BY CAMPBELL SUMMERS, Freshman
BLYTHEWOOD-- Technology has been integrated more into Blythewood High School in the past few years, and teachers have mixed feelings on the transition.
“I like it,” English teacher Erin Zehner said. “I think that our world and future is so rooted in technology that it only makes sense to help the students learn with it.”
It’s no surprise that the future is technologically oriented, and homes and workplaces have already adapted, or are adapting, to accommodate their digital friends. Schools, however, are split on evolving or staying the same.
Already, 89 percent of high school students have access to smartphones, and 33 percent are issued school devices in a 2013 study conducted by Project Tomorrow.
One example of how schools are allowing their students access to technology is with the use of Google Chromebooks.
Chromebooks tap into Google’s Chrome operating system, and allow students to use Google Drive, Google Classroom, and many more educational apps run by the company.
“I like Chromebooks,” Biology teacher Kimberly Scott said. “It gives all students access to technology.”
However, Chromebooks do have a negative side.
“Chromebooks are a great option to have in place of a PC,” Geography teacher Richard Dyer said. “There are some applications that I would like to use in the classroom that can only be installed on a PC however; that's the only downside.”
School issued devices come with monitorization and filtering of inappropriate and off-topic sites and apps, but students are finding ways around the protective wall.
Many students play games on their Chromebooks, or open up Gmail to chat with friends, which causes them to be distracted and lose focus on learning.
“Us kids will slack off either way,” Junior Teagan Dillon said. “The Chromebook is actually just a way to play more games.”
However, despite some students decisions, Chromebooks continue to be the leading choice of devices for many schools. Richland School District 2 is among the top school districts to incorporate Chromebooks into daily student life, according to a 2014 study by Education Week.
