Poor connection, slow browsers, and durability issues are all components of the Pennridge High School student laptops. Let’s be honest, at some point during the school day, our laptops have either died or glitched, and although Lenovo carries chips from Advanced Micro Devices, the quality and output of our technology have deteriorated over the few years we have had them. The rate of quality in our laptops increasingly declining. Pennridge needs a change.
Pennridge’s ultimate goal is to provide a modern learning experience where students have resources at the tips of their fingers. The district proudly expresses its one-to-one ratio where each student is equipped with a laptop to ensure that youth around the community receive all the support they can get. As it goes for the Technology Department, Diane Miller, Pennridge Director of Technology, gave her insight into the situation. After agreeing with the district’s push for accessibility, Miller stated, “We want to make sure that technology does not stand in the way of teachers delivering content in the classroom.” This statement delivers Miller’s eagerness to have modern technology while also building a safe learning environment, practicing cyber protection.”
Currently, Lenovo laptops are rotated by class. Freshmen are equipped with more modern laptops, while seniors have used the same one for four years. As the technology industry continues to rise in popularity, the resources in our schools have plateaued. This raises many issues and problems with learning, all starting with durability. Current senior Natalie Pappas encountered a situation in the 2022-2023 school year where her laptop started smoking after attempting to charge it in class. In the school’s attempt to provide computing access to Natalie, she commented, “It was a brand new charger.” This raises a larger question, “Is it the laptop itself or the company providing it?” Well, Consumer Affairs, a public review database, received a total of 1,541 total reviews regarding the company Lenovo. Of the reviews listed, each gave a rating on the five-star scale. 69% of the reviews listed a one-star rating, driving the mean to be 1.3 stars. There are clearly some technical issues that need to be addressed, but it’s vital to identify the quality of the product.
With any popular movement, there is a ton of perspective leading up to something called a “Feedback Loop.” This is exactly how the district must view the current technology situation to improve, advance, and gain knowledge. After selecting two current Pennridge students, Morgan Hammond and Vonn Cataluna from the classes of 2024 and 2026, their reviews were mixed. Both students were asked about their overall experience. Cataluna stated, “Pretty Good,” while Hammond stated “My experience hasn’t been good. I think it’s because we’re seniors and laptop concerns don’t get addressed.” Cataluna doesn’t seem as concerned, considering the laptop has been used for two years, while Hammond thinks the tech department is giving up on outdated devices. This feedback is what Pennridge needs and should be further investigated by the district.
There is major room for improvement with technology in today’s educational world. Pennridge needs to strategize new motives that keep up with modern design, internet speed, and the overall output of the technology they trust to help their students learn successfully.
