One of the first questions that a lot of teachers have been asking, is why are we starting to use Chromebooks and Google Apps for Education? There are a number of reasons:
1) This is the future. As the internet continues to develop and grow, cloud-based (i.e. stuff stored on the internet instead of a device) is going to become the standard - in many ways, it already has become the standard!
2) Google makes Google Apps for Education free. Being in education, we understand the benefit of stuff being free - especially when it is as powerful as Google Apps! Now, Chromebooks are not free, but they are a LOT cheaper than most devices out there, including laptops, desktops, and even tablets (like iPads). The Chromebooks we are purchasing have a total cost of ownership of less than $300 each - the reason we do not get the cheaper ones is because we want them to be durable enough to withstand student-use in the classroom. If we went cheaper, they wouldn't last a year in the classroom.
3) For almost everything we do in the classroom, at our desks, etc, we use the internet. Chromebooks use a new operating system (OS) called Chrome OS in order to create an experience that is faster, more secure and easier to use than almost any other OS out there - think iOS for Apple devices and Windows 7. This video, called "What is Google Chrome OS?", explains it:
