The much-anticipated devices have finally arrived at Towson. Despite my own personal reservations to using them in an everyday classroom scenario, they’ve really grown on me. As a senior trying to complete countless college applications and even more essays, having a laptop for the sole purpose of doing school work has been a godsend. The easy access and simple organization have made doing college apps and the like that much less stressful.  

Everything today is online, and the amount of our daily lives that is connected to the internet is growing, making it more important than ever to gain skills and experience using technology in a multitude of new ways. The devices add a new versatility to the classroom so that even though they aren’t always needed, they can allow students to be able to easily submit assignments and keep makes it impossible for things to get lost or destroyed.   

There have been some complaints about the restrictive web filter and Wi-fi issues with the devices so far, but that was more a lack of planning by the school system than anything. Yes, they often don’t work, and we can’t use Google, but the benefits outweigh the annoying glitches and faults. When they do work, we have access to more information and tools than ever before.  

The main issue with the devices is the lack of sustained usage by students.  Then devices are only useful if they’re used to their potential. That’s not to say they need to be used every class period, but the more work that you do on the devices, the more helpful they become. Like high school, these devices have given us the biggest benefit, even if some of the student body has been resistant to the idea at first. Come springtime, students will probably have changed their minds.  

The devices appear to be becoming cornerstones of a 21st-century education, and it’s time to fully embrace the change. The world is different than it was ten, twenty years ago, so having these devices gives us a leg up on the new world.