Google Offering $99 Chromebook to Classrooms

Google said on Monday that it has partnered with DonorsChoose.org to offer budget-strapped classrooms across the United States the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook for $99 USD. Full-time public school teachers wanting to take advantage of this discounted price need to do so before December 21, 2012.

Rajen Sheth, Group Product Manager, said that Samsung's Series 5 is currently the most widely deployed Chromebook in schools. Typically the Chrome OS-based netbook/notebook starts at $429 on a consumer level which includes the hardware, management and support – the version offered to schools will also have the same Google support.

Looking at the specs, the Samsung Chromebook features a 12-inch display, a dual-core Intel Atom N570 CPU clocked at 1.66 GHz, 2 GB of RAM, and a 16 GB SSD. Other features include a built-in webcam, a 4-in-1 memory card slot, a micro-VGA port with a VGA adapter, and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Teachers wanting to see this gadget used by their students are directed to follow the instructions listed on DonorsChoose.org. "Your request will be posted on DonorsChoose.org where anyone can make a donation to support your classroom," Sheth said. "When you reach your funding goal, you’ll receive your Chromebooks from Lakeshore Learning, DonorsChoose.org’s exclusive fulfillment partner for this program."

"If you’re not a teacher, please share this opportunity with the teachers who have made a difference in your life!" Sheth added. "Or if you’re interested in supporting a classroom directly, read through the list of Chromebook projects and donate what you can. Be sure to check back often for new projects."

Sheth said schools that have adopted Chromebooks have been able to bring the web's vast educational resources into the classroom. Chromebooks make real-time research and collaboration fun and easy because they're fast, easily sharable, and require almost no maintenance.

"Today more than 1,000 schools have adopted Chromebooks in classrooms, including some school districts like Richland School District Two (S.C.), Leyden High School District (Ill.), and Council Bluffs Community School District (Iowa) who have deployed Chromebooks to tens of thousands of students," Sheth said.

As the Google update indicates, this discounted price is for public school teachers – those schooling their kids at home may be out of the picture. Head here to see if you qualify for a $99 Samsung Series 5 Chromebook.

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