Editor's note: This week our Google for Education team will be joining thousands of educators at Bett in London. At our booth, C230, you can explore a range of Chromebooks, including devices that flip from laptop to tablet, integrate with a stylus and have world facing cameras. Follow along on The Keyword and Twitter for the latest news and updates.

In late 2017, a snowstorm clobbered Wheatley Park School, a secondary school just east of Oxford, England. Determined to continue learning despite the snow, teachers grabbed their Chromebooks and sent a message through Google Classroom to students at home stating “learning must go on!”

In the following days, teachers broadcast live lessons (much to the dismay of would-be sledders) using touchscreen Chromebooks. They used Cast for Education to share screens, and recorded everything so students could watch later with a cup of cocoa in hand. Having Chromebooks “was wonderful to not only satisfy parents but also, genuinely, for learning not to halt,” said Head Teacher, Mr. Martin.

The ability to adapt to unexpected learning scenarios and a wide variety of learning styles is a cornerstone of Chromebooks. At Bett, we’re excited to announce a diverse lineup of 2018 Chromebooks including two next generation Chromebooks: the Lenovo 500e Chromebook and Dell Chromebook 11 2-in-1 5190. With cameras on two sides, stylus capability, larger screens, Intel® Celeron™ processors and laptops that flip into tablets, these Chromebooks are designed to be flexible for students with tools to learn in the way that’s right for them. We are also announcing a range of 2018 Chromebooks from Acer, HP, Dell, Asus and Lenovo in many shapes, sizes and price points, so there’s a device that works for every learner. Check out ourChromebook education site in the coming weeks.

Everyone learning everywhere

As the variety of Chromebooks has expanded, so too has the range of students using them to learn. Today, we’re excited to announce that more than 25 million teachers and students are using Chromebooks for education globally and 30 million teachers and students are using Google Classroom, along with the 80 million using G Suite for Education. Schools in more countries are choosing to use Chromebooks, and we’ve seen educators around the world employ the simplicity of these tools to bring the best learning opportunities to their students.

How schools around the world use Chromebooks for STEAM

Educators in the Ames Community School district in Iowa, U.S., take advantage of Chromebook features like touch screens, stylus and Android apps to reimagine learning and get students into STEAM. Using Tinkercad, middle school students design, proof, and 3D print their own projects with Chromebooks and four 3D printers. These students manipulate designs on touchscreen Chromebooks for in-class projects and in “Tinker Tutorials” during their free time to design a lightsaber or whatever tool they can dream up.

Elementary school students at the Ames school district also use Chromebooks for STEAM. Kindergarteners use their “magic pencils” (as they call stylus pens) to write on their screens and practice counting. First graders open the day’s lesson in Google Classroom by rewriting some code cleverly disguised as a game in the Scratch app. Groups of three and four students use Hummingbird robotics kits and their Chromebooks to bring to life all sorts of loud, blinking, and walking creations. They take turns programming and reprogramming with Sphero (round and rolling robots—think headless BB-8s) and driving them around a racetrack.

We’re constantly inspired by educators who use technology to delight students and engage them more deeply in learning. Stay tuned on The Keyword and Twitter for more shared stories from educators throughout 2018.

Around the world, education has undergone a technological revolution. Cloud-connected devices and learning applications are shaping new ways of teaching and learning. Across Canada, school districts are using Chromebooks and G Suite for Education to expand learning opportunities for students from diverse communities and backgrounds. And now, Futuresource has reported that Chromebooks are the number-one-selling educational device for Canadian K12 schools.

With this news, Canada joins the U.S., Sweden, and New Zealand, where Chromebooks are also the top devices used in classrooms. Futuresource Associate Director Mike Fisher says that the offering of Chromebooks, combined with productivity tools and a management console for IT staff, means that “a growing number of schools are turning to Google when bringing technology into the classroom.”

Here are a few examples of how districts across Canada are using Google’s educational tools:

Giving schools more choice and flexibility

Toronto District School Board, the largest district in Canada, leaves technology purchases up to individual schools. Chromebook usage has soared across the district to 20,000 devices since the first pilot purchases in early 2015. “Hundreds of schools are purchasing Chromebooks out of local school technology budgets,” says Kevin Bradbeer, the school board’s senior manager of client relations. “We're seeing grassroots decisions to choose this platform over three or four other choices.”

Both students and teachers appreciate the quickness of Chromebooks. Bradbeer says students power up their Chromebooks in seconds, so they can get right to work in class.

Affordable devices that bring powerful computing to all students

The Upper Grand School District Board, in Guelph, Ontario, purchased 4,000 Chromebooks in 2013 for special-education students, but found that other students consistently borrowed the Chromebooks to bring into their classrooms. Bill Mackenzie, an Upper Grand information and communication technology consultant says that special-needs students are the “tip of the spear for technology, because if it helps them, it will help everybody.” The district now has 15,000 Chromebooks, about one for every two students, and the number continues to increase.

Edmonton Public Schools has nearly 100,000 students. About 25% of students are immigrants or refugees and part of the district’s diverse English Language Learner population. “Equity of access to technology is a challenge, for sure,” says Terry Korte, a supervisor in District Technology. “We try to avoid the fads and stick with the things that make the biggest difference for teachers and their students.” Chromebooks have helped to make that difference in Edmonton since 2012.

The large Alberta district now has over 46,000 Chromebooks, which was the school’s catalyst for moving into the cloud and using G Suite for Education. “Our goal is to have technology in the hands of students when and where they need it,” Korte adds.

Easy access to a world of apps and content

From a teacher’s perspective, Chromebooks help students learn more effectively by giving them access to a world of educational content. “Chromebooks are inherently networked, so students can find their own way to learn specific concepts online,” says Lance Pedersen, a computer and technology studies teacher at Alberta’s McNally School.

At Edmonton’s Queen Elizabeth School, educators take advantage of the myriad of learning opportunities that Chromebooks and G Suite for Education provide, whether they’re teaching French or guitar.

These Canadian districts all cite the similar advantages that make Chromebooks and G Suite for Education the top choice for classrooms across the country. “When it comes to cost, performance, and reliability,” Toronto’s Bradbeer says, “Chromebooks really are in the sweet spot of all three.”