Set Up a Chromebook

This article is...

	Some getting started tips on Chromebooks.
	Intended for Employees and Students
	Categorized under Classroom Technology and Systems and Chromebooks
	Maintained by Matthijs van Mierlo
	Up-to-date for the 2022-2023 school year.

Absolutely necessary steps:

1. Turn on your Chromebook using the power button to the right of the keyboard.
2. Sign in to your Chromebook using your RCS username and passphrase.
3. If you're asked to, select an image for your user profile.
4. Ensure you're on the RCS-Community Wi-Fi network.
   1. Click the status tray at lower right (it has the time and your battery life).
   2. If you see Connected to RCS-Guest, or Connected to RCS-Chromebook, click it, select RCS-Community, and enter your passphrase.
5. Next update it by following these instructions (in the Check for updates yourself section). Click Done when finished -- no need to wait there.
6. 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.
7. When your Chrome OS update is ready, you'll see an alert in your status tray. Restart your Chromebook to install the update. Again, instructions are here.

Optional but important additional steps:

1. Once updated, you should be able to use the Google Play Store. You'll see it open when you log back in.
   1. Click Agree, wait for it to run an update, and then browse our apps
2. Next start learning about Chrome OS with these links:
   1. Google's Chromebook tutorials
   2. 10 tips (Gizmodo)
   3. And search Google for Chromebook tutorial if you want more.
3. 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 +.)
4. 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 this and 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? Tell us.
5. Look for other great apps that could support your teaching in the fall. Browse via this link (you can't install until we authorize new apps). Then tell us what you found via e-mail or via Tech Support request. For example:
   1. Lirbi Reader might be a good e-reader (especially if you're named Jason Curry... Jason, check out Musician mode!), but there are a ton more.
   2. If you're a Math teacher, you need to try the Geogebra apps.
   3. 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.
   4. Science, you say? See whether any of these 10 or 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.
6. Don't forget about the stylus.