It has always been difficult to get Biggest to complete homework. As he gets older, the demands on him become more rigorous; he is expected to write more and be more independent. Homework time eats into the time he has the relax, recharge and regulate at home. Biggest is autistic and dyspraxic (sometimes now referred to as Developmental Co-ordination Disorder or DCD) and this means that writing by hand can be a huge challenge for him. Writing just a few words can tire him out and this can make homework an extremely stressful event. He knows what he wants to write and is often full of ideas and knowledge. However, getting it down on paper seems like an almost insurmountable problem. This frustration impacts all areas of his learning. We are optimistic that a Lenovo Chromebook may help to reduce this frustration.
We are delighted to be partnering with Laptop Outlet in order to review the Chromebook 100e and share their ‘Return to Education’ range. This range is aimed at students, teachers and parents of children who are using computers for their education. In addition, they also work in tandem with Microsoft, looking to make tech accessible for all, including both those with physical disabilities and those with invisible disabilities like dyslexia or ADHD, and of course Autism and Dyspraxia.
Accessible Education
Since the global pandemic began, the focus on remote learning and technology in education has become more important than ever before. This means children need access to affordable, robust and easy-to-use technology. Lenovo prides itself on making laptops that are “ready for whatever life throws” at them. Every Lenovo device built for Education is designed and tested to withstand the everyday rough handling and have a charge that lasts a full day.
In addition, it is easy to set up Lenovo devices with and you can manage the laptop a child is using from a central console in the cloud. This makes it easy to keep an eye on your child and ensure their safety online.
Lenovo work in partnership with Microsoft to ensure that all students have access to the world on online and collaborative learning, with Lenovo smart collaboration devices and Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
Inclusive learning environments
Lenovo and Microsoft work to make learning accessible and inclusive in so many ways –
- Screen readers.
- Captions, translations and transcriptions and Alt text for blind users
- Reading tools that help the 15% of people who have dyslexia
- Seeing AI App that aids people who are blind or low-vision
- Ease of Access center that enables students to change content size, apply color filters, and more across the whole operating system—tailoring Windows to their individual needs
- Learning Tools, including Immersive Reader, enable students to customize text size and color, understand sentences through grammar highlighting, and activate text-to-speech or dictation
These are just a few of the ways that Lenovo hopes to empower students. I was truly impressed by their dedication to all students and the thought that has gone into ensuring that all have access to this kind of learning technology.
Lenovo 100e Chromebook – Our Thoughts
The laptop was extremely easy to set up. The time from plugging it in up to Biggest starting to complete homework was under five minutes, though I did already have a Microsoft account to sign into so this may add a few steps for some users.
The laptop is light and compact, meaning it was easy for both children to pick up and use. This has been an issue when they try to use my work laptop. It is heavy and bulky as I need a computer that can cope with huge files for editing videos and photographs. I felt entirely happy letting them use the laptop with minimal supervision and letting them move it around by themselves.
The interface is very simple and the desktop is uncluttered. I did not need to purchase or download Microsoft products to get Biggest started on his homework projects about the Vikings. I simply logged on to my account and used the online version of Word.
Biggest used BBC Bitesize and Word to create a Biography of Alfred the Great. He worked on this task, ENTIRELY INDEPENDENTLY for 40 minutes. This is honestly four times longer than he would usually last. He was extremely happy working the laptop on his own. He was able to pick it up and move around without trouble. Biggest needs to be able to move around and stim in order to regulate. A laptop that is light enough for him to move with him is ideal. The laptop is robust and affordable. I was happy for him to move between sitting and standing while he worked and move the laptop with him.
I truly believe that this kind of laptop available to Biggest at all times will make a huge difference to the levels of frustration he feels when trying to complete homework, especially writing tasks.
Overall, the Lenovo Chromebook 100e is the perfect laptop to introduce to students. It is affordable, robust and user-friendly, meaning it is perfect for smaller hands. The huge range of accessible features means it is perfect for any student. Older children who may now need a laptop for coursework or college will find this is perfect. Students with disabilities who may need a laptop to make all elements of their learning accessible will also find that Lenovo, in partnership with Microsoft, has a huge amount to offer. This will be a great resource for both of my children as homework becomes more extensive. I think Littlest very much enjoyed writing some poetry on it too!
Please note, this is a paid collaboration with Laptop Outlet. Please see our Disclosure Policy for more information.