowns
1
Francais
1
French
1
French Canadian
1
Full Value of Mobile
1
Geek Street
1
GIC
1
Gmail
4
Gmail App
1
Go North
1
GoneGoogle
4
GoNorth
1
google
4
Google Allo
1
Google App Engine
1
Google Apps
5
Google Apps for Business
2
Google AR & VR
1
Google Art Project
4
Google Assistant
1
Google Books
1
Google Calendar
2
Google Camp
1
Google Canada
4
Google Cloud
2
Google Cloud Platform
1
Google Cloud Storage
1
Google Coder
1
Google Cultural Institute
2
Google Currents
1
Google Developer
1
Google Docs
1
Google Doodle
1
Google Education Team
3
Google Engage
1
Google for Education
1
Google for Entrepreneurs
1
Google for non profits
1
Google for Seniors
1
Google Giving
1
Google Hangouts
3
Google Holiday
3
Google Impact Challenge
1
Google Kitchener-Waterloo
3
Google KW
2
Google Maps
30
Google Montreal
4
Google Music
1
Google My Business
1
Google Partner Serach
1
Google Partners
1
Google Play
10
Google Play Gift Cards
1
Google Play Music
4
Google Retail
2
Google Rise Award
1
Google Sites
1
Google Translate
1
Google TV
1
Google Waterloo
2
Google Wifi
1
Google+
2
GoogleCanada
3
googleshop
1
GoogleWifi
1
Grammys
1
Guest Blog
1
Hackathon
1
Hangouts
3
happy birthday Canada
1
Hardware
1
Holiday
2
Home
1
How-to
2
How-to videos
2
Innovation
6
Innovation Week
5
Insights
1
LilySingh
1
LiveCase
1
machine learning
1
Made by Google
1
madebygoogle
3
Maps
15
Mobile
12
Montreal
1
Multi-Screen
2
Music
2
MyLiveCase
1
O2S
1
Online Impacting Offline
1
Open Data
2
Peter Mansbridge
1
pixel
5
Play TV
1
playmusiccanada
1
Product
1
Product Launch
1
Products
1
ProudToPlay
1
Public Alerts
1
Quebec
1
Research
1
Retail
3
Search
10
Search Trends
23
security
2
Shopping
1
small business
2
SMB
6
Songza
1
STEM
2
STEM Education
5
Street View
1
StreetView
1
Super Bowl
1
technology
1
Templates
1
The National
1
TheHip
1
TheTragicallyHip
1
Think Insights
3
TouTube FanFest
1
Travel
2
Trends
12
Updates
1
Video
1
Video Trends
6
VideoCalling
1
Videos
1
Vimy150
1
Virtual Reality
1
VR
1
Web Audio API
1
WebGL
1
WebRTC
1
WomenatGoogle
7
YouTube
51
YouTube 360
1
YouTube Creators
14
YouTube Debates
1
YouTube FanFest
2
YouTube Gaming
1
YouTube Kids
1
YouTube Live
1
YouTube Music
7
YouTube Music Awards
2
YouTube NextLab
1
YouTube Partner Program
3
YouTube Rewind
2
YouTube Space
1
YouTube Space Toronto
1
YouTubeCreators
1
YouTubeRewind
1
YPP
2
Zeitgeist
2
Archive
2019
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
2018
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
2017
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2016
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2015
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2014
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2013
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2012
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Feed
Follow @googlecanada
Follow
Read this blog in French:
Blogue officiel de Google Canada
Give us feedback in our
Product Forums
.
Follow