Individual tablets or computers for students

It is getting more evident that classes are getting more and more reliant on online resources. Some schools have even started issuing laptops or iPads to students instead of or along with textbooks. There are definitely many pros for doing this like less to carry around with you every day and there is less of a chance for forgetting something at home or losing it. But there are also some negatives, for example I personally don’t like taking tests online. Or I would rather read out of a real book than look at a screen for a couple hours after school.

Overall I think more schools should start giving out laptops or iPads because it would cut down on the use of paper, take up less room in students backpacks, and keep things more organized and together in one place. Doing homework would be so much easier because you wouldn’t have to deal with a thousand papers and worksheets that you have to keep track of. Everything would be in the same place and right at your fingertips. Plus, if you need to quickly look something up it is right there as well. One of my big issues is reading off the screens, but I am sure that teachers have extra textbooks that I could take home if I asked. Also since most of your homework would be on your device, the chances of you forgetting about something or loosing is goes way down. I can say from personal experience that backpacks can get really heavy. So if we can replace binders, textbooks, notebooks, and whatever else with one device it would make my life a lot easier and school a little more bearable.

The major concerns that most schools would probably have for doing this is: cost, students not getting distracted in class, students being able to use it at home, and just how effective and useful they would be. I don’t know how much it would cost, or who would pay for it, but I do think the individual devices are worth the cost. The school will save a lot of money on all the paper they don’t have to use anymore and usually there should be grants the school can get to help pay for things like this. As for whether students will be distracted or not, I think the students who pay attention now will still be able to with iPads or computers to work off of. I believe this because nearly every student already has a cell phone with them at school that is equally if not more distracting during class.  So, the students who can handle having a cell phone can also handle having a computer. I do realize that some students are unable to get internet at their houses. I think that it will be okay, because homework should really only require programs that don’t need the internet, like Microsoft word. I mean I am not an expert and cannot say that with one hundred percent certainty, but those students probably already have ways of dealing with that issue because teachers still sometimes give out assignments that require internet access.

Helpful Hint: If you are like me and don’t really like taking tests online, then usually if you ask the teacher they will be able to give you a hard copy. I mean unless it is a standardize test that is only available online, teachers usually have hard copies with them.

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