In the 2010s, schools began to embrace technology in ways that would change the face of learning forever.

For LFHS, that decision came in 2014 when a Chromebook was placed in the hands of every student. It was an exciting time, as going one-to-one with laptops was expected to level the playing field and increase educational opportunities. 

However, the reliance of technology in education skyrocketed when the global pandemic COVID-19 forced students around the world to work completely online. In 2023, a survey of more than 1,000 educators found that the use of technology in classrooms had increased by 30% post-pandemic.  

Seven years later, educators are facing unexpected challenges in the form of AI, classroom distractions, and a decline in reading skills. As a result, some teachers have turned away from the use of computers in the classrooms, returning instead to the traditional style of pen and paper assignments. 

In order to evaluate the nuanced choice, though, it is important to understand the complex tradeoff of negative and positive effects that followed the implementation of the policy.

Cost differences between Chromebooks and MacBooks. Photo courtesy of Paige Collister.

Before personal devices were part of the curriculum, LFHS owned a series of Chromebook carts that allowed students to check computers out in school. Despite this, access was often unreliable and depended heavily on the ability of teachers to reserve a cart for the day. This made it difficult to plan lessons or for students to work on online assignments outside of class. 

When it came to homework, it became apparent that relying on students to have devices at their disposal was not an effective plan.  Advocates for one-to-one argued that equal access to technology was crucial for a fair education. 

“Some students had easier access to technology at home than others, which was pretty inequitable,” said Educational Technologist Mrs. Laura Grigg. 

The inconsistency among students’ ability to access technology outside of school wasn’t the only driving force behind the decision. An increasingly digital world also meant that educational standards had begun to shift to include online programs. For some students, computer availability became the differentiating factor between an education tailored to their needs and an education that overlooked learning challenges. 

“It mattered a great deal to students who had accommodations where they relied on technology, and the school was required to provide devices for them,” said Mrs. Grigg.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has required IEP plans to consider assistive technology (AT)—laptops, tablets, special software—for every student with an educational disability since 1997. This was backed by the Illinois State Board of Education who further implemented that AT must be maintained and provided by the school district. 

Going one-to-one with Chromebooks in 2014 ensured each student could appropriately build and apply an IEP plan without constraint and set a baseline where every kid had a way to work on assignments at home.  

But Chromebooks limited students to Google’s Chrome OS and relied completely on the Chrome web browser.  

To get around these limits, students began to bring in their own laptops. Not only was the money spent on Chromebooks not being utilized, but the use of personal laptops was posing a security risk. Ed Techs had no way to protect student information or regulate which websites students were accessing when on a personal device. 

“We definitely had to make some changes,” said Dean Mr. Jonathan Silver.  

As a result, the administration sent out a variety of surveys in 2022 to assess student satisfaction. Out of 431 responses, less than 35% reported being content with their Chromebook, and more than 15% even stated they were “very” unsatisfied. 

Those same respondents, when asked which device would most fit their educational needs, overwhelmingly picked the MacBook (76.8%). 

MacBooks were faster, had better storage, and allowed increased access to creative applications. However, with better technology came a steeper price, which raised some initial concerns. 

“I don’t even want to speculate how much money this school has spent on tech in the last 10 years, but I’m pretty certain we could have spent the money a lot better,” said Physics Teacher Mr. Matt Lowry, who has been a vocal opponent of technology reliance in classrooms. 

Despite the cost, a slideshow was presented to the Board of Education on May 10, 2022 to explain the long-term economic value of MacBooks.  

While the upfront cost of the Macs was significantly more expensive than Chromebooks ($779 compared to $400), the Macs had a much higher resale value. 

The four-year value was only $30-40 on the Chromebooks, as opposed to $275-375 for MacBooks. This over 800% increase was significant enough to help offset the cost difference. 

“Economically, once you look at the total cost, it actually wasn’t more than Chromebooks,” said District 115 Chief Technology Officer Mr. Jordan Salus. “MacBooks just hold their value better.” 

Results from a 2022 survey analyzing student opinion on Chromebooks. Photo courtesy of Paige Collister.

As schools across the nation continue to integrate new technology into daily learning, one-to-one programs are becoming increasingly common. Supporters say these programs can create a more equitable and efficient learning environment, giving both students and teachers a consistent digital platform to work from.

“One-to-one access helps create that more consistent baseline for everyone,” said Mrs. Grigg.

Many educators observe that every student having access to the same device levels the playing field. That consistency also changes how teachers design their lessons. Instead of working around varying levels of access to technology, educators can fully integrate digital tools into their classrooms.

“Everyone being on the same device means teachers can actually plan around the technology instead of hoping it works,” said junior Vedh Krishnan. “Assignments, research, and collaboration all happen in one place. Standardization is the real win.” 

In addition to voicing improved lesson planning, educators who have embraced technology point out that one-to-one programs significantly reduce reliance on traditional materials, like paper and pen. This shift not only cuts down on waste but also helps students and teachers improve their organization.

“There are fewer handouts and working with paper, so I can do a lot more stuff online, which helps to organize both me and the students really well,” said English teacher Mr. Lance Ferges. 

For certain courses, technology is not only helpful but essential. Classes that rely heavily on research, writing, and collaboration benefit the most from digital access across all students. 

“Technology can be really great for you in AP Seminar,” said history teacher Mrs. Cheryl Kyrias. “We wouldn’t be able to have the class without it. They write their papers online, use the internet for research, and, as far as supporting collaboration, when the kids do their group presentations they all have access to things like Google Slides and can be working on it at home.” 

Communication is another area where one-to-one programs make a noticeable impact. Digital platforms allow teachers to share materials, assign work, and provide feedback more efficiently than ever before–improving teacher to student communication in many educators’ eyes.

“Technology has enhanced learning because I’m able to push work through Schoology to the students,” said Mr. Ferges. “I feel like communication between teachers and students is really great because of that.”

Beyond academics, schools also see one-to-one programs as a way to help manage students’ online activities. 

“We are making sure your digital footprint is one that you’re proud of,” said Principal Dr. Erin Lenart.  

However, while technology offers many advantages, educators emphasize that it is ultimately a tool, not a guaranteed success. Its effectiveness depends on how it is used. 

“Technology is an amplifier as it multiplies whatever you bring to it,” said Krishnan. “Typing an essay instead of handwriting doesn’t automatically make the essay better, but it lets me revise faster, research on the fly, and focus on ideas instead of cramping my hand. If you’re already a thoughtful student, tech makes you more effective. If you’re not, it just helps you produce mediocre work faster.”

Bar graph made on Canva displaying the increasing digitalization of U.S jobs: based on a 2023 Brookings article. Photo courtesy of Paige Collister.

While critics question the distraction and analytical decline Macbooks can bring, it is not just high schools that are undergoing the trials and tribulations of adjusting to a society driven by technology. Universities and workforces alike are navigating how online tools play a role. 

A 2023 survey from the World Economics Forum revealed that 86% of organizations were expected to adopt digital platforms before 2027. 

Technology’s reach is spreading far and wide, and in doing so, becoming impossible to avoid in the job-force. 

“Doctors, attorneys, accountants, all the sort of white collar work that we see a lot of our students moving into,” said Mr. Salus. “The reality is that technology is inherently going to be a part of those professions.”

Tech-positive educators highlight that being exposed to digital resources in high school provides students with the opportunity to build their skill set and have a better understanding of how technology can be utilized before entering the professional world. 

Similarly, testing the limits of Macbooks now enables the chance to experiment creatively without major risks. Teachers are able to push students to try new softwares and work around any technical difficulties they may encounter without putting a grade, or a position, on the line.

“We need to learn how to use [tech] in a place where we can fail and learn from it, so that, when we are out in the real world, we know how to use it and we know how to use it responsibly,” said Mr. Salus.

The growing reliance on technology has made it so digital literacy is becoming just as important an ability as traditional academic skills. Without the opportunity to engage with technology early on, students may find themselves at a disadvantage once required to adapt to these tools after college. 

“I think people recognize that we’re in a world where tech is going to be a part of your future, and so we need to get you started in high school,” said Dr. Lenart. 

As LFHS continues to adjust to one-to-one MacBooks, some teachers say the shift to technology happened faster than it should have, which led to unnecessary challenges. 

“It seems like technology is driving education, whereas pedagogy [a practice of teaching] should drive education,” said Dr. Dukats. 

The pressure to modernize education isn’t unique to LFHS. Across the country, many districts rushed to integrate devices. Many schools have been influenced by major tech cooperations. Big tech companies see one-to-one programs as an investment in the future, and 60% of teachers nationwide say these companies have too much of an influence on K-12 education.

“The tech companies were promising a revolution that could make education or maybe everything better,” said Mr. Lowry. “I think a lot of schools, ours included, have enslaved themselves to technology and completely reworked their entire curriculum around it. Now, years later, we discovered it’s actually not good.”

Currently, instead of continuing to push further into digital learning, some teachers are beginning to move in the opposite direction: bringing back more traditional learning in their classrooms. 

“Over the last few years, I’ve started doing more on paper because it’s harder to control now what’s going on on the computers, especially in English with AI and plagiarism issues,” said Mr. Ferges.

For Mr. Lowry, this shift away from MacBooks has already shown clear results. 

“When I started moving away from certain kinds of technologies and insisted that students write with pencil and paper, it started to improve their learning,” said Mr. Lowry. “My students’ focus, writing skills, notes, and overall learning is better.”

Most teachers aren’t suggesting that technology should be removed entirely. Instead, many believe the key is finding a balance between new tools and “old-fashioned” teaching methods.

“Be careful about just jumping in at the beginning and thinking that you have to take everything you do and suddenly make it technology friendly,” said Mr. Ferges. “You have to stick to some old-fashioned teaching because it still works really well.”

As the school continues to adapt, the experience has become a learning process itself: one that shows innovation doesn’t always mean moving forward, but sometimes knowing when to take a step back. 

It all comes down to how technology can be utilized as a tool without taking away from education’s core values. 

“Now, the real work is helping teachers integrate [technology] thoughtfully into their classrooms,” said Mrs. Grigg. “The message from the start was never use it all the time, but use it with purpose. Technology shouldn’t be used as a substitute for something that we could do without it.”

The district has started putting policies in place to support all classrooms, recognizing that some teachers benefit from using technology while others see stronger learning outcomes with less dependence on technology. 

“We are making sure we have policies in place that support teachers who want to remove technology when the core of the learning in that class is really about the process or about critical thinking,” said Dr. Lenart. “But [we] also have policies that support teachers who do want to be innovative with technology, maybe in a new media or in a graphic design class.”

Ultimately, the implementation of technology in schools feels inevitable to many. Stepping back in some areas doesn’t mean abandoning technology for most educators: it means recognizing that finding the right balance between computers and paper is still a work in progress.  

“We’re always learning on the road now,” said Mr. Silver. “I don’t think we’re ever going away from the one-to-one MacBook student ratio, so we just keep our eyes on things. As things adapt, we’ll just need to adapt with it.”