As a pen touches the permission slip and a name is swiftly written across the dotted line, a whole world is opened up for students. After teachers receive the individuals forms, they’re allowed usage of a portable laptop called a Chromebook.
Chromebooks are being distributed throughout the four core classes for the students to have access to the opportunities they provide.Chromebooks were given to the Springdale School District as part of the Race To The Top Grant and Har-Ber received around 1,200 devices.
Notes can be easily typed, as well as information easily found by simply typing it into the search bar. With the internet at our fingertips, tasks are completed far faster than having to deal with books and writing down everything.
Amy Johnson’s english classes are taking advantage of Google Plus. With the Chromebooks, students are not just “getting to use a computer”, they are gaining knowledge about the opportunities and the abilities they have with their computer.
With Chromebooks, students are learning about many ways for other classmates to view and edit their work with the program “Google Chrome”. You can get on and do your own work and send it into your teacher without having to deal with anything actually in your hand.
When the work is sent to the teacher, it can be edited by the instructor or they can comments about your piece. While sending it to your teacher, you could send work to other classmates if you’re working in groups. Multiple people can view and work on a single document at a time.
Although allowing an entire class of students to use laptops is a big responsibility, it also raises the students’ attitudes and self esteem. When you allow young adults to be responsible for more things or have more freedom it makes them feel older. I feel more professional and more prone to take what I’m doing seriously if I’m working on a computer rather than on paper.
The computers prepare students for the next couple of years whether it is in college or not. Once you leave high school or college and enter the workforce, no one uses pen and paper. Some type of electronic device is used for you to be able to type on, so with us starting it off now, it helps us immensely.
Taking your textbook home every night in classes such as math is a hastle. Teachers have mentioned that you can use your “online textbook”, but they don’t reveal how to follow through with that. Using the Chromebooks in class has made me realize how easy most things are off the schools website, and overall has saved me a lot of time.