By Jordan McGlory, Courier Staff Writer
The bad endurance of Google Chrome laptops leads to people questioning about school district’s decision.
New Haven Unified School District supplied new Google Chrome laptops to all their students two years ago to improve and speed up students’ learning. However, some student’s Chromebooks have been getting seriously damaged and in need of expensive replacements. Insurance and Chromebook cases can protect the Chromebooks to some extent, but the cost of these extra protection defeats the purpose of supply free laptops. It leaves us with the question, “Are Chromebooks really worth it?”
Some classes don’t utilize Chromebooks even though students have them. In a way they are very useful and entertaining when students are bored, but not all teachers are using them effectively. The book room often times does not have Chromebooks ready for students due to the wide demands. Teachers don’t utilize all the functions and features that come with the new technology. For example, teachers can see everything students are doing on their Chromebook as long as they are logged into school email.
Some students I have asked around school have suggested getting different brand laptops or having ipads instead. Ryan Parilla, a student at James Logan, isn’t a fan of the Chromebook and the loaners in the bookroom. Once when his Chromebook wasn’t working, he took it to the bookroom and waited about a month or two just to contact his loaner. His original Chromebook didn’t get returned to him for a long time as well.
I know I’ve had my own issues with Chromebooks too. I’m on my second Chromebook right now and I can already tell I’m going to need a third one and the bill is going to be very expensive. Unfortunately my first one broke and I’m getting billed for it about $200 dollars. I had it in a case before the case broke, then shortly after parts of the Chromebook start falling off and then the screen stopped working. I contacted my loaner and had it for almost the whole school year because my Chromebook took forever to get fixed. Personally, I’m not a fan of the Chromebooks especially since I’m on my second one and it’s already not in the best condition. I’m a senior and I do not want to get billed again for a Chromebook I’m not going to have for a long time. Surely I could take better care of it, but in reality, there’s computer pieces falling off everytime I take it out my backpack.
Chromebooks can be good for students, so are the insurance and other policies that come along with it, but they should have some sympathy for a clumsy young teen like me and other students at logan. Bills are too high already and soon, many may have another one.
