High school can seem like a world separate from technology, but new computers are finding ways in, even if students have to bring them themselves.

Educational technologist, David Hoffman, has seen an increase in the number of students who bring their own laptops to school.

“It’s more every year,” Hoffman said. “If I had to guess, I’d say that one in 10 students have a laptop that they bring in [CHS].”

Hoffman believes that students first began bringing laptops seven years ago, when district teachers were issued their own. Since then, the number of students bringing them has grown. Hoffman estimated that there could be 90 to 120 students that bring their laptops from home on a daily basis.

“In the library there’s always some [laptops],” Hoffman said. “Generally at any time of the day there are five or more laptops open and being used.”

Administrators can’t view student activities on laptops, but Hoffman is not concerned.

“Even though [students] are using our network, it hasn’t been a problem, so I don’t really worry about that,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman feels that laptops could help raise student grades if implemented throughout the school district.

“There are a lot of studies that show schools that have gone to a one-to-one initiative have students that have improved,” Hoffman said. “For example, Maplewood and Richmond Heights from fifth grade on issue every student a Mac laptop, and they have seen their test scores rise considerably. So that absolutely helps.”

The Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment (JTLA) held a study in which random students were given laptops in a “laptop immersion program.” After comparing the grades from the lap-top-using students to the non-laptop-using students after a year of school, they wrote the following statement:

“Students who did participate in the program tended to earn significantly higher test
scores and grades for writing, English-language arts, mathematics, and overall Grade Point Averages (GPAs).”

One of the students at CHS who brings a laptop is freshman Andy Hodapp. He says he brings his laptop to school because it helps him with his school work.

“I think it’s a more effective way to get work done,” Hodapp said. “It’s a much cleaner way that using all of that paper.”

Hodapp brings his laptop to several of his classes. He is not the only student who does thi, Senior Charlie Beard says that last year, he also used his laptop during class.

“I used [the laptop] last year to take notes in biology and history, so I basically used it every day.” Beard said.

Beard’s teachers were fine with him bringing his computer to class.

Although students can benefit from bringing their laptops to school, there are short term problems that arise. At CHS, the strain from laptops, iPods and other Wi-Fi devices is slowing down Internet connections.

“Our wireless system needs some upgrades,” Hoffman said. “It’s starting to be taxed pretty well by all these laptops and iPods that are coming in and getting on, and it kind of gets the band-width eaten up, but we’re doing okay so far.”

Hoffman hopes that the wireless system will be revamped or replaced within the next few years.

“Our [chief information officer], who is head of technology for the district, is looking for a better system that will allow more users,” Hoffman said. “He’s checking into that now, so hopefully within a year or two we will have something better.”

Until then, students will have to cope with the current connection.

Whether or not the wireless system will be upgraded is an uncertainty. What seems clear to students and teachers alike is that the number of students who bring laptops will continue to increase.

“In ten years if you did this same interview, I think it would be how many students don’t have laptops; it would be hardly any,” Hoffman said. “It’s coming down the road.”

The complete report by the JTLA can be found at: http://escholarship.bc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1052&context=jtla