New year, new technology! Along with La Cañada High School’s several changes, seventh through ninth graders are now required to bring Chromebooks to each of their core classes for notes, classwork, and tests. This new approach to schoolwork has become vital to students’ grades and education.
Mandatory chromebooks are beneficial because they save paper, make schoolwork more efficient, and keep most assignments organized onto a portable laptop. Because all students’ work is done online, they are responsible for bringing their Chromebooks to school. If they don’t, they are docked participation points. This punishment motivates students to bring their Chromebook everyday for a more productive classroom environment.
“I love Chromebooks! They make us less distracted, and it’s easier to access because of globalization. They’re fun to use and easier for group projects,” said Noah Truong (9).
Although the use of Chromebooks has had positive impacts on both students and teachers, there are still certain negative aspects to the new policy. Laptops do not always come cheap. Luckily, if a student cannot afford a Chromebook, he/she is given the opportunity to rent one from the school. This raises the question of whether the price of these required laptops are too expensive.
According to freshman, Josette Segismundo, she says, “Chromebooks can be a pain to use. They break easily, and my sister and I have had to buy a total of four of them because they broke easily.”
Chromebooks now range between $249-$399, with an additional $30 fee for management and support.
Josette added, “We aren’t allowed to bring other laptops, such as MacBooks. If we don’t have a Chromebook, but have a different laptop brand, we aren’t permitted to bring it and have to buy a separate laptop just for classwork.”
Although these technological advancements are considered efficient, lowerclassmen believe that the process of using a Chromebook is slightly problematic.
Education wise, Tyler Grandalski says, “They’re unnecessary because writing on pen and paper is easier on the mind and the thought process. Classical writing allows the mind to expand on new ideas.”
For students who have grown up using pen and paper, there is still room to get used to typing on the Chromebooks. A common issue that these freshmen have with the use of laptops is the expenses as well as their mental growth.
The integration of technology in our school system is relatively new and still has room for growth. Although this new change in schoolwork is almost sudden and slightly problematic, this does not affect La Cañada High School’s growth in advancing the school. As the school year starts, there will be plenty of new strategies and uses regarding the Chromebook.
