Teachers: Does your school use Chromebook carts or 1:1 model?

[Anonymous]

At Pyle we are 1:1, but we may have to go back to carts because of how many we are paying to replace. Kids who are being super careless with them have to pay for repairs themselves, but most of them have been paid for by the school this year. It would be a difficult transition back, but most kids at Pyle have access to devices at home, so it wouldn't be as difficult to provide loaners to those that needed them as it would be at a school with high farms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not a teacher but a parent of middle schoolers so you can take my opinion fwiw. I can’t imagine returning to a cart model for this age student. Nearly assignments and hw (including math, music electives) are completed electronically. My kids use the chromebook at home to access due dates, check grades, email teacher if there’s a question or concern, in addition to finishing class work and completing hw daily. If they’ve been absent due to illness or a school-related field trip, they can stay on track and access what they missed on Canvas. They like that they can take good care of their device, and complained with the cart model that other devices were not maintained, were sticky and dirty, had keys that were not working, other operational issues.

MCPS has said they purchased a second set of charging cords for the schools to keep at school but my kids see no evidence that this statement is true. That would probably be helpful.

In our house, yes, they could log onto Canvas or their school gmail on our personal laptops. But not all families have that.

I think the cart model is appropriate for younger students but 1-1 is the better educational choice for secondary.

You are misunderstanding how the cart model works. Middle school kids have a device at home they can use - either their own or one provided by the school that does not go back and forth every day and get damaged. At school they use a chrome book from the cart. It is INFINITELY better than adding a Chromebook to the already dangerously heavy back pack and works very smoothly. TPMS parent.

You’re entitled to your opinion but I am not misunderstanding anything. The OP above, who is a teacher, said she was skeptical her school has enough devices to both stock the carts fully and provide for students to keep at home. That would be more than one device per student. Also, students at our MS don’t really use backpacks because they aren’t allowed in the halls. They use those zip up trapper keeper binders and slip the chromebooks inside. It’s not that heavy.

If you think it’s “not that heavy” I suggest you weigh some of the backpacks (yes kids do use them - mine puts his zip up binder INSIDE his back pack when he walks to school because how else would he cart his lunch and instrument and so do most kids). They are heavy enough to cause injury. Not to mention the damage to chrome books bringing them to school and back each day. MCPS is committed to providing them at home when needed. Once you actually experience the cart model you’ll see that it works extremely well and it also means that teachers don’t do everything online. Shock, some use paper!

[Anonymous]

We use the carts and I love students not having that to use as an excuse for not being prepared, "oh I forgot it/I didn't charge it...", I have an assigned organizer at the end of the day. Students who need a device at home for homework can request one from the school to keep during the year.

[Anonymous]

Hallie Wells MS kids must leave backpacks in lockers. They carry a binder and a chromebook case. 1:1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hallie Wells MS kids must leave backpacks in lockers. They carry a binder and a chromebook case. 1:1.

How is that relevant? I think all MS require backpacks to be left in lockers. They still have to carry them to school with everything they need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hallie Wells MS kids must leave backpacks in lockers. They carry a binder and a chromebook case. 1:1.

How is that relevant? I thinkall MS require backpacks to be left in lockers. They still have to carry them to school with everything they need.

I’m OP. My MS doesn’t require that. And not all of our students carry a backpack to school in the first place. Many arrive each day with nothing at all, not even their school issued Chromebook. That’s one reason we are considering carts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We use the carts and I love students not having that to use as an excuse for not being prepared, "oh I forgot it/I didn't charge it...", I have an assigned organizer at the end of the day. Students who need a device at home for homework can request one from the school to keep during the year.

This is one pro of carts that my school finds attractive. However, the last device survey we did showed that roughly one-third of students do not have a personal device. We would need to acquire about 300 Chromebooks in order to stock each classroom with a cart and provide a device for home use by students who request one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not a teacher but a parent of middle schoolers so you can take my opinion fwiw. I can’t imagine returning to a cart model for this age student. Nearly assignments and hw (including math, music electives) are completed electronically. My kids use the chromebook at home to access due dates, check grades, email teacher if there’s a question or concern, in addition to finishing class work and completing hw daily. If they’ve been absent due to illness or a school-related field trip, they can stay on track and access what they missed on Canvas. They like that they can take good care of their device, and complained with the cart model that other devices were not maintained, were sticky and dirty, had keys that were not working, other operational issues.

MCPS has said they purchased a second set of charging cords for the schools to keep at school but my kids see no evidence that this statement is true. That would probably be helpful.

In our house, yes, they could log onto Canvas or their school gmail on our personal laptops. But not all families have that.

I think the cart model is appropriate for younger students but 1-1 is the better educational choice for secondary.

You are misunderstanding how the cart model works. Middle school kids have a device at home they can use - either their own or one provided by the school that does not go back and forth every day and get damaged. At school they use a chrome book from the cart. It is INFINITELY better than adding a Chromebook to the already dangerously heavy back pack and works very smoothly. TPMS parent.

"Not having to lug a computer around" is an enrichment enhancement for the magnet school. Fascinating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not a teacher but a parent of middle schoolers so you can take my opinion fwiw. I can’t imagine returning to a cart model for this age student. Nearly assignments and hw (including math, music electives) are completed electronically. My kids use the chromebook at home to access due dates, check grades, email teacher if there’s a question or concern, in addition to finishing class work and completing hw daily. If they’ve been absent due to illness or a school-related field trip, they can stay on track and access what they missed on Canvas. They like that they can take good care of their device, and complained with the cart model that other devices were not maintained, were sticky and dirty, had keys that were not working, other operational issues.

MCPS has said they purchased a second set of charging cords for the schools to keep at school but my kids see no evidence that this statement is true. That would probably be helpful.

In our house, yes, they could log onto Canvas or their school gmail on our personal laptops. But not all families have that.

I think the cart model is appropriate for younger students but 1-1 is the better educational choice for secondary.

You are misunderstanding how the cart model works. Middle school kids have a device at home they can use - either their own or one provided by the school that does not go back and forth every day and get damaged. At school they use a chrome book from the cart. It is INFINITELY better than adding a Chromebook to the already dangerously heavy back pack and works very smoothly. TPMS parent.

You’re entitled to your opinion but I am not misunderstanding anything. The OP above, who is a teacher, said she was skeptical her school has enough devices to both stock the carts fully and provide for students to keep at home. That would be more than one device per student. Also, students at our MS don’t really use backpacks because they aren’t allowed in the halls. They use those zip up trapper keeper binders and slip the chromebooks inside. It’s not that heavy.

If you think it’s “not that heavy” I suggest you weigh some of the backpacks (yes kids do use them - mine puts his zip up binder INSIDE his back pack when he walks to school because how else would he cart his lunch and instrument and so do most kids). They are heavy enough to cause injury. Not to mention the damage to chrome books bringing them to school and back each day. MCPS is committed to providing them at home when needed. Once you actually experience the cart model you’ll see that it works extremely well and it also means that teachers don’t do everything online. Shock, some use paper!

My kid's laptop ( in case) doesn't fit in the backpack alongside the giant binder (smaller than the official recommended size!) and the bento lunchbox inside padded case.
(And don't forget water bottle).

Amazing how we got rid of textbooks but have so much more crap to lug nowadays. These poor kids ruining their backs.

Luckily we have an extra instrument so that doesn't commute too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not a teacher but a parent of middle schoolers so you can take my opinion fwiw. I can’t imagine returning to a cart model for this age student. Nearly assignments and hw (including math, music electives) are completed electronically. My kids use the chromebook at home to access due dates, check grades, email teacher if there’s a question or concern, in addition to finishing class work and completing hw daily. If they’ve been absent due to illness or a school-related field trip, they can stay on track and access what they missed on Canvas. They like that they can take good care of their device, and complained with the cart model that other devices were not maintained, were sticky and dirty, had keys that were not working, other operational issues.

MCPS has said they purchased a second set of charging cords for the schools to keep at school but my kids see no evidence that this statement is true. That would probably be helpful.

In our house, yes, they could log onto Canvas or their school gmail on our personal laptops. But not all families have that.

I think the cart model is appropriate for younger students but 1-1 is the better educational choice for secondary.

You are misunderstanding how the cart model works. Middle school kids have a device at home they can use - either their own or one provided by the school that does not go back and forth every day and get damaged. At school they use a chrome book from the cart. It is INFINITELY better than adding a Chromebook to the already dangerously heavy back pack and works very smoothly. TPMS parent.

You’re entitled to your opinion but I am not misunderstanding anything. The OP above, who is a teacher, said she was skeptical her school has enough devices to both stock the carts fully and provide for students to keep at home. That would be more than one device per student. Also, students at our MS don’t really use backpacks because they aren’t allowed in the halls. They use those zip up trapper keeper binders and slip the chromebooks inside. It’s not that heavy.

If you think it’s “not that heavy” I suggest you weigh some of the backpacks (yes kids do use them - mine puts his zip up binder INSIDE his back pack when he walks to school because how else would he cart his lunch and instrument and so do most kids). They are heavy enough to cause injury. Not to mention the damage to chrome books bringing them to school and back each day. MCPS is committed to providing them at home when needed. Once you actually experience the cart model you’ll see that it works extremely well and it also means that teachers don’t do everything online. Shock, some use paper!

My kid's laptop ( in case) doesn't fit in the backpack alongside the giant binder (smaller than the official recommended size!) and the bento lunchbox inside padded case.
(And don't forget water bottle).

Amazing how we got rid of textbooks but have so much more crap to lug nowadays. These poor kids ruining their backs.

Luckily we have an extra instrument so that doesn't commute too.

Sure. Chromebooks and binders are lighter (less dense) than textbooks. And schools have water fountains if you want to leave the water bottle at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not a teacher but a parent of middle schoolers so you can take my opinion fwiw. I can’t imagine returning to a cart model for this age student. Nearly assignments and hw (including math, music electives) are completed electronically. My kids use the chromebook at home to access due dates, check grades, email teacher if there’s a question or concern, in addition to finishing class work and completing hw daily. If they’ve been absent due to illness or a school-related field trip, they can stay on track and access what they missed on Canvas. They like that they can take good care of their device, and complained with the cart model that other devices were not maintained, were sticky and dirty, had keys that were not working, other operational issues.

MCPS has said they purchased a second set of charging cords for the schools to keep at school but my kids see no evidence that this statement is true. That would probably be helpful.

In our house, yes, they could log onto Canvas or their school gmail on our personal laptops. But not all families have that.

I think the cart model is appropriate for younger students but 1-1 is the better educational choice for secondary.

You are misunderstanding how the cart model works. Middle school kids have a device at home they can use - either their own or one provided by the school that does not go back and forth every day and get damaged. At school they use a chrome book from the cart. It is INFINITELY better than adding a Chromebook to the already dangerously heavy back pack and works very smoothly. TPMS parent.

"Not having to lug a computer around" is an enrichment enhancement for the magnet school. Fascinating.

You know it’s not a magnet school, don’t you? The majority of students at that school are not in the magnet program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We use the carts and I love students not having that to use as an excuse for not being prepared, "oh I forgot it/I didn't charge it...", I have an assigned organizer at the end of the day. Students who need a device at home for homework can request one from the school to keep during the year.

This is one pro of carts that my school finds attractive. However, the last device survey we did showed that roughly one-third of students do not have a personal device. We would need to acquire about 300 Chromebooks in order to stock each classroom with a cart and provide a device for home use by students who request one.

Oh, interesting, I'm not sure where ours came from, we are Title 1, maybe we requested more from the county?

[Anonymous]

I think my kids is at OPs school, as they reported a student vote on the issue yesterday. My kid was a strong proponent of continuing a one to one model specifically because they feel like they take better care of their computer than average, which means they don't run the risk of getting one that another kid abused or ate a sandwich on the day before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think my kids is at OPs school, as they reported a student vote on the issue yesterday. My kid was a strong proponent of continuing a one to one model specifically because they feel like they take better care of their computer than average, which means they don't run the risk of getting one that another kid abused or ate a sandwich on the day before.

I’m OP. We had a student voice survey yesterday so you are probably correct that we are at the same school.

[Anonymous]

My kid's school is switching from 1:1/take-home to carts next year. Very happy to not have to carry it around.