Due to the approval of a preliminary budget plan, high school students are likely to possess Google Chromebooks next school year, per the 1-on-1 program, to further their education and create technological equality in the classroom.

The school conducted a roughly two-month-long testing period with students to try out Apple iPads and Google Chromebooks in relation to school work.  Since then, the devices have been redistributed to teachers to further their knowledge of the technology.

Junior Regan Lawlor enjoyed being a part of the testing group and looks forward to having a device through the 1-on-1 program.

“It was interesting working with different types of technology that I’ve never worked with before, and it feels rewarding to be a part of the decision that the school makes about which technology we will be using next year,” said Lawlor.

The program was enacted mainly to replace the MacBook laptops that students currently have access to in certain classrooms. These devices are reaching eight years in age, and students are starting to have debilitating problems while using them.

The exact details of the program and students’ usage rights are still in the works, but it is known that students will have access to their devices as much as needed, meaning the devices can be transported to and from school.

Principal Kevin Molin has been very involved with the process of building this program, and he looks forward to seeing what the program accomplishes in the future.

“It’s going to create equality,” said Molin. “Everybody will have the opportunity to have access to the information on a 24/7 basis.”

Though the effect of the program will not be immediate, students’ educations will change as time goes on with the program. For instance, there will be less paper use, and teachers will begin to depend more on Blackboard, Google Docs, and App downloads in order to conduct their classes. All students will have access to their technology twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week, so there will be a lot more teacher to student communication.

Science teacher Ed Bailey utilizes Blackboard for his class already, so the use of Chromebooks and 24/7 computer access will affect his students greatly.

“It would allow [students] to extend the work at home,” said Bailey. “They wouldn’t have to stop in the middle of something important [just because class ended].”

The 1-On-1 program will allow students to have Internet and computer access with them at all times, which will level the academic playing field at Susquehannock High School. Access links for more information about the approval process and the financing plan.