Special Section: Laptops

LAPTOP SPECIAL EDITION

EDUCATION FOR THE MODERN AGE DISTRACTIONS page 3

NO PAPER pages 4-5

SOFTWARE page 6

TRANSITIONS page 7

2 | laptops

EDUCATING THROUGH APPLE District elementary and middle schools are now integrating iPads into the classroom

written by Michael Kraske photo illustration by Katie Lamer

S

tarting this school year, Apple products were introduced in the Shawnee Mission School District. Every high school student in the district received a MacBook Air laptop. Ten elementary schools were given iPads for students this year, and the 23 remaining elementary schools will get them next year. IPads were also distributed at Indian Hills Middle School this year.

At Indian Hills, the iPads have been helpful in many ways, according to Principal Dr. Scott Sherman. The main goal of the new technology was to replace textbooks and to save money, which Sherman said has worked.

“The majority of assignments are now done electronically,” Sherman said. “Students and teachers have really adapted well, and student engagement is way up, they’re more interested in working on the iPads which is the main benefit of them.”

Major uses of the iPads include Google Classroom, which students’ access through their district Gmail accounts. In Google Classroom, teachers can post assignments, where kids can access them and turn them in electronically. Another tool used with the iPads is the Notability app, which allows students to electronically edit worksheets. In P.E., students can track their athletic progress on their iPads.

Sherman said that iPads are increasing student engagement as well, which has had a huge impact on the students’ education.

“Students are more engaged in class because of their background with technology,” Sherman said. “The iPads are more fun to learn on, and you can do more things with the rigor and relevance and do more with the iPads.”

According to Westwood View Elementary School Principal Susan Knight, iPads have been a success there as well.

But students aren’t the only ones benefiting from the new technology. Although it took a while for teachers to get used to this new technology, they’ve benefited in multiple ways, according to Knight.

“It wasn’t easy getting used to the technology, but once we all became familiar with them, the impact has been huge,” Knight said. “Teachers can have students do their morning work on the iPads, rather than having them write it all out and turn it in to be graded, which saves time and energy of the teachers.”

Another way Westwood View has incorporated the iPads into education is through the third grade tree diary project. In the past, kids planted trees and made a diary showing the progress the trees were making over a few months. Now, the kids take pictures of the trees and create an iMovie slideshow.

1.5 MILLION IPADS

American students currently use 1.5 million iPads, but this number is expected to rise significantly in the next five years

20,000 LEARNING APPS There are currently over 20,000 learning and education apps available for iPads

“The iPads allow us to do things we’ve always done in different ways,” Knight said.

“Being able to make changes to a project that we’ve been doing here for years is great, and the kids love it.”

Additionally, Westwood View has incorporated computer programming into their day. Students have been participating in the Hour of Code, an international movement reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries. The goal is getting kids to learn code and computer programming as early as possible. No prior code experience is necessary.

“You learn these little coding games, you know send this guy from here to here, give him directions, it’s very cool,” Knight said.

Although principals and teachers have found many benefits from the iPads, a recurring concern is the amount of screen time kids are getting. Now that students at these schools have access to this technology daily, concerns have risen about the amount of screen time kids should be getting.

“About a month ago I asked teachers, ‘so now that we’ve got the iPads, how often do you have your kids using them?’” Knight said. “And it ranged from kindergarten maybe ten percent of the time, to sixth grade saying they use it all the time.”

WWV parent Carol Needens doesn’t feel as though the iPads have added much to her sons’ education, but rather has taken away from it.

Needens’ main concern is the iPad being too much of a distraction for her son.

“It’s really been more trouble than anything for my son,” Needens said.

“Don’t get me wrong, I think digital learning is great. I’m just not sure my fourth grader is mature enough to bring it home and use it for educational purposes. I may just not be seeing it because they’re doing it all in class, but at home he doesn’t utilize it often for homework, it’s kind of just been another device for playing games.”

Knight recognizes the concern of the iPads being distracting for kids. She feels that the screen time used in school for educational purposes is far different than screen time used for playing games, and non-educational purposes. Although she admits this is a problem, the benefits of the iPads outweigh her concerns about them.

“It’s like what TV was to my parents, and so I validate it through the educational process,” Knight said. “It’s saving a ton of paper, it’s doing those drills or practices that we don’t need much paper for and don’t need to be graded. We just need to see how the kid is doing, and the iPads have been really valuable from an educational standpoint.”

PERCENTAGE OF DIGITAL TEXTBOOKS ON THE MARKET

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION

2012

2020

Within the first 45 days of iPad Sales

6%

50%

were sold to schools in the U.S.

47,000

3 | laptops

TIME WASTER

written by Sean Overton

The computer game Octagon has become a major distraction for East students in class Sitting in class, sophomore Marcus Jones* has his laptop open, occasionally tapping the arrow keys. A teacher might assume he is looking at a book online or typing a paper. But he’s not. Jones isn’t doing anything harmful. He’s just playing an online game instead of participating in class — the Octagon game, he’s just playing an online game instead of participating in class.

Octagon can be downloaded from any school computer on the Application Store. The objective of the game is to move left and right and jump over blocks, to get past each level. The player is trapped inside the Octagon, a megaplex of hallways, platforms, and gaps, all while the clock is running.

“Octagon is a game about an eight-sided ball and there is a bunch of panels, and you have to travel to the end of the course,” Sophomore Natalie Roth said.“You must avoid falling off, going too fast and going too slow. It is very intense.”

Roth says the fast pace action and the thrill of the game drew her in. She got into the game after seeing boys playing it in various classes. It is a game that has swept the classrooms of East. According to Roth, once you start playing, you can’t stop.

For Art teacher Adam Finkleston, there is a nogame policy in his classroom. Finkleston likes to make his rounds and make sure no games are being played.

Even with his push to limit game playing, he still encounters kids sneaking in time to play.

“I kind of hate it because I always see kids playing it,” Finkleston said. “I can’t even count how many times I have told people to stop playing, it gets tiring.”

There are also students who agree with Finkleston.

Sophomore Katie Crossette does not support the Octagon game.

“Class is meant for classwork,” Crossette said.“Having the laptops is a privilege, not a toy to be playing games on while you are supposed to be learning.”

While Crossette sees the appeal of the game, she

still thinks it is pointless to play.

“I personally have trouble paying attention already,” Crossette said. “And I think getting the game would only distract me more.”

While Crossette doesn’t enjoy the game, other students like Roth love it. She plays it during class and her grades stayed fine. Roth only suggests playing it if you are good, because if you are bad it becomes frustrating.

“A lot of class is spent doing pointless busy work that I finish fast,” Roth said. “Octagon is nice to play when I finish all my work, and if we are just at a pause in class” Roth became obsessed and has now gotten to level 600. For those who do not play Octagon, this score is impressive even though the game has unlimited levels. Roth explained that reaching over level 100 is an accomplishment.

“Whether the game is harmful or not, you have to be careful about when and where you play it ,” Crossette said.

“And to not get too addicted!” *name changed to protect identity

n August, East was given an allotment of 2,055,000 teachers to use online substitutes whenever possible. Now “At the beginning of the school year, they were terrible,” pieces of paper to last until May. That’s for everything that teachers can rely on the fact that students have access Appier said. “But to be fair, that has improved, the reliability from tests to STUCO flyers, from worksheets to labs. to online documents on their MacBooks, teachers have the has been much greater recently.”

Now, four months in, East has used 38 percent of its allot- option to post information to Google Classroom instead of Though teachers, administrators and coaches are the only ment. Since then, teachers and students alike continue to distributing a paper handout. ones with direct access to any district printers, students are adapt to the changes that came “It wasn’t an abrupt ‘you can allowed to have jobs sent to the print shop. They must, howwith handing a MacBook to every never make copies again,’” McK- ever, have a sponsor with the necessary credentials.

We really want to do is high schooler in the district. inney said. “It’s okay for teachers Bonjour says that it’s students that have the hardest adDistrict leadership made a push change thinking and philos- to make copies and hand them justment to make with the new printing policies. Students to integrate more digital media to students. There’s nobody are cut off from printer access at school, and are also unable ophy towards digital media out into the classroom, and East’s adsaying to not do that, we’re just to connect their MacBooks to home printers. Of 43 students ministration has followed their surveyed by the Harbinger in an online poll, 51 percent said so that it is no longer seen as saying look for alternatives.” lead. The idea behind the limit repAccording to Chemistry that they were dissatisfied with the way that the school has an issue of hard copy versus teacher Steven Appier, the alter- compensated for the lack of student printing capabilities. resents a change from when teachdigital. ers and students could print at will: natives -- the district’s print shop “I appreciate the goal, but I feel like the execution was less paper, more technology. and the fleet of new printers -- really off,” Sobek said. “I feel like we should definitely have -DREW LANE, SMSD According to SMSD’s Executive work well, but only if everything’s access to printers [at school] because home printers aren’t EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF Director of Information Services, planned ahead. Since none of that reliable, and I feel like hard copy work is a lot easier to INFORMATION SERVICES Drew Lane, if East goes beyond its these devices are in classrooms, deal with.” allotment, the district stops paying and the money comes out problems arise when a need is immediate. For example, when Freshman Grace Apodaca’s printer wasn’t working when of East’s own budget. a teacher is unable to leave the room due to students being she tried to print off her Geometry worksheet. Working on “It’s not so much policy as it’s philosophy,” Lane said. “The present. notebook paper meant that she couldn’t write on the dia[philosophy] is to embrace more digital content, and move “Suppose a student comes to me and they’ve had trouble grams, or interact with the problem on the page. It’s just easiaway from paper content for purposes of saving cost and also with the printer at home and they need to print something er, she says, to work on a printed worksheet. to just move us more in line with where the world’s going.” off, I can’t help them,” Appier said. “I certainly can’t just leave “I think [students not being able to print] really disables Desktop printers, which used to be in the library and in the class and just print something off for them.” people because not everyone has a printer,” Apodaca said. “It classrooms, were removed and a fleet of card-activated printAppier says that the Chemistry department, for one, will gives some people an advantage.” ers accessible only to teachers were installed. Since then, never be able to go completely paperless. He says it will nevWhen it comes to students who don’t have a printer at students have been on their own when it comes to printing, er happen because of the individualized feedback that each home -- 9 percent of those surveyed -- there are no options. and teachers have been asked to use the printers as little as lab report requires and the added McKinney knows that they can’t possible. time and logistical confusion that be expected to find their own way, “I completely support the idea of not using as much pa- comes with online grading. so he says teachers must be willing I appreciate the goal, but per for the environment, to save money,” English department Both Lane and McKinney acto print for them.

I feel like the execution head Jeannette Bonjour said. “But I feel like it was very cold knowledge that no amount of “If we’re going to ask them to turkey. Like they just cut us all off, and it’s been challenging.” reduction will eliminate paper was really off. I feel like we print something, we have to be Senior Hunter Sodek feels like too much was changed completely, because that not all willing to print it if they can’t print should definitely have actoo fast in regard to printing. The alternatives, he says, aren’t classroom tasks lend themselves it themselves,” McKinney said. quite there to replace paper. He has two printers at home, yet to digital media. So in addition to McKinney stresses that the cess to printers [at school] still sees problems that arise when students feel like they’re the fleet of printers newly installed school is still in transition mode because home printers on their own if they need to print. in the building, teachers can send with the slew of new policies and “It sounds like a great idea, but when you actually try and jobs to the district’s print shop. aren’t that reliable, and I feel practices that came with the start do it, especially on a large scale, it feels very stressful,” Sodek Print shop manager AJ Briner the year. And according to Lane, like hard copy work is a lot of said. “Especially for teachers who are trying to make changes says that the print shop is operated the changes will continue for years easier to deal with. in assigning things electronically and collecting them.” by the district and staffed by outto come. More gradual reductions Turnitin.com, for Sodek, is an example of some of the sourced employees. Briner and the in each school’s allotments are in -SENIOR HUNTER SODEK headaches caused by the need to do things digitally. It’s a four other employees made prestore, further limiting the amount website used for turning in written assignments, and he says sentations to teachers at each building before school started. of paper available to schools. that it can take a whole 50 minute class period to get it to The goal was to teach them how to use the new in-building “I don’t know that you will ever completely eliminate the work for everyone. printers as well as how to upload documents they need print- need for some hard copy,” Lane said. “We’re not trying to do Lane agrees that removing the desktop printers was a ed directly to the print shop. that, but what we really want to do is change thinking and significant first step in a gradual reduction process. In the At the time, the print shop guaranteed a two-day turn- philosophy towards digital media so that it is no longer seen meantime, principal John McKinney and other principals around for print jobs. At the beginning of the school year, as an issue of hard copy versus digital. It’s ‘oh, how unique. across the district have been asked to keep an eye on their however, that was not the case. According to Briner, they were we need a hard copy for this,’ where everyone kind of thinks respective paper allotments. receiving between 100 and 200 jobs a day, and delivered from digitally all the time” McKinney says that his philosophy for East itself is for 100 to 150 a day, soon falling behind.

“

“

“

“

Beginning of the year

2,000

5 | laptops

Print jobs submitted a day

100-200 75-100

Now

Print jobs sent out a day Beginning of the year

150-200 100-200

Now

139 20132014

20142015

NO-PAPER INITIATIVE BY THE NUMBERS strongly agree

disagree

90%

agree

agree

of students own printers

no opinion 2.4%

strongly agree

strongly disagree 4.8%

45.2% 35.7%

10%

no opinion

I am satisfied with the way that the school has compensated for the lack of printing capabilities.

of students do not own printers

disagree

strongly disagree 10.8% 3.8% 9.5% 45.2% 42.2%

11.9%

I still feel like I need to find a way to print things off on my own.

LANCER VOICE ON THE NO-PAPER INITIATIVE photos by Kylie Rellihan

“

I find it annoying that we can’t use printers. I’d rather have worksheets and write notes down than type notes on the computer. I like having the tangible paper in front of me.

“

East students and faculty react to district-wide changes in printing procedures, turning focus from hard copy to digital written by Pauline Werner

Number of print jobs per month

JUNIOR TAYLOR SAWALICH

“

I can understand that they’re trying to cut costs which is good, but it is somewhat inconvenient When I want to run something off, I feel pressure to do things differently.

“

I

LESS PAPER, MORE TECH

DISTRICT PRINT SHOP BY THE NUMBERS

TEACHER NICK PARIS

“

I think it’s a good idea to try to save paper, but the fact that we aren’t able to print anything is annoying.

Some of teachers don’t even know how to teach with the laptops.

“

4 | laptops

JUNIOR WILL BLEDSOE

n August, East was given an allotment of 2,055,000 teachers to use online substitutes whenever possible. Now “At the beginning of the school year, they were terrible,” pieces of paper to last until May. That’s for everything that teachers can rely on the fact that students have access Appier said. “But to be fair, that has improved, the reliability from tests to STUCO flyers, from worksheets to labs. to online documents on their MacBooks, teachers have the has been much greater recently.”

Now, four months in, East has used 38 percent of its allot- option to post information to Google Classroom instead of Though teachers, administrators and coaches are the only ment. Since then, teachers and students alike continue to distributing a paper handout. ones with direct access to any district printers, students are adapt to the changes that came “It wasn’t an abrupt ‘you can allowed to have jobs sent to the print shop. They must, howwith handing a MacBook to every never make copies again,’” McK- ever, have a sponsor with the necessary credentials.

We really want to do is high schooler in the district. inney said. “It’s okay for teachers Bonjour says that it’s students that have the hardest adDistrict leadership made a push change thinking and philos- to make copies and hand them justment to make with the new printing policies. Students to integrate more digital media to students. There’s nobody are cut off from printer access at school, and are also unable ophy towards digital media out into the classroom, and East’s adsaying to not do that, we’re just to connect their MacBooks to home printers. Of 43 students ministration has followed their surveyed by the Harbinger in an online poll, 51 percent said so that it is no longer seen as saying look for alternatives.” lead. The idea behind the limit repAccording to Chemistry that they were dissatisfied with the way that the school has an issue of hard copy versus teacher Steven Appier, the alter- compensated for the lack of student printing capabilities. resents a change from when teachdigital. ers and students could print at will: natives -- the district’s print shop “I appreciate the goal, but I feel like the execution was less paper, more technology. and the fleet of new printers -- really off,” Sobek said. “I feel like we should definitely have -DREW LANE, SMSD According to SMSD’s Executive work well, but only if everything’s access to printers [at school] because home printers aren’t EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF Director of Information Services, planned ahead. Since none of that reliable, and I feel like hard copy work is a lot easier to INFORMATION SERVICES Drew Lane, if East goes beyond its these devices are in classrooms, deal with.” allotment, the district stops paying and the money comes out problems arise when a need is immediate. For example, when Freshman Grace Apodaca’s printer wasn’t working when of East’s own budget. a teacher is unable to leave the room due to students being she tried to print off her Geometry worksheet. Working on “It’s not so much policy as it’s philosophy,” Lane said. “The present. notebook paper meant that she couldn’t write on the dia[philosophy] is to embrace more digital content, and move “Suppose a student comes to me and they’ve had trouble grams, or interact with the problem on the page. It’s just easiaway from paper content for purposes of saving cost and also with the printer at home and they need to print something er, she says, to work on a printed worksheet. to just move us more in line with where the world’s going.” off, I can’t help them,” Appier said. “I certainly can’t just leave “I think [students not being able to print] really disables Desktop printers, which used to be in the library and in the class and just print something off for them.” people because not everyone has a printer,” Apodaca said. “It classrooms, were removed and a fleet of card-activated printAppier says that the Chemistry department, for one, will gives some people an advantage.” ers accessible only to teachers were installed. Since then, never be able to go completely paperless. He says it will nevWhen it comes to students who don’t have a printer at students have been on their own when it comes to printing, er happen because of the individualized feedback that each home -- 9 percent of those surveyed -- there are no options. and teachers have been asked to use the printers as little as lab report requires and the added McKinney knows that they can’t possible. time and logistical confusion that be expected to find their own way, “I completely support the idea of not using as much pa- comes with online grading. so he says teachers must be willing I appreciate the goal, but per for the environment, to save money,” English department Both Lane and McKinney acto print for them.

I feel like the execution head Jeannette Bonjour said. “But I feel like it was very cold knowledge that no amount of “If we’re going to ask them to turkey. Like they just cut us all off, and it’s been challenging.” reduction will eliminate paper was really off. I feel like we print something, we have to be Senior Hunter Sodek feels like too much was changed completely, because that not all willing to print it if they can’t print should definitely have actoo fast in regard to printing. The alternatives, he says, aren’t classroom tasks lend themselves it themselves,” McKinney said. quite there to replace paper. He has two printers at home, yet to digital media. So in addition to McKinney stresses that the cess to printers [at school] still sees problems that arise when students feel like they’re the fleet of printers newly installed school is still in transition mode because home printers on their own if they need to print. in the building, teachers can send with the slew of new policies and “It sounds like a great idea, but when you actually try and jobs to the district’s print shop. aren’t that reliable, and I feel practices that came with the start do it, especially on a large scale, it feels very stressful,” Sodek Print shop manager AJ Briner the year. And according to Lane, like hard copy work is a lot of said. “Especially for teachers who are trying to make changes says that the print shop is operated the changes will continue for years easier to deal with. in assigning things electronically and collecting them.” by the district and staffed by outto come. More gradual reductions Turnitin.com, for Sodek, is an example of some of the sourced employees. Briner and the in each school’s allotments are in -SENIOR HUNTER SODEK headaches caused by the need to do things digitally. It’s a four other employees made prestore, further limiting the amount website used for turning in written assignments, and he says sentations to teachers at each building before school started. of paper available to schools. that it can take a whole 50 minute class period to get it to The goal was to teach them how to use the new in-building “I don’t know that you will ever completely eliminate the work for everyone. printers as well as how to upload documents they need print- need for some hard copy,” Lane said. “We’re not trying to do Lane agrees that removing the desktop printers was a ed directly to the print shop. that, but what we really want to do is change thinking and significant first step in a gradual reduction process. In the At the time, the print shop guaranteed a two-day turn- philosophy towards digital media so that it is no longer seen meantime, principal John McKinney and other principals around for print jobs. At the beginning of the school year, as an issue of hard copy versus digital. It’s ‘oh, how unique. across the district have been asked to keep an eye on their however, that was not the case. According to Briner, they were we need a hard copy for this,’ where everyone kind of thinks respective paper allotments. receiving between 100 and 200 jobs a day, and delivered from digitally all the time” McKinney says that his philosophy for East itself is for 100 to 150 a day, soon falling behind.

“

“

“

“

Beginning of the year

2,000

5 | laptops

Print jobs submitted a day

100-200 75-100

Now

Print jobs sent out a day Beginning of the year

150-200 100-200

Now

139 20132014

20142015

NO-PAPER INITIATIVE BY THE NUMBERS strongly agree

disagree

90%

agree

agree

of students own printers

no opinion 2.4%

strongly agree

strongly disagree 4.8%

45.2% 35.7%

10%

no opinion

I am satisfied with the way that the school has compensated for the lack of printing capabilities.

of students do not own printers

disagree

strongly disagree 10.8% 3.8% 9.5% 45.2% 42.2%

11.9%

I still feel like I need to find a way to print things off on my own.

LANCER VOICE ON THE NO-PAPER INITIATIVE photos by Kylie Rellihan

“

I find it annoying that we can’t use printers. I’d rather have worksheets and write notes down than type notes on the computer. I like having the tangible paper in front of me.

“

East students and faculty react to district-wide changes in printing procedures, turning focus from hard copy to digital written by Pauline Werner

Number of print jobs per month

JUNIOR TAYLOR SAWALICH

“

I can understand that they’re trying to cut costs which is good, but it is somewhat inconvenient When I want to run something off, I feel pressure to do things differently.

“

I

LESS PAPER, MORE TECH

DISTRICT PRINT SHOP BY THE NUMBERS

TEACHER NICK PARIS

“

I think it’s a good idea to try to save paper, but the fact that we aren’t able to print anything is annoying.

Some of teachers don’t even know how to teach with the laptops.

“

4 | laptops

JUNIOR WILL BLEDSOE

In With THE NEW

Teachers integrate laptops into their curriculum

6 | laptops

S

tudents file into the gymnasium. It’s mid-August and they’re about to receive their new Macbook Airs. But they aren’t the only members of the East community who are a part of the transition. The teachers handing out laptops are about to feel the effects of new technology as well.

Now, months after those August evenings, teachers and students have moved beyond the initial shock and stress that came with the new technology. From new software that simplifies statistical analysis to Google’s innovative digital classroom to simply pulling up videos, education is changing at East.

For some teachers, like social studies teacher Brenda Fishman, not much in their classroom has varied from years past. Others like science teacher Jim Lockard and math teacher Andrew Walter used the new technology to recreate their lesson plans.

But, according to Lockard, this change took quite a bit of initial experimentation. First quarter was chaos. It was the most stressful time for him as a teacher in his 40 years of teaching.

While there wasn’t enormous pressure to integrate technology, the expectation was there, which was what created the anxiety.

“People’s stress level in this building is about twice what it usually is this time of year,” Lockard said. “It’s just been one heck of a first semester.”

However, for Walter, the learning curve that came with the new computers was what he expected.

“I don’t think there’s any way to be fully prepared before you just jump into it,” Walter said.

“I think we all knew we would be learning on the job, and that’s what we’ve been doing.”

Both Lockard and Walter agree that things calmed down significantly since first quarter.

This allowed for even more opportunity to further the technology in both of their classrooms.

For Walter, this meant writing grants for different softwares like “Stat Crunch” in his math classes, specifically AP Statistics and IB Higher Level Math II. Previously, the technology in the classes was limited to calculators which, according to Walter, intimidated the students who weren’t used to clunky calculators. Familiarity with laptops instead of the complexity of a calculator made his material more approachable to his students.

photo by Annika Sink

The History of Apple 1977

“There’s almost never a time where I find myself going ‘Gosh, you know what I wish? I wish I had access to this to help them learn.’ Walter said. “Now, if there’s something that I think will help them learn, I can find it.”

Walter believes that this transition to technology is important. He said that while the effects of the laptops won’t be immediately perceived or measured, they will end up having a positive impact.

“I don’t know that [the students are] fully aware of how powerful the machines can be to help them learn and I think that’s something that they take for granted at this point. I think it’s our jobs as teachers to help them realize that this expands the possibilities for what they can learn and what they can do by a ton.”

According to Fishman, the technology makes some things easier, like pulling up videos and listening to music but commented that this was possible with the old computers. Junior Nate Paris is taking her IB Higher Level I History of The Americas class. He said that although Fishman may use the laptops less compared to the rest of his teachers, he doesn’t feel that having them in class helps or hurts what he’s learning.

“I think definitely in some classes [they’re a distraction],” Paris said. “I think they’ve had good effects and I think they’ve had bad effects but I think the net benefit and the net deficit equals out.”

Additionally, however, the laptops introduced some challenges like distractions, slow Wi-Fi and broken projectors. Fishman, Lockard and Walter try to keep their students on task by only allowing open laptops during explicitly-stated technology time. Fishman walks around to check up on the screens and make sure no one is straying from their assignments.

“Laptops are easier to see than cellphones,” Fishman said. “You can’t hide those under your butt. Some days are just lids down days.”

Walter believes these distractions will start to decrease as students begin to view their laptops more as tools and less as toys. To him, it’s all part of the way education at East and in the U.S. is changing.

“Some of the old paradigms of education are going to have to shift,” Walter said. “They already are shifting and we have to all adapt and adjust to it.”

art by Celia Hack

The Apple logo used from 2007 until today

Apple creates the first iPod

Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne incorporate Apple Inc, a year after their first computer is released

2001

1991 Apple creates the Powerbook 100, an innovative portable computer

written by Morgan Krakow

2007 Apple comes out with the iPhone, which creates a new category of cell phones

2010 Apple creates the first iPad

2014

tpal |ps 2 7sp| olapto

N

ear the end of the school year, freshmen, sophomores and juniors will be completing their finals, checking in their books and getting ready for summer. Yet, as of right now, what they will do with their personal Macbook is still up in the air.

Principal John McKinney and associate principal Jeremy Higgins held a meeting on Dec. 4 regarding the topic of what to do with students’ laptops at the end of the school year.

“Literally, we know very little,” Higgins said. “We had a meeting yesterday, Mr. McKinney and I, and this topic was brought up. What are we going to do at the end of the year? We did not get an answer from that.

There are still discussions at the district level about what the process will be.”

As of right now, not much is certain. The only thing set in stone right now is that seniors will be checking in their laptops before graduating.

In the eyes of the East administration, the issue of what to do with students’ laptops comes down to a very simple debate: to turn the laptops in, or not turn them in. Either the whole school will check in their laptops (other than the aforementioned seniors) at the conclusion of the school year, or all of the students will keep their laptops over the summer. In the second case, the students would have their laptops checked and cleaned at the beginning of the 2015 school year.

“We have not heard about what the plan is,” McKinney said. “But, my big thing is that if we’re going to collect them, you’ve got to give me some time to get everybody ready. This school is like a big ship. It doesn’t just turn. You’ve got to guide it around. So I just need time regardless of what decision is made.”

A decision by the Shawnee Mission School District is set to be released after winter break on how they will handle laptops over the summer.

For freshman John John Roney, both options have their merits. However, for him, keeping them is a disaster waiting to happen.

written by Will Oakley “It’s just one more thing to handle and worry about,” Roney said. “And, for me, I’d be much more likely to break it over the summer. I mean, I have another laptop at home, so it would just be pointless for me.”

Although, the preference of the East Administration would be for students to keep their laptops over the summer. In McKinney’s eyes, the idea of students keeping their laptops over the summer makes more sense logistically. It makes sense because keeping them means that returning and redistribution can happen at the same time. Also, McKinney’s thinking of students’ possible schoolwork over the summer.

“There are students that do work over the summer such as journalism and summer-school kids, and those that are in honors, AP or IB courses that require a lot of summer work,” McKinney said. “School doesn’t just stop on May 31 or whatever it is. Those kids will continue to learn use, and incorporate technology in their lives.”

As the district starts to consider their options, another question forms. It is also undecided whether or not students will keep the same laptop they had the year before. Regarding this topic, the East administration is inclined towards students keeping their same laptop.

“The kid that takes care of [their MacBook] should get back the nice Macbook,” McKinney said. “If you take care of something and protect something, that should mean something, and you should get that back.

And, if you don’t take care of something, that should mean something too.”

Junior Charlie Jensen agrees. He doesn’t see why he should have to give up the laptop he had used for a year before.

“There is no way I would want somebody else’s laptop other than my own,” Jensen said. “Just the thought of having another laptop that wasn’t mine just isn’t comforting in any way. That, and I really want all my information and work I have on my computer from this year to be carried over easily. It just wouldn’t make sense [to have another laptop].”

TO TURN IN Chance for laptops to be cleaned Students won’t have to keep track of them over summer New software could be downloaded

OR NOT TO TURN IN No end-of-year laptop check-in

Check-in at the beginning of next year Students get to keep them over summer

LANCER VOICE MACY SHUTTS

MITCH TAMBLYN

What is the best thing about the Macbooks?

“The thing I like the most about the laptops is the organization. Everything for all of your classes is right there on your laptop. We don’t have to mess with laptop carts or getting a computer in the library, because everyone has their own.”

“The best part of the laptops is being able to share documents easily with other students. This makes it easy to do group projects, and airplay things from your laptop.”

What is the worst think about the Macbooks?

DIEGO GALICIA

MALLORY JAMENEZ

“It’s kind of nice to do the homework on Google Classroom. We don’t have to write as much, and Classroom is really organized.”

BELLA SHIRAZI

JUSTIN FINNAGEN

“I don’t really like the laptops because it was hard for me to switch from Microsoft programs to apple. I am used to Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, and the transition to Pages and Slides is difficult.”

“Everything on our laptops is blocked. YouTube and some videos are blocked, even though they are educational. It would be nice to be able to see the helpful videos.”

“I hate how everything is online on our laptops. We don’t get as many worksheets as we used to, and we have lots of technological problems. Some people have printers so they can’t even print things off at home. The laptops make it harder to keep things organized.”

THE EAST FUND THANKS YOU On behalf of the Shawnee Mission East community, the East Fund thanks the merchants, parents, students and teachers who made the 2014 auction a success! Please patronize these businesses and let them know you appreciate their ongoing support.

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