School-To-Home Computers: Maximizing Study And Fun

(BPT) - Today's youth are well versed in transitioning their computers and phones from school to home, and futurists believe that will be even more necessary in coming years. That is something to consider when buying technology devices this holiday season. Project Tomorrow's recent Speak Up Data shares that "Students in a blended learning environment (utilizing both physical books and online digital resources) are more likely to self-direct their learning outside of school." Personal learning devices are once again projected to be popular gifts this season. The best tech device options allow your student to learn and play anytime, anywhere and in any environment. The critical items to consider are devices that allow full access to learning applications; Nine-plus hour batteries; keyboards; easy connectivity; a backpack-friendly weight; powerful browsers that allow for fast-loading videos; access to school assignments and research tools. A technology device that will position your student to be successful now and in their transition to college and career is the perfect holiday gift. Cost-effective technology such as the Intel processor-powered Chromebook is being embraced by entire school districts for its fostering of streamlined education allowing faculty and IT administrators to communicate with students at school and at home. As a bonus, your student can also use a Chromebook to socialize with friends and engage in fun learning apps and popular gaming sites. "This is a whole new definition of what school looks like," notes Alice Keeler, author and Google for Education certified innovator. "Students can ask questions by posting to the stream in Google Classroom 24/7, (and) since other students have access to the stream, students are able to learn from and help each other." The ability to handle such multitasking is projected to serve youth well in the coming decades as technology evolves, according to a 2012 survey by the Pew Research Institute. Fifty-five percent of respondents agreed that by 2020, "The environment itself will be full of data that can be retrieved almost effortlessly, and will be arrayed in ways to help people young and old navigate their lives." The Intel-powered Chromebook addresses that need for multitasking with several advantages over ARM process-based models. In a Principle Technologies Test Report last year, those advantages included a 57 percent longer battery life while web browsing; 46 percent less waiting to read a textbook or take notes online; 47 percent less waiting to do math homework online; 50 percent less waiting to create an English presentation; 46 percent less waiting to team up in science class; and 100 percent more frames per second while rendering an anatomy situation. That's partly why school district IT specialist and education speaker Kyle Pace calls it "the biggest no-brainer in education." "Schools must begin leveraging these tools to bring students into the world of working in the cloud, communicating, collaborating and creating on the web," he advises. "We can't afford not to give our students this type of access -- at school and at home." For more information on creating and collaborating with Chromebooks, check out Kyle Pace's blog.