Here at Connections, we offer computers to those who aren’t fortunate enough to have one, and even offer a subsidy to pay for internet access if it’s needed. Giving these forms of access benefits students by allowing them to worry less about their resources and focus on their work. I believe this step could benefit students at other schools by allowing them greater access to resources they may not have otherwise. Some students aren’t able to afford the things they need such as clothes or food, so how would they be able to afford a computer? Access to the internet would be of great benefit to students for projects and assignments, as well as communication with other students for group work or writing up documents.
According to the infographic of the web design site GO-Gulf. com, 30% of the world’s population is an online population. This online population globally spends about 16 hours a month online on average. The same population spends 60% of its time online between searches, reading content, and communication. With this much information transfer and communication, a student could benefit from having access to such a broad informational flow. Providing a computer to students for the year could greatly expand their reach in terms of sources for projects, ideas for assignments, and even study help. That isn’t to say there couldn’t be downsides to providing this kind of equipment. There is the potential for misuse of time on the computer, and the cost of providing one for each student could be very expensive.
In the case of abusing computer time, computers that are stationed in classrooms and computer labs already have a form of filtering in them. It wouldn’t be difficult to input the same system on a personal computer given to the student. If the student feels a site is being inappropriately blocked, they could show it to a teacher and be allowed access if appropriate. Others still will argue the cost of providing and maintaining these computers. If the equipment was treated as school property, some of the funding could be made available through the county for acquisition and maintenance. Another cost cutting method is opening up donations for old or unwanted computer components such as monitors, towers, keyboards and mouses. If the school has enough money to fund a computer lab, then arrangements could be made to accommodate a simple computer for every student, and damage charges could be organized like any other piece of school equipment.
The benefits of having such a large base of information seems to outweigh the detriments, especially in a very tense environment and time such as high school. Having a computer available might take some of the stress off of both teacher and student alike, and could possibly even motivate students to work that otherwise wouldn’t usually have such an easy time completing large projects and assignments. I believe this opportunity should be made available to every student, whether fortunate or unfortunate.
