All students received a Chromebook for academic use at school and at home this fall as part of Parkmont’s new one-to-one Chromebook program. In past years, about half the students used school-owned Chromebooks while the rest brought their own devices. More than halfway through the school year, it’s clear that switching to an all school-owned Chromebook environment has made a positive difference, says Sam Graul, Parkmont’s technology and facilities coordinator and longtime teacher. For starters, the new approach keeps our devices and system more secure. All of the Chromebooks are managed under the protections and added security of Parkmont’s Google Workspace domain. It’s also a lot more efficient. When everyone has the same hardware and apps, teachers and students can share materials without compatibility hitches.
Perhaps just as important has been the effect on student engagement. Like most schools, Parkmont blocks certain web content, including most social media and AI chatbots. The presence of just a few devices able to bypass our system’s controls has an outsize negative effect in the classroom. With everyone on the same system, the school can more effectively monitor and manage access to the Web’s tempting feast of distractions. There are exceptions to the policy for students who use assistive technology, but the new policy has made it easier for teachers to help students use that tech because they’re not also figuring out the quirks of five other different devices.
To be sure, the lock down on games and social media apps has not been universally applauded! At a recent school meeting, students called for lifting the app blocks after school hours, arguing that blocking those encourages students to try to hack the system, which could make their devices vulnerable to viruses and other malware. Sam wasn’t persuaded that day, but it’s probably a safe bet that the debate will continue!