Over time, the look and feel of the classroom doesn’t seem to have changed, but the opportunities students have now have advanced. Computers were introduced in the early 1980’s with little impact on education due to the lack of resources. Today, Chamblee High School can provide every student with a laptop free of charge. Students today don’t often notice how impactful technology is on their education because they don’t know life without it; many have grown to rely on technology for their education.
“If we stopped using technology in school, it would have a negative impact because we are so used to it and it would be a hard switch,” said Farah Dakhli (‘28).
Likewise, students feel that without technology, productivity would decline because of the loss of helpful resources.
“It would be bad if we didn’t use technology in school because there are so many resources online to help build students’ understanding of topics. For example, [students can use] tutorials on YouTube or various other resources to study, like Quizlet,” said Sarah Fadjariza-Dumais (‘27). “Textbooks can also be expensive, so online PDF’s are very helpful to students and teachers.”
Although, some students believe it could be beneficial to classrooms if only the teachers had access to online resources.
“[Removing technology] wouldn’t be horrible, but it would depend on the degree of no use,” said Madiha Sayeed. “As long as teachers are still able to use their ViewSonic boards for PowerPoint notes, a reduction in technology use could be positive. This could be beneficial to reduce distraction in schools, but we should have some sort of platform for communication, such as Google Classroom or Canvas.”
Some students claim they would be content without technology due to alternative in-person resources.
“I like writing on paper because the motion of writing words helps me remember notes,” said Fadjariza-Dumais. “It helps me associate words connected to the topics by physically writing it out, whereas on the computer the motion for typing does not vary enough for my brain to make the connection.”
Technology has positive effects on the teacher’s part, creating a more cohesive environment.
“Doing our assignments online makes it easier for our teachers to grade and less likely for them to lose our papers,” said Justin Mumick (‘27).
While school-issued computers have been a positive addition to schools, some students have complained about the operation of these devices.
“I use a personal device because the school blocks too much,” said Sayeed. “I also like to have the option to do other things on my laptop when we have nothing to do in class.”
While some have complaints, other students see more benefits of Chamblee High School providing computers to students.
“I use a school device because it has all the apps we need for school,” said Schulze. “Computers can be expensive too, so it’s pretty cool that our school can afford to give them to our students.”
Using technology in school is very common for every student day-to-day; removing devices has the potential to put a dent in the education system.
“I use technology for almost every class,” said Hannah Schulze (‘27). “I use a computer and sometimes my phone for Quizlet.”
