Chromebooks are similar to laptops. Unlike most computers, Chromebooks do not run Windows. Instead, they use Chrome OS, which is similar to the Google Chrome web browser. This means you can use a Chromebook to do just about anything you’d normally do online: read websites, check your email, and watch videos. Your Chromebook runs web apps instead of software programs used on other computers. For example, instead of using Microsoft Office to create documents, you can use Google Docs (docs.google.com) and Google Drive (drive.google.com) to create and share files online. Chromebooks are inexpensive, easy to use, and everything is saved on the web, so you don’t have to worry about losing your files. Since Chrome is run entirely through the web, you don’t have to worry about viruses either!

Your Chromebook keyboard works just like a regular keyboard, with a few small differences:

• Use the Search button to search your apps and the web
• To turn caps lock on or off, press Alt + Search

• Ctrl+C - Copy
• Ctrl+V - Paste
• Ctrl+X - Cut
• Ctrl+A - Select all text
• Ctrl+Z - Undo
• Ctrl+T - Open a new tab
• Ctrl+Tab - Move between tabs
• Ctrl+ +/- - Zoom in and out. You can also use two fingers on the touch pad.

There are many more shortcuts. Feel free to explore and use your Google device to
your advantage!

Your Chromebook has a magnet in the screen which allows it to turn on right as it’s opened! If after several seconds it does not turn on, you can press the power button on the keyboard. You can press and hold the power button in the upper right hand corner of the keyboard to shut off the Chromebook at any time. Shutting the lid will put it to sleep. Pressing it once quickly will power it back on.

Student usernames are a combination of a couple things.

Last 2 numbers of Student ID Number + First Initial + First 3 Letters of last name @indians.k12.pa.us

Example:

Name:  John Smith

Student ID # 123456

Username would be: 56jsmi@indians.k12.pa.us

The default password for all students is their full student id number.  Middle/High school students will be prompted to change their passwords to something more complex.  For password resets, please email helpdesk@indians.k12.pa.us or contact the Office.

Your students will be using apps that they are familiar with. Here is a list of apps one can access on a Chromebook:

● Chrome - your internet browser to access the internet, similar to Internet
Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. You can access Google Chrome from any device,
not just a Chromebook!

● Docs - similar to Microsoft Word, a place to create and store documents

● Classroom - a learning system from Google, where your student’s
Teacher will assign and grade work

● Drive - a Google Cloud storage space that can be accessed anywhere,
with any device

● Slides - similar to Microsoft Powerpoint, a place to create and store slide
presentations

● Sheets - similar to Microsoft Excel, a place to create and store
spreadsheets

● YouTube - an online website owned and operated by Google for
sharing and viewing videos. YouTube through the education suite through
SASD is moderately restricted, though adult supervision is encouraged when
your child is browsing.

In the lower right hand corner, there is a small toolbox for accessing WiFi networks, adjusting brightness, sound, settings, and setting accessibility settings such as enlarged cursors or high contrast screens. Feel free to access this at any time. It will look like this, but some settings and displays may differ:

In the lower left hand corner, there are “kiosk” apps that launch apps in secure browsers without a logon, primarily used for testing.

Your Chromebook should be charged every evening. While the battery life varies, your Chromebook should last for the entirety of instructional hours. Make sure that the Chromebook does not completely die as this can damage the battery. Only charge your Chromebook with the charger loaned with the device! Your charger may look different depending on the device.

Chromebooks are updated remotely from our IT department and are pushed out as quickly as Google tests and releases updates. If you’d like to check for updates, you can click on the three dots in the upper right hand corner of a Chrome browser > Help > About Google Chrome > Check for Updates.