Anonymous
Post 05/25/2023 16:19     Subject: Teachers: Does your school use Chromebook carts or 1:1 model?
It’s 1:1 at Rosa.
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2023 16:17     Subject: Teachers: Does your school use Chromebook carts or 1:1 model?

My daughter at Westland MS has a very heavy backpack, because her locker doesn't work, and there's no time anyway to climb up and down the floors to get to it. So she has to lug her Chromebook all day, plus binders and books, etc, and the bag gets really heavy.

I really wish education was not as dependent on devices as it is now! In my home country, they still don't use laptops. It's paper and pencil. I know students with disabilities often have an easier time typing and using voice to text, but for the rest of the students, it would be nice if they could somehow streamline the process - either not have to carry a chromebook all day, or do away with paper and textbooks altogether so they ONLY carry a laptop, with everything in it! Not this hybrid, carry-everything system.

Anonymous
Post 05/25/2023 16:12     Subject: Teachers: Does your school use Chromebook carts or 1:1 model?
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.


why? so they have to carry everything in their hands plus a Chromebook?
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2023 14:46     Subject: Teachers: Does your school use Chromebook carts or 1:1 model?
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.
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2023 13:53     Subject: Teachers: Does your school use Chromebook carts or 1:1 model?
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.


This is all helpful. So true about the condition of devices in the cart. Thank you.

My school says that if we return to carts, any student who needs a device at home can check one out, but I find it hard to believe that we (a high FARMs school) have enough Chromebooks to supply perhaps 300 students or more with at home devices and put a full cart in every classroom.


Right. Seems a bit silly to have extra sets at home in addition to carts. And beyond that, how many computers is a non-FARMs family supposed to own? With working parents and multiple kids, are people supposed to buy/maintain 3/4/5 computers or deal with some type of rotation in the limited afternoon/evening hours? I think if the expectation is that work is to be done at home, the device should be provided. Teachers wouldn’t want to use a cart model and get a grubby shared device at school and to be forced to rely on their own purchased device for any work outside the building.


THE DEVICES ARE PROVIDED! So much misinformation here.

And keeping the Chromebooks at school rather than going back and forth keeps them in better (not grubby) condition too.
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2023 13:51     Subject: Teachers: Does your school use Chromebook carts or 1:1 model?
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.
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2023 13:43     Subject: Teachers: Does your school use Chromebook carts or 1:1 model?
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.


This is all helpful. So true about the condition of devices in the cart. Thank you.

My school says that if we return to carts, any student who needs a device at home can check one out, but I find it hard to believe that we (a high FARMs school) have enough Chromebooks to supply perhaps 300 students or more with at home devices and put a full cart in every classroom.


Right. Seems a bit silly to have extra sets at home in addition to carts. And beyond that, how many computers is a non-FARMs family supposed to own? With working parents and multiple kids, are people supposed to buy/maintain 3/4/5 computers or deal with some type of rotation in the limited afternoon/evening hours? I think if the expectation is that work is to be done at home, the device should be provided. Teachers wouldn’t want to use a cart model and get a grubby shared device at school and to be forced to rely on their own purchased device for any work outside the building.


The county has been offering free computers to low-income (and technically those who want it). However, much of the schoolwork is done online so not offering MS and HS students devices at home seems a bit absurd. Personally, we don't allow our kids to use the Chromebooks at home and we supply our own computers. I want to control the computers and not have MCPS do it. My kid would not be happy to get a grubby computer and I would not be happy if they weren't cleaned off daily.
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2023 11:25     Subject: Teachers: Does your school use Chromebook carts or 1:1 model?
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.


This is all helpful. So true about the condition of devices in the cart. Thank you.

My school says that if we return to carts, any student who needs a device at home can check one out, but I find it hard to believe that we (a high FARMs school) have enough Chromebooks to supply perhaps 300 students or more with at home devices and put a full cart in every classroom.


Right. Seems a bit silly to have extra sets at home in addition to carts. And beyond that, how many computers is a non-FARMs family supposed to own? With working parents and multiple kids, are people supposed to buy/maintain 3/4/5 computers or deal with some type of rotation in the limited afternoon/evening hours? I think if the expectation is that work is to be done at home, the device should be provided. Teachers wouldn’t want to use a cart model and get a grubby shared device at school and to be forced to rely on their own purchased device for any work outside the building.
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2023 10:27     Subject: Teachers: Does your school use Chromebook carts or 1:1 model?
I work in an elementary school and we are back to carts, a change I am very much happy to see. My oldest is in middle school and Chromebooks are 1:1. I think it’s hard not to do it that way for the older kids as not everyone has access to a computer at home for homework otherwise.
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2023 10:18     Subject: Teachers: Does your school use Chromebook carts or 1:1 model?
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.


This is all helpful. So true about the condition of devices in the cart. Thank you.

My school says that if we return to carts, any student who needs a device at home can check one out, but I find it hard to believe that we (a high FARMs school) have enough Chromebooks to supply perhaps 300 students or more with at home devices and put a full cart in every classroom.
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2023 09:22     Subject: Teachers: Does your school use Chromebook carts or 1:1 model?
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.
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2023 07:50     Subject: Re:Teachers: Does your school use Chromebook carts or 1:1 model?
My daughter's elementary was 1:1 during pandemic and then went back to cart once they went back in person and have been that way since.
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2023 07:20     Subject: Teachers: Does your school use Chromebook carts or 1:1 model?
Anonymous wrote:My elementary uses cart model and my understanding is that the majority of elementaries do.


Thank you. I should have added that we are a middle school.
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2023 07:01     Subject: Teachers: Does your school use Chromebook carts or 1:1 model?
My elementary uses cart model and my understanding is that the majority of elementaries do.
Anonymous
Post 05/25/2023 06:58     Subject: Teachers: Does your school use Chromebook carts or 1:1 model?
My school is debating a return to carts after 3 years of 1:1. As a staff, we are split 50/50 currently. I’d appreciate any feedback on the two models from teachers at other schools. TIA.