Technology can always be a hot topic of conversation.  This can range from common consumer grade products to building a space shuttle. In schools, basic technology is normally what is used.  The students don’t often have top of the line, brand new computers or software but are stuck with the old, out-dated items. This is disadvantageous to Ipswich High students because they are not familiarizing themselves with the best software.  When asked the question; “What are the benefits of new technology in schools?” Mr. Sidmore answered, “There are many benefits of new technology, they are learning 21st century skills for students and practice for the real world.  New technology provides fast and effective ways to complete work and make it available for teachers. The ability for the teachers to receive their work electronically and quickly allows them to do their jobs professionally.”  Mr. Sidmore, an English teacher at the high school and head of the yearbook class, has experienced the positive change of upgrading to new technology over the past couple of years.   He is the only teacher in the school whose classroom consists of all new technology.

Many students have their own laptops or tablets that they bring to school because they enjoy using their own technology more than the schools.  The most popular items that are usually brought from home are either MacBooks or iPads: Apple brand products.  Students like to use these products better than the schools because they are typically faster than the computers used in schools. One of my friends, a student here at Ipswich High School brings his laptop to school when he needs to do any work online.  He likes to use his MacBook because it is more reliable, can hold a charge, and is faster than what the school has to offer. When Ryan was asked, “Why do you bring your own laptop to school when you know that you will be able to either use a school laptop or computer?” He responded with “I am more familiar with my laptop so I like using it better than the schools laptops.  If the school had MacBooks or iPads available for me to use I wouldn’t need to bring my own in because I would be using the same software that I am most comfortable with.”  Maybe if there was newer technology offered, students may have more of an incentive to get work done on machines that don’t cause as much frustration.

With every change there are pros and cons.  With this change one of the cons would be cost.  The cost of all new technology would be very expensive at this point because only one building in the entire school has the new technology.  Another con would be that eventually it all becomes out of date.  Any piece of new technology is only temporarily new.  In just a couple of months a newer model will be released and distributed across the country or world, and the laptop you just purchased and call “new” is no longer new. In a school, if you want to always have the best products and software you always have to be upgrading.  The disadvantage here is the ongoing plan to upgrade.  This would be very stressful for any tech team because they could never fall behind or they would be easily crushed by all of the work that they have to make up.

There are many positives and few negatives about obtaining new technology in schools. I hope after reading this article you have expanded your knowledge on the benefits that new technology brings to students.