Chromebook App Hub brings hardware to life
Chromebooks are a good stable piece of equipment and their utility in the classroom is being boosted with the Chromebook App Hub.
Google found that educators were spending a lot of time researching the right apps and ideas for use in the classroom and the App Hub is their response.
The online resource is designed to help educators, administrators and developers work together to learn about Chromebook apps and activity ideas for schools.
Educators can discover apps for their lessons and share how they use them in their classrooms. IT administrators and curriculum designers can identify effective tools for their schools and see how technology complies with school policies.
EdTech developers can reach educators and help them understand the benefits of using their apps. Ultimately, this means that students get high-quality, engaging tools and confident instruction.
After finding the app they like, educators can browse ideas and inspiration from fellow educators. These include tips for success, differentiated instruction strategies and links to additional resources such as how-to videos, activities and websites.
One app developer is Epic!, a children’s digital library offering unlimited access to thousands of high-quality kids’ books, videos, quizzes and more.
Another partner is Adobe Spark, which brings creative visual storytelling to students. Aubrey Cattell, VP of Adobe Spark and Creative Cloud Education, says App Hub will “allow for more seamless discovery of apps like Adobe Spark, it will allow educators to see how each tool fits into their classroom and curricula.”
Khan Academy’s a free library of trusted, standards-aligned practice and lessons which cover math, grammar, science, history, standardised tests and more are available on the hub.
The App Hub is dedicated to bringing transparency to developers’ data and accessibility policies, and to helping decision-makers find information about apps to meet the unique learning goals and policies of their school districts.
Google worked with policy partners, including the non-profit Student Data Privacy Consortium (SPDC), to assist developers considering the student privacy implications of their products. “The SDPC is proud to work with [the Chromebook App Hub] to provide transparency and openness around the critical aspects of schools, states and vendors securing learner information,” says Dr Larry L. Fruth II, CEO of A4L/SDPC.