Chromebooks get new updates for the hybrid classroom
With Chromebooks, it’s easy to set up the right environment for your school from wherever you are. With over 40 new devices for education in 2021 alone, and Chrome Education Upgrade, admins can enable more than 500 policies in Google Admin Console. And with policies like Zero Touch Enrollment, IT admins can drop ship devices to any location and have the device ready to go – without ever having physically touched it.
Automatic updates for up to eight years on devices keep them safe and secure – and with all of the latest and greatest security updates and new features. But it can be challenging to know when devices are reaching their Automatic Update Expiration date. Last year, Google updated the Devices page of Google Admin Console to show when devices reach their Automatic Update Expiration (AUE)-- and now, they’re adding a new page in Admin Console that enables admins to view Chrome Insights Reports.
Remote and hybrid learning have only exacerbated the challenges that IT teams face such as:
Slow Roll Outs - It’s time-consuming to provision and deploy new devices at scale
Unmanaged Fleets - Admins often don’t have oversight on how devices are bein used
Fragmented IT - Various platforms ad locations create a fragmented tech portfolio
Security Breaches - Remote Learning allows more opportunity for cyber security breaches
Cyber Bullying - Parents look to schools to educate and inform them on online safety
Data Exposure - Schools need to ensure the safety of highly sensitive student data
Rolling out PIN logins for education users as part of device set-up:
Instead of having to remember so many long passwords, and spend time typing them in, students, educators and admins with assigned devices will be able to type in a simple six-digit PIN to log in.
When students are logging into a device, they will be prompted to set up a PIN, and will be able to log in or unlock their assigned Chromebook using that PIN going forward. Admins will still have the ability to enable this feature for their domains in Google Admin Console. PIN logins will be standard on all new devices.
Engaging and inclusive - Chromebooks come with new accessibility features built in:
Including the newest feature, Live Caption -
For students who may need an alternate input into their Chromebook, Google has Switch Access, which is the ability to use the built-in keyboard or an external device via USB or Bluetooth to control their cursor.
Introducing Point Scanning -
A new navigation mode for Switch Access. It allows people to select any point on the screen by first choosing the horizontal location they want to select, and then having them choose the vertical location.
Including two magnifiers built in: a full-screen magnifier and a docked magnifier -
Google's just added a new panning method to our full-screen magnifier. In addition to the current ability to pan the screen when your mouse hits the edge of the magnified viewport, you can now keep the mouse centred on the screen and have the viewport pan as you move the mouse.
New tutorials for ChromeVox
To help users better understand how to use ChromeVox, one of Google's two built-in screen readers, including a quick orientation for new users, which automatically launches when ChromeVox is activated, along with interactive lessons, which ask users to execute commands or press designated keys to continue.
There is also a practice area for a small set of lessons, which allows users to practice what they’ve learned in a sandboxed environment. And best of all, the tutorial is also available for touch devices. Google can’t wait to see how students and teachers use Chromebooks to create and learn this school year.
