Education insights | Features and updates

Considering Chromebooks for your students? You’re in good company.

Does LanSchool work on Chromebooks?

Many LanSchool customers utilize Chromebooks in the classroom — in fact, both our cloud and locally hosted solutions work with Chromebooks, and LanSchool Air also integrates with Google Classroom to make sign-in and class rostering simple.

If you’re considering adding or managing Chromebooks in the classroom or online, you’re in good company. They comprise about 60% of all K-12-related digital device purchases in the United States – and for good reason. There are several benefits of Chromebooks in schools that account for this system’s popularity:

Chromebooks are a great value

The price of a classroom set of Chromebooks can vary, however they tend to be a great value for schools on a budget – particularly those who are launching 1:1 programs. For example, Lenovo’s Chromebooks range from $182 to $430. It’s difficult to overlook the great value this solution provides as opposed to more costly laptops in the $1,000-$2,000 range.

Chromebooks are ideal for distance learning

Chromebooks are a particularly great option for distance learning, which has become a forefront consideration in light of school closures from COVID-19. Seamless integrations with Google Classroom and LanSchool Air (where available) make it easy for teachers to guide learning as students work from home. Simply ask students to log in to their Chromebooks using their school-managed G Suite accounts. Students will automatically get all of the apps, extensions, and settings made available to them by your school’s Google Admin just like they do while at school. LanSchool Air can be included in that list of apps and extensions, ensuring students are ready to go the moment they login.

Chromebooks have intentionally limited functionality

Chromebooks’ usability relies extensively on having a Wi-Fi connection, intentionally limiting what applications can be installed. For example, you can’t install Microsoft Office on a Chromebook, but you can access it through the Chrome browser. This is actually a major selling point for schools because it puts boundaries around the applications students can install, leading to more focused class time and less overall risk to the school’s network.

Chromebooks offer profile-specific sign-in

With Chromebooks, students can set up their desktop and browser exactly the way they want, with bookmarks to their most commonly used sites. When that student signs in to any Chromebook using their Google login, their settings will be applied automatically. This can make Chromebooks an appealing choice for schools that are instituting shared device programs.

Chromebooks provide easy IT management

Chrome devices are great for smart classroom management — and they’re easy for IT teams to manage through the Google Admin console. You can set and enforce 100+ policies and settings by user or group, including Wi-Fi and proxy settings, installation of apps and extensions, limiting access to authorized users, and more. You may decide to have one group of settings for teachers and another for students, or you can opt to treat everyone the same. Google’s Chromebook-focused admin tools make it really easy to deploy apps and extensions like LanSchool to get students setup quickly

Chromebooks have great battery life

Chromebooks are known for having great battery life. Even Lenovo’s entry-level Chromebook features a battery life of 10 hours. This means students can get through a day of use without having to disrupt class to charge up. It also reduces the chances of students’ laptops running out of charge partway through a lesson. LanSchool enables you to keep an eye on students’ battery status as well so you can get ahead of potential issues.

Chromebooks work seamlessly with G Suite for Education

Finally, one of the biggest reasons schools are using Chromebooks in the classroom is because these devices work so seamlessly with G Suite for Education, Google’s free, cloud-based solution for email, storage, collaborative documents, and presentations. Pair those free apps with the convenience of the Google Classroom sign-in, and it’s a compelling feature suite for the classroom.

Lenovo Chromebooks + LanSchool

If you’re considering Chromebooks and classroom management software, LanSchool provides a one-stop solution. LanSchool, a Lenovo product, is included with every device purchase as part of a special Lenovo hardware-software bundle for cost savings. Each qualifying new Lenovo device is eligible for a complimentary one-year LanSchool license. You also receive 12 full months of support and upgrades at no additional charge, where available.

Learn more about the Lenovo EDU Series here, and ask how we can set you up with the devices and classroom management software you need for productive and collaborative digital classrooms.

Are you curious to see how LanSchool could help digital learning in your school? Start a free 30-day trial.