There are a great number of barriers South African teachers face when trying to implement technology in their classrooms. One of the biggest barriers is teachers not knowing how to use the technology to its full potential. This is why two of the world’s top technology companies (Google and Acer) have teamed up with local experts CloudEd Solutions to provide four free events for you.

These events will be held next month. In JHB on the 10th of Oct, in KZN on the 12 of Oct, in CPT on the 17th and again on the 19th of Oct. Sam Holly from Google Europe is flying in especially for these events.

Before we tell you about the events, first you need to know what technology these two companies have teamed up to offer. We will then look at how this technology has helped Rivonia Primary to great effect in their school.

What are Chromebooks and what is G Suite for EDU?

We will be talking a lot about Chromebooks and G Suite for EDU. It’s important to understand what these two things are first.

• Chromebooks: A Chromebook is a compact laptop that runs on Google’s Chrome OS (instead of Windows, macOS, or Linux). Chrome OS doesn’t need expensive hardware to run, making Chromebooks very affordable in comparison to other laptops.
• G Suite for EDU: A suite of best-in-class productivity tools built by Google for teaching and learning. G Suite for Education is and will remain free for schools.

We Interviewed Rivonia Primary, who have been using these technologies

South African schools, like Rivonia Primary, have begun replacing traditional laptops/tablets with Acer Chromebooks and are using G Suite for EDU to enhance teaching and learning.

We asked Rivonia Primary how they overcame common barriers South African schools face when implementing new technology. We also wanted to find out how this new technology has enhanced both their learning and teaching environment.

Q1) What initially appealed to you about G Suite for EDU?

The fact that it is free and cross-platform compatible; it’s cool features; it’s excellent facility for education.

Q2) What initially appealed to you about Acer Chromebooks?

Good battery life; control of the App Suite; great keyboard; touchscreen that can rotate; portable and durable; good battery life; the uniformity of products allows teachers to have support.

Q3) How was the transition from laptops/tablets to Acer Chromebooks?

Our students found the Chromebooks to be very user-friendly and easily transitioned from tablets/iPads. They like the keyboard and the fact that they could look things up more easily and accurately.

Q4) What barriers did you have to overcome to implement this technology at your school? What made it easier to implement?

Since these are BOYD (bring your own device) devices, it was difficult to get parents comfortable with a device they hadn’t heard of before.

The fact that these are great products and competitively priced made it easier. The knowledge and support given at our Device Information Evening helped educate the parents, making them more comfortable with Chromebooks.

Q5) Can you provide two examples of the kind of learning activities that are now possible with the Chromebooks that were impossible before?

1. Access to a larger variety of apps, thanks to Chrome’s compatibility with both the Chrome Web Store and Google Play Store.
2. Children are more involved with activities thanks to the user-friendliness of Edu Suite and Chromebooks.

Pick the relevant day in October 2018 and get equipped

If you think your school could use Chromebooks and G Suite tools, attend one of these exciting and informative events next month (October 2018). By attending, you will discover both how easy and how powerful these technologies can be for your school.

These events will cover the latest G Suite for Education plans, product, and training updates and will have the latest Chromebooks and devices on display.

JOBURG

• Date: 10 October 2018
• Time: 09:00 – 13:00
• Location: Golden Oak House, Bally Oaks Office Park, Bryanston
• Find out more and register

DURBAN

• Date: 12 October 2018
• Time: 09:00 – 13:00
• Location: Highbury Preparatory School, Hillcrest
• Find out more and register

CAPE TOWN – NEW SCHOOLS

• Date: 17 October 2018
• Time: 14:00 – 17:00
• Location: The Grove Primary School, Claremont
• Find out more and register

CAPE TOWN-  EXISTING SCHOOLS

• Date: 19 October 2018
• Time: 10:00 – 13:00
• Location: Western Province Preparatory School, Claremont, Cape Town
• Find out more and register