January 2013 marks not only the start of a new year, but also the start of a new era at Hastings High School. The basement science classrooms will be nothing but empty rooms, replaced with a modern, up-to-date science wing. But this is not the only change in store. When the new year rolls around, every student will have been issued his or her very own MacBook Air laptop. The 1-to-1 program would help students in the classroom catch up if they are struggling or speed ahead if they are ready for more challenging material. Despite the benefits the laptops provide, many students have mixed feelings.
“It is both good and bad,” sophomore Lindsay Sharp said.
Some of the biggest concerns for students were problems with the internet and general computer care.
“What happens if the internet shuts down?” Sharp said.
Sophomore Andy Chase was more vocal toward the care of computers.
“There could be problems with the laptops getting destroyed, whether by accident or on purpose, or keys getting taken off,” he said.
Even though there are concerns, there are just as many positives.
“We don’t have to use big books,” Sharp said.
Chase echoed that idea.
“It would take cost off of textbooks, and we would not have to do a bunch of writing,” Chase said.
Overall, students are mostly positive about the laptop program.
“It might be a little better because kids like computers better,” Sharp said.
And it would even the playing field, according to Chase.
“People wouldn’t feel inferior to calculus kids,” he said. “Everyone would have a fair slate.”
This program is helping to incorporate more modern technology into the lives of students and staff at Hastings High, as well as putting a laptop into the hands of every student. It will be a time of change for the school, but it seems it will truly be an exciting new era.
