Red Bank Regional Students Soon To Get Chromebooks

LITTLE SILVER, NJ - Red Bank Regional High School students will soon be receiving their own Chromebooks, according to the district's Winter 2017 newsletter.

The initiative began in September when more than 300 Chromebooks were distributed to freshmen under the terms of the district's ongoing one-to-one technology initiative.

"Educational technology is a vital tool for the 21st century," explained Schools Superintendent Louis Moore. "We made the determination that Chromebooks are an effective way to connect students to academic resources and provide individual learning support.”

This is not a penny-wise pound foolish approach, district officials said . While this is a monetary commitment for the district, the benefits far outweigh the costs, officials said. Also, the costs of technology have continued to decrease.

While each Chromebook costs about $200, initiative also will help spark collaboration, creativity and equity, according to the newsletter. A recent student survey determined that about 10 percent of district students do not have access to the internet at home. Further, a larger number indicated they do not have access to a personal computer.

According to technology Director John Daniels, a number of other computers were considered. Not only were Chromebooks by far the most economical but also carried the benefit of integrating Google Classroom and other applications.

With Google Classroom, all assignments and source materials are stored online and students can collaborate with each other and their teacher on group projects. "I have begun to use the Google Classroom as an organization tool with my students posting homework, notes, and review guides for easy access," Freshman science teacher Jennifer Morrisy said. "I have been able to make my technology-based lessons fit into the curriculum better since the access is constant and not dependent on the availability of laptop carts or visiting the media center.”

The only drawback is when a student leaves his or her Chromebook at home, she said. The program rules stipulate that students take their Chromebooks home at night to assist with homework assignments. Then, they are to give their laptops a fresh charge and bring the Chromebooks back to school the next day. Instructions are detailed in a student/family Chromebook agreement, which is signed by student and parent.
Conversely, the district agrees to repair accidental damage or malfunctioning computers, and students receive a loner Chromebook until the repair is complete, officials said.

Freshman Diana Aguilar was excited to receive her Chromebook. "It is much easier to have the computer, especially for writing English papers or to do presentations on Google slides," she said. "Google Classroom
gives information on all your classes, homework and classwork that the teachers want us to do.”

Freshman parent Cecilia Kodama endorsed the measure. “I think it's great that all students have access to Google programs," she said. "I love features allowing students to access homework from anywhere and not lose it...”

Red Bank Regional is expanding its Chromebook program. Image via Shutterstock.