Out with the old, in with the glow
With chromebooks growing in popularity in the classroom, many students find themselves going digital and leaving the books on the shelf.
Students have had their fair share of disputes regarding the use of chromebooks for the 2016-2017 school year. Technology in the classroom is opening doors to a new and innovative way to teach. While high-tech may be the way that the field of education is headed, students also have to adapt to the new ways.
“I think it is growing pains for everybody, students and teachers,” said Dawn Oler, Family and Consumer Sciences Dept. Chair. “Chromebooks are great but… everybody has had [issues].”
Many students begin class by grabbing their chromebook and linking to the teacher’s plans.
Students have found technology being slowly implemented into their day to day lesson plans. The chromebooks are easy to use for students to take quizzes, to write essays, and to share documents with their peers.
“We do a lot of peer reviewing through google docs, we do a lot of reading quizzes, we do free writing on [Chromebooks], and sometimes we have virtual class discussions, where we have a shared document and people comment as class notes,” said Maura Mulligan, junior.
Chromebooks are a simple and fast way to take notes that allow access from many different platforms. Notetaking digitally is a simple and efficient way to pay attention in class.
“I like the utility and efficiency of using a computer and the organization it provides,” Mulligan said.
With technology becoming more and more accessible, it may only be a certain amount of time until pen and paper is a thing of the past.
Next year, when students are suppose to receive personal Chromebooks, digital textbooks will lighten the load of the backpack. However, not all students are thrilled with the idea of going digital.
“I like reading a lot better with pen and paper, but I like the utility and efficiency of using a computer and the organization it provides,” Mulligan said.
Many people prefer to stick to the old fashioned methods when it comes to note taking. When the Chromebooks offer such easy access many teachers next year may plan to use laptops for note taking.
“More [textbooks] may be found online, but students should have the option [to take notes by hand],” Oler said.
Classwork on computers requires the students’ ability to type fast and pay attention to the lesson simultaneously.
“I’m a slow typer so if I’m in a time crunch it’s hard to keep up,” Mulligan said.
Technology in school requires an adjustment period, but when used for the right purposes, it can present a very welcome change to class.
