Hitting the Chromebooks in Dartmouth [OPINION]
In today's age, computer literacy is an integral component of any student's learning plan. By providing pupils with access to the internet, the greatest learning tool ever invented, students gain unprecedented information. From everything I have gathered, it looks like Chromebooks are preferred by many school districts, surpassing iPads and other devices as schools' number one choice. That may also be the case for Dartmouth students in middle and high school.
Jonathan Gallishaw, Dartmouth Public School's technology director, is considering using Chromebooks that students could use and take home, starting perhaps this October if funding can be secured. School officials will determine if using money from accepting students from outside the district will cover most of the expenses.
A Forbes article lists some reasons why educators are choosing Chromebooks over iPads, Netbooks and PCs. Because Chromebooks reduce the amount of time IT administrators spend managing devices, they don't strain the budget and compared to traditional notebooks. Chromebooks are also easier to deploy and manage. So the school district should save money once they get past the initial setup phase.
Teachers will be able to manage tests, textbooks requirements, homework assignments and projects. And get this: since the average school goes through 74 trees' worth of paper every year, the wave of school districts investing in Chromebooks will have an enormous positive impact on our environment. In turn, this will lead to a big reduction in printer ink, hard-copy books and teaching materials as well.
I don't think we should limit our kids to how we learned because they were born in another time, and the time is now to support what Dartmouth Public Schools is considering.
Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.