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[Downloadable Social Media Post] K-12 Technology Departments Keep Students Learning with Chromebooks

School districts across the nation have closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving schools without access to 1:1 technology wondering how this will impact the remainder of their school year. Those with Chromebooks for every student in their district are also wondering how their school year will be impacted, but have the advantage of continuing classroom learning in a virtual atmosphere.

Attending class from behind a Chromebook or iPad does have it's challenges. As students, parents, and teachers navigate remote learning, questions and technology support becomes more needed than ever. Without on-site access to the technology department, some schools are offering technology support hours. These designated hours allow students to receive help in resolving technology issues and provide a time to drop off devices that need repair.

Chromebook Lifespan Extended in 2020: What it Means for K-12 Tech Directors

If your district is in the market for a new fleet of Chromebooks, we have some news for you. At BETT 2020 education conference in London, Google announced that Chromebooks released in and after 2020 will receive eight years of software and security updates. This announcement comes just months after the extension of updates on over 100 current Chromebooks.

How does this affect school districts?

As K-12 tech departments research devices to buy

Help Make a Difference: Vote for Your Favorite Tech-Focused Organization

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Technology develops at a rapid rate, providing kids with a plethora of opportunities. As this happens, however, the digital divide grows. In low income areas, some schools have budgets that are too small for broadband internet, while other schools don't have access to technology at all. This lack of technology in the classroom inhibits them from gaining the digital skills needed in an ever-growing technological environment.

At eduPARTS, we provide schools with replacement parts for broken Chromebooks and iPads. Our mission has always been to help provide students across the nation with working technology in the classroom. This holiday season, we wanted to give back and help support kids across the globe through technology. Three youth-focused technology organizations that encompassed this mission were nominated and we want YOU to help choose which

Q&A: Repairing Chromebooks in a School District with Over 16,000 Students

We sat down with a California-based Information Systems Specialist to discuss how his team manages purchasing, upkeep, and repair of devices throughout the 20 sites in the district. His school district is in a primarily agricultural area and has around 16,900 students within their 16 elementary schools and four junior highs.

With over 20,000 devices deployed, this team juggles repair, constant device updates, end-of-life procedures, and the purchasing of new Chromebooks. Although they’re busy, bumping between the many sites within the district, you can tell through this Information Systems Specialist’s enthusiastic voice that he and his team truly have an unwavering passion for supporting the community through technology.

Read about his typical day, the software that kee

Google Extends the Lifespan of Over 130 Chromebooks

As tech directors and Chromebook procurement teams choose devices for their district, there is a balancing act between purchasing devices based on capability and also taking into consideration Google’s support of Chrome OS on the device. Similar to smartphones, Chromebooks require regular auto-updates. These updates are made by Google to ensure the device is up-to-date with the latest features and are current on security upgrades. 

In a recent interview, a California-based Information Systems Specialist said, “I’ve been doing a lot of research in looking for our next Chromebook and...I have a hard time making a recommendation [on a device that only has] a guaranteed 2-3 more years. My goal is to get the expected life of a textbook out of the devices we deploy.”

Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365: What You Need to Know

Over the past couple of years, schools have been progressing toward a digital district. This means that tech directors and administrators need to choose between Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 (aka Office 365) systems for their districts. Both systems offer a vast selection of apps for teachers, administrators, and students. With a variety of LMS (Learning Management Systems) on the market for educators, how do you know which one is the best for your school district? Let's dig in and learn some more! 

Google Workspace for Education 

How to Get Your School District to Invest in Technology

When any large-scale changes are made within school districts, they must be implemented properly, and most of all, approved by the administration. Depending on the climate of your school, it may be hard to convince members of the board to allocate funds for technology upgrades. If you’re passionate about using technology in the classroom or updating your technology to benefit the productivity of your school, here are a few tips to help guide your pitch. 

Start Planning, Now! 

When touching base with members of your administration, make sure you’re pitching at the right time of the year so your concerns aren’t washed over, or forgotten about. We recommend starting a conversation about technology upgrades towards the beginning of the year to allow for enough time to plan and execute for the following fall. When outlining your pitch,

Interactive Technology Tools to Use in the Classroom

Every year, schools are approached by EdTech companies who are looking to sell and increase the awareness of their interactive tools. Since there are hundreds of different tools flooding into the EdTech space every single day, how do you determine which tools are the best for your classroom? 

One of the biggest questions that we get asked is, “what does the future of the classroom look like?” According to Google’s Global Report, Collaborative Classrooms and Computational Thinking are two of the eight emerging trends in K12 education - hence, the importance of transitioning to an interactive classroom. Google’s study states, classroo

7 Reasons Why We Need Technology in Classrooms

The landscape of the traditional classroom has drastically changed over the past thirty years. With these classroom changes came the implementation of technology. The use of technology in the classroom has given students a chance to benefit from interacting with different types of resources to learn. With the increasing dependence on technology, schools are shifting their classroom models to support the new infrastructure. Here are 7 reasons why we need technology in classrooms. 

Improves Student Outcomes

Tips for Implementing 1:1 Chromebooks

Technology is changing the way students view learning in the classroom, because of this, many school districts are slowly transitioning to 1:1 Chromebooks. Technology allows for educators and schools to adapt to their students’ needs - creating a more engaged environment. With hundreds of different apps, educational tools, and other ways for students to connect with their classmates, Chromebooks make it easier than ever to grow. If you’re interested in the benefits of 1:1 Chromebooks in your schools, read our latest blog here. 

Since technology is so valuable in the education space, schools are now left with implementing thousands of Chromebooks in their dist