Advanced Chromebook technology for teachers and students

If you’re a teacher, student, or parent looking for quality back-to-school technology that’s fully compatible and optimized for Chromebooks, you’ve come to the right place! Whether you’re a teacher heading back to the classroom or a student preparing for high school or college, here’s a roundup of back-to-school tech tools that I especially love for the Chromebook user.

Classroom Chromebook recommendations

Choosing a Chromebook to recommend is probably the most challenging task. There are many good ones! Here are three solid options to consider.

• Asus Chromebook CX5400 – This is a powerful Chromebook with a sleek design perfect for multitasking teachers or college students. This is one of the few Chromebooks that offer a built-in stylus, which is handy for explaining lessons or doing math homework. You can read Robin’s full review here.
• Lenovo Duet 3 – The notebook continues to be an absolute smash as a secondary device. The Duet is the perfect “throw in your bag” device to take lecture notes, retrieve papers in the living room, or take on the road for distance learning. You can read the full review of Duet 3 here.
• CTL PX11e – If you are buying an everyday device for an elementary or middle school student, you want something durable. CTL makes equipment for parts, but sells directly to consumers. The PX11E is a device I recommend to all the schools I consult with.

Chromebook accessories

• Chromebook case – If you are sending your student to school with a new Chromebook, please put it in a case! No Chromebook (even the strongest ones) can handle a middle school hallway! I recommend an “always on” case like this one from Here Ground ($50). Parenting Tip: Chromebook screen replacements can cost anywhere from $50-$130. Buying a high quality case is a good investment!
• USI Stylus – Adding a digital pen to a touchscreen Chromebook is a must-have in my opinion. The Penoval USI702 digital pen is our current favorite and the only USI pen that includes an eraser. You can pick one up on Amazon for $54.
• Tablet drawing – Hey you Don’t do it Have a touchscreen Chromebook, you can still annotate and draw by connecting drawing tablets. Wacom makes several models that are compatible with Chromebooks. The Wacom One ($40) is great for grading student work, and the Wacom One ($399) is ideal for digital art and design.
• Web camera – Chromebook webcams are mediocre at best. If you are taking virtual classes or teaching remotely, I highly recommend upgrading to an external webcam. Lately, I’ve been using the Okiolabs A10 ($119), which has a really cool auto-frame feature that centers you in the frame.
• Wired headphones – More schools are including headphones in their school supply list. Your middle schooler doesn’t need an expensive set of headphones! This five-pack of wired headphones ($13) is perfect for young learners. The built-in microphone lets you create school videos and podcasts. Give them a set and when they lose, put another away!
• Microphone – If you plan to record lectures or podcast, you should invest in a good microphone. This $50 mic kit has everything you need to properly teach or start a podcast. I used this exact set to record a Chromebook class podcast.
• Compact external display – I don’t know how anyone survives without a second monitor! I bought this travel external display that fits my bag is very important. This is great productivity if you want to study in the library or teach remotely!
• USB-C interface – Once you’ve purchased all the gear I listed above, you’ll need a way to connect the microphone, webcam, and controller to your Chromebook! I’ve been using this USB-C hub from HoTo ($42) for years. It’s a great value and works really well.
• Gear bag – If you’re a tech teacher, you need something to organize and transport all your tools. For smaller items, I use this grid organizer from Cocoon ($8). For my random collection of cables, adapters and dongles, I use the Cable Stable from Skooba ($26).

Chromebook Webtools

The good news is that there are many free web-based tools that work wonderfully with Chromebooks. Here are some of my favorites. Note: Most of the tools listed below offer free and premium versions of their products. I recommend starting with the free version and if you use it a lot, consider upgrading!

• Our PDF editor – This is my choice for editing, merging and signing PDFs.
• Canva – If you want to design beautiful graphics for your class or update your Google Class header, Canva is a great option! Teachers can upgrade to a free premium account here.
• Screenpal – This is a new Chrome extension that you can use to send video messages to students in any text field. It’s free to use! You can install Screenpal from the Chrome Web Store.
• Fig – This collaborative design and brainstorming tool is very popular in the design community, but a recent partnership with Google has made Figma available in the classroom as well!
• Screen recording – Google announced this new educational recording tool this summer. The Screencast app comes pre-installed on all Chromebooks. I’m excited to try it this school year!

Chromebook classroom resources and ideas

That’s the end of my gear list, but I have a few final resources for Chromebook teachers! This list of teaching resources will help you organize your classroom and prepare for the upcoming school year.

Best wishes to all teachers, students and parents as you begin the 2022-23 school year!

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