Where I work, we decided to use Google Chromebooks eight years ago. When we looked at all of the factors for our situation, it seemed like the best choice and, it worked out well for us. We are a Google reference school, and during the COVID-19 shutdowns, technology wasn’t an issue for us.
This week, it became apparent though that it had been too long since we made that decision and without a reevaluation. During my reassessment, I realised that the Chromebook might not be the best choice for us as the technology and pricing landscape has shifted.
Some of the significant factors that are no longer necessarily true are:
- Chromebooks are cheap. The price has been steadily climbing along with the quality of the devices.
- The units will become more available. While supply isn’t a pressing issue, they never really hit the mainstream, and so reliable supply choices are limited.
- Other devices are too expensive for our community.
- Chromebooks are the most secure learning environment.
Getting Buy-In
As is often the case with me, I took this thought journey on my own and came to a conclusion that our current track is now seriously challenged and perhaps supplanted by technology that we wrote off many years ago. So, armed with this epiphany, began the arduous task of documenting my findings and convincing others.
When I began to meet resistance to my ideas, my initial reaction was to work harder and then; it dawned on me. I was completely off-base.
It’s not that my conclusions are wrong; there are some very sound reasons why I have come to my findings that need further investigation. The error was in my approach. Instead of trying to convince others that my conclusions are right, I need to stop robbing them of the opportunity to take the journey themselves. By allowing them to take the trip, we are more likely to get the necessary buy-in to make changes if they’re required.
So, how can I get them to take the journey? I will try by asking a straightforward question.
Is it time we revisited the decision we made eight years ago to see if it is still valid and, will you help me?