Use of Chromebooks Expands Access to Knowledge in State Schools

More than just support tools in the classroom, Chromebooks from the "Conecta Educação" program, intuitive and easy-to-use laptops, are becoming great allies in the teaching and learning process in the public state network of Pará. Distributed by the State Government through the State Department of Education (Seduc), the devices are already in the hands of teachers and students, directly contributing to energizing classes, making content more accessible, and facilitating the work of education professionals.

A clear example of this integration was the activity held at Dr. Aníbal Duarte State School in Belém, with 9th-grade students from Elementary School. The proposal combined Art and Technology to encourage students' critical thinking and broaden their worldview, essential skills for text analysis and interpretation. The class focused on strengthening strategies directly related to the Basic Education Assessment System (Saeb).

“I seek to integrate Art with other subjects, such as Portuguese and Mathematics, to strengthen skills required in national assessments. An example is the work on the theme of expressionism, which stimulates students' critical thinking and reflection about themselves and the world around them. This directly contributes to the development of text interpretation, text production, and autonomy in research. Art plays an essential role in this process, broadening the student's perspective and preparing them more comprehensively. Furthermore, the use of Chromebooks has significantly increased student engagement, improving class dynamics,” says Renan Delmont, Art teacher.

Digital inclusion - The arrival of the devices was eagerly awaited by the students of Dr. Aníbal Duarte unit and improved study conditions. “Classes have become cooler, more accessible for us,” said student Antônio Vitor.

“Now we can research things more easily. Before, we had to use the subject book, which took time, and sometimes we didn't even have time to finish the homework. With the Chromebooks, we have time to research, do, and submit everything correctly. When I started here and saw that we would have this tool, I was really excited and couldn't wait to use it. No other school has this, not even my old one. We are definitely studying better with them,” added Antônio Vitor.

Educational platforms - With the use of the Chromebook, students have access to materials digitally and can easily connect to platforms for exercises and assignments, even in the classroom. One of them is the Plurall Platform, a space that allows connecting students, teachers, school managers, and families through access to the Virtual Library with didactic material, a question bank in the Maestro tab, a space for writing, the Nota 1000 Writing tab with online corrections for teachers to use with their students, in addition to expanding the pedagogical management work for optimized result analysis.

One of the greatest advantages of the platform is the personalization of teaching through the development and management of activities, as well as the possibility of pedagogical interventions based on the analysis of participation and performance data, based on detailed evaluation results by student.

Technology as an ally in teaching Geometry

At Deputado Armando Corrêa State School in Ananindeua, the equipment is used to work on geometric shapes, fractions, and percentages, evaluating and reinforcing students' knowledge of geometric figures interactively.

“The use of Chromebooks has been very good. We can learn more using the Plurall Platform. We study more and have more knowledge to open our minds,” says Leonardo Silva, a 5th-grade student at Deputado Armando Corrêa State School.

With the increasing use of digital resources in schools, teachers notice changes in students' interaction with content. According to Lilliane Garcia, a Portuguese Language teacher at Dr. José Márcio Ayres State School in Belém, technology, when well integrated into planning, can increase engagement. She works with 3rd-year high school classes, preparing students for the Saeb assessment based on the discipline's matrix descriptors.

“In the classroom, I notice that by allowing the use of cell phones for research, students already show familiarity with technology. The use of computers and interfaces close to their reality facilitates interaction, as although it is something new, it is also familiar, which increases interest. Digital platforms bring objectivity and directly impact learning,” says teacher Lilliane.

Connectivity in all schools - With the "Conecta Educação" program, each school in the network receives a mobile cart/cabinet with 36 Chromebooks, allowing classrooms to transform into digital laboratories. After ensuring that 100% of state schools are connected to the internet, Seduc now also guarantees equipment for all units. The investment was over R$ 64 million.

Additionally, schools have internet via fiber optics or satellite (Starlink), along with ongoing training for education professionals. The proposal is to universalize access to technology, making public schools in Pará more connected, modern, and prepared for the challenges of current education.

Besides "Conecta Educação", in 2024 Seduc began distributing the "Kits Bora Estudar", which provided satellite internet antennas to schools in the network. As a result, all 975 state schools in Pará have internet, making Pará one of the few states to guarantee 100% connectivity in educational units.

“Schools have already started using the equipment, marking a paradigm shift in Seduc. Laptops and Chromebooks are being incorporated as pedagogical tools, along with Google for Education accounts, expanding the use of digital resources in the school environment. Recently, we had two important practical applications: assessments on climate change, conducted in 90 schools, and an educational simulation. With internet and available equipment, teachers have more support to apply tests, conduct online activities, and access educational platforms, which significantly contributes to improving the quality of classes in the state network,” highlights Jó Elder Vasconcelos, director of Technological Resources at Seduc.

Qualification - To ensure that technological resources are well utilized, Seduc has initiated specific training for state network teachers in partnership with Google for Education. The training aims to qualify teachers for the practical, safe, and pedagogically aligned use of Chromebooks.