Out With the Old, In With the New!

Allison Ferreira ’16

Imagine that your class is about to start. The teacher connects his or her laptop to the Smart board (used daily in all classes) and then the laptop freezes. The teacher’s lesson plan is put on pause and five to ten minutes of class time is disappears. Personally, I can say that I fully understand my teacher’s frustration with slow laptops because I used to have a laptop that lagged and crashed constantly. It is time to end this deeply-rooted frustration. NDA should change to a uniform laptop policy. Here is my solution: A friend of mine who attends a top American school in Korea told me that his school requires every student to purchase an Apple laptop (Mac) in their Freshman year. The model does not necessarily matter, but I would suggest the MacBook Pro.

Why Apple? Macs are not only easy to carry around school in backpacks, but they are the newest and fastest technology available on the market. Also, in college and in your career, it is very likely that you and the students around you or employers will all be using Apple technology. Students at my friend’s school fully own the computer, not the school, and students could take it to college with them if they wanted to when they graduated. The cost of the laptop would be included in the Freshman or 7^th grade tuition. I agree that NDA should not own the laptop and keep it after graduation, but the student should keep it for all four years so that they can have the option to take it to college with them (because your Mac will last longer than four years).

I can fully attest to the fact that Macs are the fastest laptops on the market. When my slow laptop crashed this summer in the midst of an intensive summer program and college applications, I later needed to buy a new laptop. I bought a MacBook Pro out of necessity, and it was one of the best investments that I have ever made. Although the product is expensive, it enables students to work more efficiently, quickly, and save time and frustration while working on assignments and projects. Additionally, the work that I am able to produce is my best yet. I am amazed at the videos and PowerPoint presentations that I am able to create full of vibrant colors and images. I can efficiently write research papers full of information from numerous websites. I can also watch flipped classroom videos online without the frustration of my teacher’s voice lagging or pausing because of a slow functioning internet.

As a senior, I do not want other students to have to waste their class time waiting for laptops to work or see their teachers understandably frustrated. Moreover, I want students to be able to learn fully, and appreciate online learning and experimentation without the frustration of technology. This is the direction that I would like my school to take in the future. Of course STEM summer programs and changes to the AP curriculum and school culture are essential with the now complete middle school. As students, I remind us that we have a responsibility to speak up when we feel in our hearts that there are feasible changes that can make NDA even better than it already is.

Laptops: One for All, but not All for One!

Amy Ferreira ’16

In today’s technology age, it is nearly impossible to be a student without access to a computer. Let’s face it: my Bioethics teacher would not be too pleased if I passed in a ten-page research paper that is hand-written. At NDA, we are fortunate enough to have laptops and iPads at our disposal in the classroom, and desktops in our wonderful IBM Lab. However, as technology is rapidly evolving, we must evolve, too. The best way for NDA to keep up with technology and to nurture learning in the classroom is to issue each student her own laptop, while also providing students with the option of bringing their preferred device from home.

Providing students with laptops or permitting students to bring their personal device would alleviate many of the technology issues that students often experience. I would no longer have to spend much of my class or study period waiting for a laptop to recognize my username and identity in order to gain access into my account. For instance, when my English teacher presents us with the option to type an in-class essay, I choose my trusted pen and paper instead. I’ve realized that by the time the computer recognizes who I am, much of my valuable class time will have already passed. With my own laptop, I could be signed into my account at all times and eliminate wasted time gaining access to a computer.

Providing students with laptops would facilitate classroom learning. There would no longer be instances in which I’m unable to access a laptop or iPad because a cart was not signed out beforehand. For example, when my U.S. History teacher finished her lesson plan early and provided the class with time to work on our group Power Point presentations, the iPad and laptop carts were unavailable. We were limited to our textbooks and notebooks, and we weren’t able to accomplish much. Having devices at hand would have been extremely beneficial in such instances.

As a senior at NDA, I feel that having a laptop with me at all times would have been extremely helpful throughout my high school career. The option of NDA issuing each student her own laptop seems to me the best way to ensure that each student has access to a computer in school. However, I oppose the notion of forcing one to use a designated laptop because it is extremely constricting, and both unfavorable and unfair to students and parents who have already spent hundreds of dollars on a laptop. Personally, I am very comfortable using and my personal laptop and would love to have the luxury of using it in school. Keeping this option available for students to bring their own laptops available is critical.

As a college preparatory high school, NDA should look towards the models of the many universities that issue students a designated laptop (factored into the tuition), but also enable students to bring their own if they wish. However, it is critical that students who choose to bring their own devices are not forced to purchase the one chosen by the administration.

The new changes occurring under President Collins, including future technology initiatives, are extremely exciting. I only wish I could have had the opportunity to experience them, too!