Chromebooks transform Digital History Class at Hartford High School

Students in my Advance U.S. History class who used Chromebooks to prepare for the SAT II: History Subject Test last year scored higher on the History portion of the test than any other year.

Michael Hathorn, history teacher

Challenge

Hartford High School in Vermont was ill-equipped to meet student and faculty technology needs. With internet connectivity available only in computer labs and a limited number of laptops and computers, students had sporadic access to technology at school. When Michael Hathorn began teaching his Digital History course, he wanted to improve this issue and give his students a truly immersive digital experience in the classroom.

Solution

In 2010, Hartford High School piloted 30 Google Chromebooks for Education in the classroom. The following year, all Digital History students were given Chromebooks at the beginning of the semester. Loaded with Google tools, such as YouTube and Google Docs, Digital History has indeed become 100% digital. Everything in the class--from the initial research to the final website and presentation--is done using Chromebooks. Students are not only more engaged, but they collaborate much more. The Chromebooks have been very helpful for standardized test preparation online, with significant improvement in student test scores.