White Bear Lake Schools prepare students for lifelong learning with G Suite and Chromebooks for Education

Bringing Google Classroom and Chromebooks into our schools, and giving teachers the right training, are designed to work together--and all are at the heart of what we’re trying to accomplish.

Mark Garrison, director of technology

Challenge

The White Bear Lake School District serves a community passionate about innovative approaches to education and high academic achievement. In 2010, the District embarked upon a strategic plan to integrate technology into its classrooms, but realized that they needed something user-friendly--starting with email--that would serve as a platform for greater collaboration. They also wanted to use technology to help students cultivate creative and critical-thinking skills.

Solution

As teachers saw that digital tools could help students become more engaged with their studies, they set about finding ways to get these tools directly into the hands of more students. This led to the start of a 1:1 device program in 2013. Response to the initial use of iPads was only somewhat enthusiastic; when teachers received Chromebooks, however, they eagerly requested more. They were especially excited about the integration with G Suite. Soon Chromebooks transformed the classroom experience, allowing for more productivity and individualized attention. Tools such as Google Earth and Google Classroom proved invaluable. Classrooms have become more interactive, with students tapping into social networks and online resources to learn, and students have enjoyed more collaboration overall.