Whilst schools should already be:
- using Google Apps and Google Apps for Education (GAFE)
- exploring the suitability of Chromebooks, and
- discovering BlueStacks to unlock the power of Google Play for PC & Mac,
Chrome Apps
Chrome apps were originally designed for Chromebooks (and have now been made available for Windows and Mac, with iOS and Android support to follow soon). As Chromebooks have a small internal storage capacity, they rely heavily on web-based apps. Therefore the majority of the apps available on the Chrome Web Store are simply internet short-cuts that are linked directly to the web-based services/applications (e.g. installing the Dictanote speech recognition app will open this page).
All one does is have to visit the Chrome Web Store (or the reviewed apps below), browse for apps and then simply look for the "+ Add to Chrome" button! Once the apps are installed, they appear within the Google Chrome Browser (see image below):
To then access the Chrome apps, PC/Mac/Linux users with the Google Chrome browser installed on their device can:
- Install the Chrome App Launcher to launch apps from the desktop (pictured below), or
- Type chrome://apps/ into the Google Chrome address bar (as pictured above).
As the apps from the Chrome Web Store are web-based, the majority of the installed apps will simply be internet short-cuts that are linked directly to the web-based services/applications (e.g. installing the Dictanote speech recognition app will open this page).
Navigate below to discover some the Chrome Web Store apps that are suitable for use on your device:
Splashtop
Splashtop Education allows teachers (or students) to share content from a Windows or Mac simultaneously across multiple Chromebooks, iPads or Mac OSX screens, allowing a user to control, annotate and then share content to every students' one-to-one device.
Prices:
- Students: Free (Splashtop Classroom)
- Teachers: (Splashtop Education) Promotion $10/per teacher for 1st year: $50 per teacher, per year, after year 1. For Site License contact [email protected]. Download from a 14 day free trial here.
Microsoft Office Online
Just like Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, Microsoft Office Online also allows anyone to freely use Microsoft Office to dynamically collaborate with real time co-authoring (files must be saved to OneDrive).
Once the Office Online apps has been launched, sign in via a Microsoft Account, click on File and select Share to enable others to access and edit your document/spreadsheet/presentation.
If the user(s) already have a legitimate copy of Microsoft Office on a Windows or Mac PC, they can continue working with the full power of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel applications. Click on the apps below to start collaborating with others to simultaneously create/edit Microsoft Office files: |
Other Apps
Browse some of the reviewed apps below as well as the other aps from the Chrome Web Store listed further below.
Dictanote - Speech Recognizer
Price: Free
Description: This is a powerful dictation app that works on any device. Converts speech to text quick than you could type. Watch the video below to learn more:
Price: Free
Description: This is a powerful dictation app that works on any device. Converts speech to text quick than you could type. Watch the video below to learn more:
Hangout - Video Conferencing
Description: Hangout allows users to video chat with up to 10 people, regardless of whether the person/people they are talking to are using a Chromebook, PC or Mac, Android or iOS device. This app can be rather useful for communication when students are working in projects outside of school hours.
Watch the video below to learn more:
Description: Hangout allows users to video chat with up to 10 people, regardless of whether the person/people they are talking to are using a Chromebook, PC or Mac, Android or iOS device. This app can be rather useful for communication when students are working in projects outside of school hours.
Watch the video below to learn more:
Evernote Web
Price: Free
Description: Evernote saves both an audio and text file together so users can use the app's search ability to find a recorded note.
Price: Free
Description: Evernote saves both an audio and text file together so users can use the app's search ability to find a recorded note.
Comic Webcam
Price: Free
Description: Create comics using the Chromebook's camera and the filters and camera effects contained with Comic Webcam.
Price: Free
Description: Create comics using the Chromebook's camera and the filters and camera effects contained with Comic Webcam.
QR Code Generator
Price: Free
Description: QR-Codes from URLs, Text Messages, Phone Numbers, Free Text or Contacts (vCard). It also allows to scan/read QR Codes if a webcam is available.
Price: Free
Description: QR-Codes from URLs, Text Messages, Phone Numbers, Free Text or Contacts (vCard). It also allows to scan/read QR Codes if a webcam is available.
More Apps
Browse the Chrome Web Store for more education apps across the following categories: