TheOtherMeg
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,541
Jun 25, 2014 20:58:14 GMT
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Post by TheOtherMeg on Aug 14, 2015 12:47:14 GMT
My kids will be taking their Chromebooks to jr. high (8th grade). This isn't mandatory, but the district runs on Google apps and, while there are classroom carts with Chromebooks that float around the building, having their own devices will make things much easier for my kids and their teachers. I've done some reading and there is a way to disable and track (kind of) the Chromebook from the Google Apps Admin Console. This article has great info about it: Lost/Stolen ChromebookAny suggestions for something in addition to the onboard/online security Google provides? LoJack? Engraving? (Can that even be done? Where?) Whopping big letters on the cover with a Sharpie? Not that I'm not in for a good Pea discussion about tech in school, Apple vs Google, BYOD policies and the like, but those decisions have already been made. The district studied iPads vs Chromebooks and went with Chromebooks. (I agree with the decision. Whew!) Also, the Chromebooks are going to school, so what I'm dealing with now is device security, not the merits of sending one to school vs keeping it at home. They took their iPads to school last year, but the Chromebooks worry me more (even though they were 1\2 the price). Thanks for any tips! |
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AnotherPea
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,969 
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Post by AnotherPea on Aug 14, 2015 14:06:03 GMT
The more difficult it is for students to access your child's book bag the better. Have him use his locker and actually lock it. Consider making it difficult to get into the book bag. ALWAYS check the bag after you've stepped away from it.
My students move around the room a lot and don't always have their bags with them. Other students sit near their bags. While I've never had a theft in my room, it has happened to my coworkers.
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keithurbanlovinpea
Pearl Clutcher
Flowing with the go...
Posts: 4,302
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Post by keithurbanlovinpea on Aug 14, 2015 14:16:34 GMT
Well, according to my kids, they all hate the Chromebooks used in school so they wouldn't take any opportunities to steal one. LOL
That being said, I would make note of serial numbers and keep that safe at home. If they are stolen and end up on a pawn shop, etc. then the police can use the S/N to track back. Is there a removable battery or some other component/access panel? If so, I would take it off and either engrave or Sharpie information in there as well.
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TheOtherMeg
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,541
Jun 25, 2014 20:58:14 GMT
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Post by TheOtherMeg on Aug 14, 2015 14:21:24 GMT
Thank you! I'll talk to the boys about keeping their bookbags zipped and such.
The students are not allowed to have bookbags in the classrooms. They can take them to/from school, but once at school must put them in their locker. (Coats, too, but this isn't enforced as rigidly.) My thoughts on this policy would necessitate a separate thread...
On the up side, it'd be tough to walk away with someone's device *if that someone was paying attention* because there's no bag to hide it in. The paying attention issue is the weak link in this whole scenario, though!
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TheOtherMeg
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,541
Jun 25, 2014 20:58:14 GMT
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Post by TheOtherMeg on Aug 14, 2015 14:22:53 GMT
Well, according to my kids, they all hate the Chromebooks used in school so they wouldn't take any opportunities to steal one. LOL That being said, I would make note of serial numbers and keep that safe at home. If they are stolen and end up on a pawn shop, etc. then the police can use the S/N to track back. Is there a removable battery or some other component/access panel? If so, I would take it off and either engrave or Sharpie information in there as well.I love this idea. Thank you! ETA I used a Chromebook over the summer to get a feel of things. I was able to take it to the jr. high, too, and use it there while I was helping reorganize the library. I like that docs are so easily accessible from both home and school and can be worked on seamlessly at both locations. Work is left in a secure folder/drive for the teachers (only) to see. The kids can even use Google apps on their phones to get into their stuff. Last year, Chromebooks were being phased in and the kids liked them -- once they were convinced that the district was never going to provide iPads. Parents like the price point and the fact that Chromebooks seem sturdier and harder to damage than iPads/tablets. Each year there have been cracked tablet screens at school (on personal devices, as the schools never had tablets to pass around) and the hope is that it's harder to damage a Chromebook. The hinges will be the weak link, IMO. And maybe the fact that Chromebooks aren't as cool as tablets will make them less of a theft-magnet! |
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PLurker
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,795
Location: Behind the Cheddar Curtain
Jun 28, 2014 3:48:49 GMT
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Post by PLurker on Aug 14, 2015 15:29:27 GMT
Take all the theft precautions, but mostly make sure your child is responsible with it, not leaving out etc. I think I've heard of a lot more losses (forgot where they left it) than thefts. And most thefts were probably from the leaving it somewhere unattended. (opportunity)
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Post by anxiousmom on Aug 14, 2015 15:38:16 GMT
Our school issues Ipads, and the first year they did it I was really worried about this issue. I have a kid that is so naive that he just doesn't think some one is going to walk away with his stuff. I just knew that we would have to replace the school issued on the second day of school. I think what actually happened for us was that since everyone had an ipad, no one felt like they needed one and I didn't hear of a single theft. I am sure that there were some that were lost, or broken (although along with the ipad was a otterbox) but I didn't hear either boy talking about thefts. So I don't know what the answer is beyond extreme personal responsibility and that might be a lot to ask for an 8th grader.  |
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Post by tommygirl on Aug 14, 2015 16:50:11 GMT
Our high school used ipads for the last 6 years. This year they changed over to chromebooks. Like anxiousmom our school issues them to everyone so there is not such a worry about theft.
I would definitely note the serial number. We have an insurance policy that costs $25/year that includes theft. Maybe you could look into that?
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TheOtherMeg
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,541
Jun 25, 2014 20:58:14 GMT
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Post by TheOtherMeg on Aug 15, 2015 14:14:23 GMT
I'lll check with our insurance and see what they say about theft if the item is not at the house.
These opinions and experiences are really helpful! Thanks!
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Post by Darcy Collins on Aug 15, 2015 14:29:04 GMT
Ours are also school issued, so there's less incentive to steal. We did put a bright cover on it to help distinguish it from the other 300 at the school.
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momto4kiddos
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,153
Jun 26, 2014 11:45:15 GMT
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Post by momto4kiddos on Aug 15, 2015 15:28:55 GMT
Take all the theft precautions, but mostly make sure your child is responsible with it, not leaving out etc. I think I've heard of a lot more losses (forgot where they left it) than thefts. And most thefts were probably from the leaving it somewhere unattended. (opportunity) My kids are high schoolers and required to have ipads. The first year it was optional for ds and that year there was a theft of one. Kid put it down on a shelf in the bathroom for a minute and it disappeared. The school was locked down and searched within minutes, but I don't believe it ever turned up. I haven't heard of any thefts of them recently (although I certainly don't know everything that goes on.) My ds just graduated and never had a problem, dd hasn't either. I think the main precaution is that the child needs to be very responsible with it - don't set it down somewhere, make sure it's not left unattended or without someone responsible for it. |
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 15, 2015 17:09:53 GMT
We have chrome books and carts. I don't think it would make it easier for the students to have their own personal chrome book unless they were wanting to work on it outside or something. Chrome books store everything on the cloud and so a dedicated device for one student is not needed.
My actual recommendation if the school allows is to get a light weight regular laptop that you can actually do things with and do things with offline. They have access to everything google that a chromebook doea, but arr so much more and not too much more expensive.
The only reason I would buy a chrome book is if they are waaaayyyyy cheaper and/or if youbdont want your child to be able to download other software like word or photo programs or whatever
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 15, 2015 17:12:42 GMT
One more thought, using the school chromebook is also sometimes better becausr they are charged and if they die, they just switch it out for a charged one. The kids don't need a charger at school and the school ones are connected to the printers
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TheOtherMeg
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,541
Jun 25, 2014 20:58:14 GMT
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Post by TheOtherMeg on Aug 15, 2015 19:25:34 GMT
The boys did take (their own) laptops to school a few times last year. Their iPads aren't as useful with the Google platform, so they switched to their laptops. The laptops were easier to use with all the Google apps, but they're bigger and heavier. My kids walk (less than 2 miles each way, but still... ) and didn't like the added weight.
One of the problems I have with taking laptops is that they have a lot of stuff on them that is theirs (my kids') -- their own games, pictures, files, emails, etc. A Chromebook is mostly just a gateway to the apps/programs, folders, and files in the cloud. It's also relatively easy to disable if it gets lost/stolen to protect the user's stuff. It's lighter than a laptop, too, and for kids who walk to/from school, that's a big plus.
The teachers prefer them because the login time is very short and the Chromebook experience is pretty uniform in a classroom environment (assuming the kids are doing what they're supposed to be doing at the time). Basically, the freedom and flexibility of a laptop is precisely why the school wants the kids on Chromebooks whenever possible.
We don't have enough Chromebooks/carts for everyone, so those who can bring their own are encouraged to do so.
The biggest reason for me, though, is that the laptops cost $500 and the Chromebooks cost $260. If something is going to disappear, I'd rather it be the cheaper something.
And I checked into putting my kids' names inside their Chromebooks, but there's no battery compartment to open up. We'll put their name in Sharpie on the bottom, a huge vinyl sticker on the front, and have a lecture (or five) about awareness and responsibility. Fingers crossed!
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