Three years ago, students and teachers alike were excited and intrigued by the idea of incorporating Chromebooks into our school. The Chromebooks were brought to Canton as a way to make learning easier and get the students accustomed to computers, which will be used for the rest of their lifetimes.

Teachers and students have mixed emotions about Chromebooks after three years of use. The majority of students enjoy using their Chromebooks, but some believe that it is more of a distraction to use than pencil and paper.

“The Chromebooks make it easier because its easier to follow along than it is in the book,” Will Blood, freshman, said.

Some teachers do not think that the Chromebooks are as useful as they were supposed to be. Mrs. Thompson, the math teacher, doesn’t even allow Chromebooks in her classroom. 

One of the main issues with Chromebooks is that they always have to be charged every night. Without their Chromebook being charged, students are unable to work during their classes. Some people definitely struggle with consistently having their Chromebooks charged.

When students do not have their Chromebooks charged, their teachers are forced to find something for their students to do during the class. Sometimes the student has to sit quietly and wait until class is over, or they might get a worksheet.

“If they don’t have their Chromebooks charged, I encourage them to charge it in my class, and if they don’t have their charger, they have to do their assignments on paper,” Mrs. Schiska, junior high teacher, said.

There are a few students who have other issues with their Chromebooks, most of which come from dropping their Chromebooks or falling on them, but others don’t know why their Chromebooks started these odd happenings.

Another issue with the Chromebooks is that if a student breaks it, they will have to figure out a way to still do their classwork. There was an incident where a Chromebook was flung out the window of a moving bus. It was then crushed by a semi-truck following the bus. Today, many students stare at the crumbled pieces of metal, plastic, and wires in wonder anytime Mr. Hampton, the IT director,  shows this destroyed computer.

 “I think Chromebooks are a definite positive for the students,” Mr.Hampton, IT director, said. 

The Chromebooks allow teachers to have more interesting assignments with videos,  websites, and other sources of learning. Using different ways of teaching can make the classes more fun and keep the students captivated easier than traditional learning. 

“I use project based learning. I have my students make slideshows, posters, and other projects as a way to make learning more interesting,” Mrs. Heath,  history teacher, said.

Using Chromebooks teaches students to use technology responsibly. In today’s world, technology will be one of the most important things for people to know how to operate and use. Technology will only advance in the future, so having the students start with Chromebooks is giving them a head start in the world.

“I think that it prepares students for the future because of all of technology’s advancements,” Zada Sherwood, 8th grader, said.

Students used to be gone from school for a few days and get behind on their work, but with the use of Chromebooks, students can stay caught up with their work if they are out of school. As long as the students have WiFi, they can use their Chromebook the same as they can in school. 

“I could see my assignments on Google Classroom and do them before I got back.”Brandon Day, freshman, said.