 | 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. |
Basic Chromebook 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 helpful 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:
| 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 |
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!
Capture or 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
Installing 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!
Other Chromebook tips
- Once updated, you should be able to use the Google Play Store. You'll see it open when you log back in.
- Click Agree, wait for it to run an update, and then browse our apps
- Next start learning about Chrome OS with these links:
- Google's Chromebook tutorials
- 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 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- If you're a Math teacher, you need to try the 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 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.
- Don't forget about the stylus.