Hi.
My eldest son begins Intermediate School next year. We have the option to apply to have him in the Digital Learning Class, this class requires a chromebook.
Since they are fairly locked down devices, i.e. basically a browser online and now, I believe, can run android apps too, what practical IT skills could one learn with a Chromebook? I'm not knocking Chromebooks, I persuaded my mum, who is in her 60s, to buy one for web access.
We have a Windows PC at home and at various times have had a Linux PC too, I can understand using these or an Apple computer to learn IT skills, but I struggle to see what he will learn with a Chromebook that he won't already learn from using our home computer, Android phone and iPhone. When he was 9 he taught himself to program in Scratch. I'm inclined to buy him Windows/Linux/Apple laptop or Raspberry Pi to muck around with at home and let him teach himself more advanced things. He has been using Chromebooks and other devices at his primary school for years. He really is OS agnostic. Could someone enlighten me as to how using a Chromebook could be beneficial for his future beyond what he'll learn at home anyway?
We have the option to buy or lease the Chromebooks, so they won't be school property. Incidentally, the school wants $100 per year to administer his Chromebook, plus they express the right to access his emails and files at any time, not only during school time. Has anyone else had these or similar requests from their kid's school? I'm not happy about either since they don't own the device and I don't see why I should pay them $100 to do their job.
I'm going to a parents evening at the school tomorrow night so I'm going to ask more there.