Yes, I believe it is great that many schools now provide devices to students to access classroom materials digitally. The one to one programs enacted by many schools put infinite information at a student’s fingertips. Research for papers or classes has become more efficient and can be done more easily at home. Many school libraries have pivoted from hard copy books to digital research and the role of the school librarian has significantly changed. Most librarians have become pretty savvy with technology in order to adapt to the times. If anything, one good thing that came out of COVID is the one to one programs implemented by many schools. Yes, I said it. There were some positives for education that arose after the shutdowns.
However, as great as this may sound, there are some problems arising. First of all, many schools have been picking a device and sticking with the operating system for the duration of a student’s tenure at school. I’m just estimating, but I would guess that 95% or greater of all districts are using either a Chromebook or iPad for the students as their one to one option. You may ask, “What’s the big deal?” The issue is that businesses post graduation are not using Chromebooks or iPads. Most businesses either use Windows, MacOS, or Linux. Obviously, this will all depend on the business sector, but what they are not using is a Chromebook.
When searching for Chromebooks to purchase, their prices vary greatly. However, it is quick to see why schools are able to satisfy the one to one requirements. The least expensive device I was able to find was a Dell for a little over $62. Some Samsung devices with better hardware and features exceeded the $700 price tag, but these are obviously not the ones being purchased for elementary school students.
The days of opening up Word or Excel don’t exist anymore. Kids today know Google and that's about it. That’s what they feel comfortable with and what they’re sticking with. When I asked my college freshman if he wanted Microsoft Office, he said no…”I’ll just use Docs”. But wait…it only took a few weeks of classes until he realized the world outside of public education operated on programs that were not Google. Additionally mad that they used Blackboard to communicate and not Classroom. The fact that files did not need to be saved to Drive and then downloaded if needed. This was a real eye opener.
Chromebooks are actually quite simple to use. To be honest, they are a great option for older individuals that just need to get on the internet to shop or login to online banking. For less than $300, a person can get a pretty nice browser. They don’t need anything else. Documents can easily be created for whatever is needed. Although, many less advanced users may have issues with file management since the online Google Drive system is often overwhelming to save and retrieve files.
As nice as Chromebooks and iPads may be, they cannot be the only technology a student uses in school. All schools have subject area graduation requirements, but they’re sending graduates out into the workforce or college without proper technology skills. They’ve removed handwriting classes from curriculums, but haven’t placed additional emphasis on the replacement skill of typing. Keyboarding and typing skills should be worked on in every grade, not just once in middle school. Additionally, a student should be introduced to every operating system they may encounter in the real world. For most, this will be Windows and MacOS, but would it hurt to introduce others? All of these skills can easily be taught and introduced in school, but are neglected too often.
TANGENT—> It just seems as though all the requirements we have in public education are based on antiquated thoughts and studies. In many schools, students need 3 years of math, 4 years of ELA, 3 years of science, and 3 years of social studies, and 2 years of physical education. This is great, but students cannot write out checks, address an envelope, or prepare a meal. The majority of all graduates will never use the material from their math and science classes ever again unless it is part of their field. Students take ELA for 4 years but haven’t reviewed the components of a sentence since middle school. They’re learning to text talk and can’t form a complete sentence. What is being neglected are the skills the majority of all students will use post graduation. Family Consumer Sciences? Last time I checked every person will need to cook a meal, do laundry, have home repairs, etc. Computer Literacy skills? I guess learning how to use a computer and other technology is less important than that Algebra 2 class you made me take since that was a requirement to graduate. Ugh…it just really strikes a nerve.
So off that tangent and back to the Chromebooks and iPads. Schools need to do better to prepare these students for life. There is enough to learn with a new job after high school or new classes in college, so why make students learn how to use an entirely new computer system? Chromebooks and iPads are both great inexpensive pieces of technology, but should be used in tandem with other operating systems to fully prepare students for life after graduation.
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