Email
Print
Mooresville High students kick off new year with MacBooks
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: September 4, 2008
The start of a new school year is definitely a busy time to everyone: teachers are busy making plans for class, parents are frantically searching for the cheapest school supplies, and students try their best to finish their summer reading, squeeze in a few extra hours of sleep, and buy the perfect "first day back" outfit. However, this year there was something new and different going on at Mooresvile High School.
What had once been merely a rumor had been confirmed, the first week of school every student was to receive an Apple MacBook, free of charge. These laptops are meant to be incorporated into class with uses such as the Internet, Pages (Word), and Keynote (Power Point). However, students are also allowed to take them home for homework and personal use.
The week before the start of school, parents had to attend a mandatory meeting outlining rules of use for their child's laptop and safety warnings. They were also required to pay a $50 insurance fee to cover any damage that might occur. Students also had to attend a meeting with their class on the first week of school before receiving their laptop. MacBooks were distributed the first week of school: seniors on Tuesday, juniors on Wednesday, sophomores on Thursday, and freshmen on Friday. Students were also supplied with a new book bag to carry their laptop safely, a charger and an extension cord.
Many teachers and students are excited about this new development, as not many high schools are given this opportunity. Most teachers plan to allow students to take notes, view Power Point presentations, and e-mail completed assignments.
Students have also enjoyed uploading music to iTunes, creating songs with GarageBand, and taking photos with Photo Booth, as the computers have a built in camera. All classrooms have been equipped with three power strips so that students can easily charge computers during classes. In addition, a program called Angel has been set up, where students and parents can log on and view assignments, notes, and even grades for every class.
So far the only major complaint has been the extremely strict filtering and monitoring system on the laptops. Most students can understand why sites such as Myspace and Facebook have been blocked at school, but they are not thrilled that they are not able to access them at home either. Students have also been informed that everything they type into the computers can be accessed by administrators, and downloading programs is prohibited as well.
Hopefully, few problems with arise with the computers, but just in case a Help Desk has been set up in the media center. All students are looking forward to class being a little bit more fun and interactive.
For more information about the laptops, visit apple.com or http://www3.mgsd.k12.nc.us/mhs/Parents/Mac_Book.ht....
Genya Kalinina is a School Scoops contributing writer and junior at Mooresville High School.
Email
Print
ADVERTISEMENT
Advertisement
