Google’s Chromecast has the potential to improve how students can research, create, and publish in the classroom. Indeed, right now it has the ability to do these things, but it also has some significant drawbacks that need to be considered. I’ll discuss those drawbacks later, but for now let’s look at what is Chromecast and consider what makes Chromecast awesome for the classroom.
What is Chromecast?
Chromecast is a small HDMI dongle that plugs into your TV/Projector. It has the capability to stream content from the internet to the display it is connected to and can be controlled by your smartphone, tablet, or PC. Anything you can see in your Chrome browser can also be seen on your Chromecast connected TV/Projector. Learn more here.
What makes Chromecast awesome in the classroom?
One word – collaboration. Google’s Chromecast makes it easier than ever to work with other people throughout the development process. Right now, my wife is reading what I’m typing for this blog on our TV, and she is pretty good at catching my mistakes. It’s pretty cool to see what I type on my laptop update in near real time on my TV; there is a slight delay of about 1 second. However, this delay is not enough to be considered an inconvenience or nuisance. Really, Chromecast makes possible perhaps the most convenient collaboration between devices imaginable. I am untethered from wires with my feet up on my ottoman just having a good time. Great, but what good is that in the classroom? Well, quite a lot of good.
Imagine a high school English teacher, which just happens to be my background, a classroom full of students, and a Chromebook cart. These students have just been tasked with writing a research paper on Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, so they get up, grab a Chromebook, and Google search “monomyth” before setting out to write a good research question. As the students research what the heck a “monomyth” is, the teacher can walk around the classroom and identify students who have found excellent sources. So far this process seems pretty mundane, just ordinary run-of-the-mill stuff really, but this is where things can get awesome with Chromecast.
The teacher asks a student (who didn’t go to Wikipedia) to click the Google Cast button in his or her Chrome browser, and voila, the whole class gets to see what is on that student’s Chromebook. The teacher can engage the whole class in a discussion about why this particular website is a good source and encourage students to find more. The student can give a quick presentation on how he or she went about finding such a good source. Everybody who then finds a good source can then instantly share the source with the rest of the class by clicking the Google Cast button in their Chrome browser. No one has to borrow the teacher’s computer to project his or her findings. Students can connect to the Chromecast wirelessly from their own device. Wow… that is definitely worth $35. Students can share research, share best writing practices, and share final projects with the click of a button (Google Cast). The potential for collaboration in the classroom is mind blowing with Chromecast.
What are the drawbacks with Chromecast?
Students can share whatever they want, and there is not a darn thing you can do to stop them (outside of effective classroom management). This could be a nightmare scenario in a classroom full of clowns. Chromecast can display whatever someone would like to display within the Chrome browser, so expect juvenile behavior and put policies in place to squash it. In its current state, there is no way to limit or filter the content that can be cast from the Chrome browser to the Chromecast. Keep that in mind as it is a significant drawback for the Chromecast. If a student decides to cast porn, the whole classroom will see it. Imagine the phone calls from parents if that happened in your classroom. Scenarios could also happen where students engage in cyberbullying. For example, casting pictures of elephants and peanuts to make fun of a student with weight issues. I imagine this could all happen in a poorly managed classroom, so policies to prevent these behaviors need to be in place before implementing Chromecast in the classroom.
TL;DR Version: Chromecast has awesome collaboration potential in the classroom, but it should be used with caution (or not at all) in classrooms where there are behavior management issues.
Pros:
- Cheap – $35 (1/3 the price of an Apple TV)
- Simple – Easy to setup
- Fast – Streaming is quick
- Small – Its size makes it perfect for portability (1 Chromecast per Chromebook cart makes sense)
- Collaboration – Incredible new ways to work together and share with others
- Potential for Improvement – Many ways to make it better through software updates/new apps
Cons:
- Limited – Streaming does not yet work on all devices… even on certain Chromebooks
- Connection – Most classrooms use a VGA connection for the projector instead of HDMI
- Potential for Abuse – Ability for students to stream inappropriate content could be problematic