Google started the Play for Education on tablets, in K-12 schools in the U.S. The program is going well, and Google has gotten feedback from teachers that want even more. So today, Google announced that they are expanding the Play for Education program to U.S. schools that have Chromebooks, too. This means that teachers will now be able to find books, apps, and video on their Chromebooks just like they do on their Google Play for Education tablets.
Google Play for Education helps teachers fit their curriculum around their students’ needs. It gives them teaching materials and new tools based on what their students’ needs and where they show interest. Those in the education field can use these tools to share Chrome apps with their students. New education software is coming from Scholastic, Discovery Education, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The current program offers thousands of K-12 teaching books and free classic literature. Some classrooms can even tap into YouTube channels that have been pre-screened and approved for educational use. Now all of this will be available on Chromebooks too.
Google says, “With Google Play for Education, we’re no longer limited by the number of hard copies of books available. It’s easy for teachers to find appropriate reading, then assign it to individual students or the whole class. As a result, we’re saving time and money as we make the transition to digital.”
If you’re an educator or school administrator, just head to play.google.com/edu to enable the software for your school. If you enable new software for your school before July 15, Google will give you an extra $20 to use towards books or other educational materials from Play for Education. Google is also holding special sessions in the teaching theater at this year’s International Society for Technology in Education conference. The ISTE conference kicks off on June 28 in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s designed to help teachers find new ways to teach children to learn, using technology.