Set Up a Chromebook: Difference between revisions

Summary	Some tips to get started with your RCS Chromebook
Author	Maintained by Matthijs van Mierlo
Help	Get help with this article
Status	Up-to-date for the 2024-2025 school year.

Latest revision as of 09:25, 5 August 2024

Basic Setup

Turn on your Chromebook using the power button to the left of the keyboard
Sign in to your Chromebook using your RCS username and passphrase
If you're asked to, select an image for your user profile.
Ensure you're on the RCS-Community Wi-Fi network.
- Click the status tray at lower right (it has the time and your battery life)
- If you see Connected to RCS-Guest, or Connected to RCS-Chromebook, click it, select RCS-Community, and enter your passphrase.
Next update your Chromebook by following these instructions (in the Check for updates yourself section)
- Click Done when finished
When your Chrome OS update is ready, you'll see an alert in your status tray. Restart your Chromebook to install the update

Learn Keyboard Shortcuts

As with most operating systems, there are some very useful keyboard shortcuts that are worthwhile to explore. Some examples of keyboard shortcuts include:

Common Shortcuts
Description	Shortcut
Copy text	CTRL + C
Paste text	CTRL + V
Search for text	CTRL + F
Undo change	CTRL + Z
Redo change	CTRL + Y
Caps lock on/off	Search + Alt
Lock your screen	Search + L
View all shortcuts	CTRL + Alt + ?

For a more extensive list of shortcuts, you can refer to Google's documentation here: https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/183101?hl=en. The more keyboard shortcuts you know, the easier everything becomes!

You can also click CTRL + Alt + ? on your Chromebook keyboard to view ALL of the shortcuts you can use.

Record Your Screen

It may be useful to take screenshots or to record your screen on the Chromebook. There are two easy ways to do this! One if through the notification tray menu (where you change WiFi networks), and the other is by using keyboard shortcuts.

Open the menu on the bottom right of your Chromebook screen (where you change WiFi networks) and click on the Screen capture icon. Select the range you want to screenshot by clicking and dragging on your screen, and press Enter on your keyboard to take the screenshot.

The keyboard shortcut is CTRL + Shift + Windows. See screenshot below for the location of the Windows button on the top row of your keyboard

Install Android Apps

Once your Chromebook has been updated, you can use the Google Play Store. We have curated and tested a set list of apps for you to use. If you are hoping to use an app but cannot search for it in the Google Play Store, reach out to a member of the Tech Team at help desk or submit a ticket by emailing support-ticket@riverdale.edu.

There are a lot of apps you can download for school use! Click on the Google Play Store after clicking on the Chromebook Launcher (bottom left of the screen), and see what you can install on your device!

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{abox
+{{AboxNew
- | name          = Use a Chromebook effectively
+| name = Set Up a Chromebook
- | summary       = Some getting started tips on Chromebooks.
+| learning = x
- | for_employees = Y
+| instruction =
- | for_students  = Y
+| community = x
- | for_parents   =
+| summ = Some tips to get started with your RCS Chromebook
- | cat1          = Classroom Technology and Systems
+| maintained = MV
- | cat2          = Chromebooks
+| year = 2024-2025
- | maintained    = MV
- | year          = 2021-2022
 }}
-==Absolutely necessary steps:==
+__TOC__
-#Turn on your Chromebook using the power button to the right of the keyboard.
+==Basic Setup==
-#Sign in to your Chromebook using your '''''RCS username''''' and '''''passphrase'''''.
+#Turn on your Chromebook using the power button to the left of the keyboard
+#Sign in to your Chromebook using your '''''RCS username''''' and '''''passphrase'''''
 #If you're asked to, select an image for your user profile.
 #Ensure you're on the '''''RCS-Community''''' Wi-Fi network.
-##Click the '''''status tray''''' at lower right (it has the time and your battery life).
+#*Click the '''''status tray''''' at lower right (it has the time and your battery life)
-##If you see '''''Connected to RCS-Guest''''', or '''''Connected to RCS-Chromebook''''', click it, select '''''RCS-Community''''', and enter your '''''passphrase'''''.
+#*If you see '''''Connected to RCS-Guest''''', or '''''Connected to RCS-Chromebook''''', click it, select '''''RCS-Community''''', and enter your '''''passphrase'''''.
-#Next update it [https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/177889?hl=en by following these instructions] (in the '''''Check for updates yourself''''' section). Click '''''Done''''' when finished -- no need to wait there.
+#Next update your Chromebook [https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/177889?hl=en by following these instructions] (in the '''''Check for updates yourself''''' section)
-#While you're in settings, check out some of your options. Under '''''Touchpad settings''''' you can reverse your scrolling direction (Chromebook calls this "Australian scrolling"). '''''Google Now cards''''' and '''''OK Google''''' might be useful.
+#*Click '''''Done''''' when finished
-#When your Chrome OS update is ready, you'll see an alert in your status tray. Restart your Chromebook to install the update. Again, [https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/177889?hl=en instructions are here].
+#When your Chrome OS update is ready, you'll see an alert in your status tray. Restart your Chromebook to install the update
+== Learn Keyboard Shortcuts ==
+As with most operating systems, there are some very useful keyboard shortcuts that are worthwhile to explore. Some examples of keyboard shortcuts include:
+{| class="wikitable"
+|+Common Shortcuts
+!Description
+!Shortcut
+|-
+|Copy text
+|CTRL + C
+|-
+|Paste text
+|CTRL + V
+|-
+|Search for text
+|CTRL + F
+|-
+|Undo change
+|CTRL + Z
+|-
+|Redo change
+|CTRL + Y
+|-
+|Caps lock on/off
+|Search + Alt
+|-
+|Lock your screen
+|Search + L
+|-
+|View all shortcuts
+|CTRL + Alt + ?
+|}
+For a more extensive list of shortcuts, you can refer to Google's documentation here: https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/183101?hl=en. The more keyboard shortcuts you know, the easier everything becomes!
+You can also click '''''CTRL + Alt + ?''''' on your Chromebook keyboard to view ALL of the shortcuts you can use.
+== Record Your Screen ==
+It may be useful to take screenshots or to record your screen on the Chromebook. There are two easy ways to do this! One if through the notification tray menu (where you change WiFi networks), and the other is by using keyboard shortcuts.
+Open the menu on the bottom right of your Chromebook screen (where you change WiFi networks) and click on the '''''Screen capture''''' icon. Select the range you want to screenshot by clicking and dragging on your screen, and press '''''Enter''''' on your keyboard to take the screenshot.
+[[File:ScreenshotCB2.png|thumb|198x198px|none]]
+The keyboard shortcut is '''''CTRL + Shift + Windows.''''' See screenshot below for the location of the Windows button on the top row of your keyboard
+[[File:WindowsKeyCB.png|thumb|150x150px|none]]
+== Install Android Apps ==
+Once your Chromebook has been updated, you can use the '''''Google Play Store'''.'' We have curated and tested a set list of apps for you to use. If you are hoping to use an app but cannot search for it in the '''''Google Play Store''''', reach out to a member of the Tech Team at help desk or submit a ticket by emailing support-ticket@riverdale.edu.
-== Optional but important additional steps: ==
+There are a lot of apps you can download for school use! Click on the '''''Google Play Store''''' after clicking on the Chromebook '''''Launcher''''' (bottom left of the screen), and see what you can install on your device!
-#Once updated, you should be able to use the Google Play Store. You'll see it open when you log back in.
+[[File:PlayStoreCB.png|thumb|none]]
-##Click Agree, wait for it to run an update, and then browse our apps
-#Next start learning about Chrome OS with these links:
-##[https://support.google.com/chromebook/?hl=en#topic=3399709 Google's Chromebook tutorials]
-##[https://fieldguide.gizmodo.com/10-tricks-to-make-yourself-a-chromebook-master-1785858810 10 tips (Gizmodo)]
-##And search Google for "Chromebook tutorial" if you want more.
-#Definitely Chrome OS keyboard shortcuts by pressing ctrl+alt+?.
-#*alt+[ , alt+] , alt+- and alt++ are alt-awesome, and there are an alt-ton more.
-#*Trust us, you won't figure them out unless you use ctrl+alt+?.
-#*(Note: the above shortcuts mean you hold alt and press the key after the +.)
-#Try out our awesome Chromebook workflows! We've tested thoroughly this summer and have built a number of methods for getting things done on a Chromebook. Go here for those. In particular, be sure to try out Kami and read up on our workflows that use it.
-#*Note: you are welcome to create your own workflows but we know these will work. We suggest you use these and save your time for building curriculum and teaching it!
-#*One tip: Kami. Install [https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/kami-pdf-and-document-mar/ecnphlgnajanjnkcmbpancdjoidceilk?hl=en&authuser=1 this] and [https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/kami-pdf-and-document-mar/iljojpiodmlhoehoecppliohmplbgeij?hl=en&authuser=1 this], then sign in with your @riverdale.edu address. We'll be using Kami to edit PDFs, including handwritten annotation. It's awesome.
-#*Did we miss something? [mailto:support-ticket@riverdale.edu?subject=RCS%20Chromebook%20app%20workflow%20request&body=Please%20create%20a%20workflow%20for%20... Tell us.]
-#Look for other great apps that could support your teaching in the fall. Browse via [https://play.google.com/store?hl=en this link] (you can't install until we authorize new apps). Then tell us what you found [mailto:support-ticket@riverdale.edu?subject=RCS%20Chromebook%20app&request&body=Please%20review%20and%20allow%20the%20following%20Android%20apps:%20(provide%20links%20to%20Play%20Store%20pages) via e-mail] or [https://support.riverdale.edu via Tech Support request]. For example:
-##[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.foobnix.pdf.reader&hl=en Lirbi Reader] might be a good e-reader (especially if you're named Jason Curry... Jason, check out Musician mode!), but there are a [http://www.androidauthority.com/best-ebook-ereader-apps-for-android-170696/ ton] [https://lifehacker.com/5875516/the-best-ereader-for-android more].
-##If you're a Math teacher, you need to try the [https://play.google.com/store/search?q=geogebra&c=apps&hl=en Geogebra] apps.
-##English and History teachers might be fine with just Kami (links above) for document annotation, but there are plenty of other apps to try out.
-##Science, you say? See whether any of [http://www.sciencefocus.com/feature/tech/10-best-android-science-apps these 10] or [http://bitesizebio.com/9052/14-android-apps-for-scientists/ these 14] suit you. And finally, everyone should browse the Google Play store -- or just do a Google search for "android app" plus your discipline or course.
-#Don't forget about the stylus.
-{{Chromebooks}}