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Chrome OS has rolled out another incremental update. While we suspected that it was just a fix for the Lenovo C340-11’s Wi-Fi issues, it appears that there is a lot more under the hood than we expected. The announcement was made via the official Chromebook Support Forum. Normally, update announcements are reserved for milestone versions. (Updates from a whole version number to the next, i.e. M79 to M80.) So, what makes this update so special?
Well, considering the current state of affairs around the world, millions of students are left learning from home with educators shifting to non-traditional learning via the web. I can’t speak for the rest of our nation, but my daughter’s school and more specifically here teacher, have done an exceptional job of making the transition as pain-free as possible. Still, there are hiccups and that is especially true when you are dealing with Chromebooks that are managed by Family Link.
Some of the resources used by students that are learning from home are not accessible by default when using a managed device. More specifically, there are a number of EDU and chat extensions that cannot be install when logged into a child’s Family Link account an that’s exactly what this update was intended to address.
Per the announcement from the communities Product Support Manager Alisha, the update has added the ability for Family Link child accounts to install the following extensions to aid in the homeschooling process. These seven extensions are just the first in a list that will continue to grow in the coming weeks and months.
- Zoom
- Time4Learning
- Google Dictionary
- Voice in Voice Typing
- Auto Highlight
- LucidChart
- Hangouts
These extensions are accessible from the managed account via the Chrome Web Store but may require additional permissions from the parental account or your student’s school. As with any software, please be mindful of what permissions are enabled by looking at installed extensions. You can find those on your child’s Chromebook by heading to chrome://extensions. Each app and extension has a “details” button where you can view which permissions are enabled by each. You can read the full announcement about this update here.
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Special thanks to Jessica B. for sharing this update.
