Students Receive District Issued Chromebooks

Aaron+Balmer+and+Cj+Keeting+working+on+Chromebook+distribution.

Cardinal Chronicle

Aaron Balmer and Cj Keeting working on Chromebook distribution.

Nakiya Sholly and Markayla Shadler

Pine Grove School District is one of many districts within Pennsylvania that has received a grant to promote virtual learning during COVID-19. Using the grant, PGAHS decided to buy Chromebooks and iPads for students K-12. 

“It’s a pretty good idea, it provides more access to those that don’t have computers at home,” says Hunter Banonis, Freshman. 

“Considering I don’t have a computer at home, it’s kind of nice… although I thought we were getting a case to carry it in, not a case for the computer itself,” comments Megan Wolfe, Junior.

Many students wished the Chromebooks were touchscreen, like the younger students in the Elementary School had gotten. “I think they’re a waste of time, I have five other computers at home. I don’t understand why I can’t just use one of those? I’m also annoyed that we don’t have touch screens like Elementary,” says Will Reed,  Senior.  

Kevin Witmer, Freshman, says, “ I don’t know honestly. I just think they’re useless. I don’t understand why we need to bring them into school everyday when we have paper. I also heard the Elementary School had touch screens and I think we should too. They would be easier to use.” On the brightside all students will now have computers to get their work done when they are learning virtually. Some students don’t like the fact that they have to bring the Chromebooks back and forth to school but not all teachers have computers in their room, so it makes it easier. 

“I think they’re kind of stupid because we have to bring them to school when they were meant to be left at home,” says Colin Ibarra, Junior. Another student, Karissa Morgan, Junior, agreed and said, “I knew as soon as we got the Chromebooks that we were going to go online… and see what happened?” 

Mr. Fessler, Technology Intervention Specialist, said, “The use of Chromebooks are a great way to get access to technology for every student in the school district and it allows teachers to use new and creative ways to deliver instruction for students K-12.”   Yet for some students it’s a big responsibility to try not to break them and to have them fully charged and ready to go for the school day, but that’s not always possible.

“They are useless, they just take up space in my bookbag.” states Carter Raudabaugh, Sophomore. 

Brody Robinson, Senior, says, “I don’t know why I have to bring them back and forth to school. It’s kinda dumb in my opinion. It’s just another thing to weigh my bookbag down.”

The way students seem to feel about the Chromebooks all depends on the situation they’re in. Most of the students that have the internet and a computer at home may find the Chromebooks less useful than the students that do not have access to the internet and a computer at home.