The tablet rollout for the 2017-2018 school year seemingly went off without a hitch. For incoming freshmen, this was nothing new. The class of 2021 has been using them for the past three years. But for sophomores, it was all new.

The previous devices distributed by Lynbrook failed to meet the academic requirements of the students and faculty. However, the technology has been beneficial to the district since it was introduced in 2014, and many members of the technology department expressed their excitement for the new devices while they were being distributed this year. I prefer to use the tablets because they make school work easier and more efficient.

The tablets for the ninth grade were distributed during English classes in September. We received the Dell Latitude, and while they are not my favorite device, they have their advantages. They are more durable than the Surface Pro 3s we had last year; the keyboard is attached to the device, the screen can flip into tablet mode, and we each received our own stylus. A problem in years past has always been the stylus. Now that students are not dependent on a class set, class time will no longer be wasted trying to distribute broken styluses.

The class sets of styluses last year stopped working half way through the school year. The batteries were dying too quickly, the tips were falling out, and the back would no longer fit. While people may not like the tablets, the individual stylus was something everyone was excited for.

The technology in general has been a valuable resource. Before, students at the middle school relied on iPads that were borrowed from the library, but those iPads were never very good. They were always slow and glitching.

Many students think the tablets help them stay organized. I agree. I find it hard to keep a binder organized, but with One Note, it is rare to lose a worksheet.

There is no doubt the tablets have caused problems in the last three years; however, they have been a huge advantage. Therefore, even if students do not like them, it is highly unlikely the school will get rid of them. Other districts in the area have been introducing more technology into their curriculum, and to stay competitive, Lynbrook must do the same.

I personally have broken several tablets from the time they were first given to us in the sixth grade. It was bothersome to deal with a delicate device like the Surface Pro 3. Those devices would never really work in a school environment; however, the problem of durability was solved this year with the distribution of a more durable device. With the Dell Latitudes, there is a larger border around the screen and a non-removable keyboard provide the device with more protection.

Let us not forget one of the best things about online binders. On OneNote, everything automatically saves, and it is almost impossible to lose something because you did not save it. Whether you shut down or “X” out of OneNote, when you log back on, your work will still be there.

In January of 2014, the school district was excited to introduce the tablets. During the first year, they were not used much, as no one was very fond of them. Students were used to working on paper, and the teachers had never used online binders before. I remember my classmates and I being upset about going “paperless.” It was probably because we had never used anything like the tablets daily.

During the 2015-2016 school year, the devices were being used more, and teachers started thinking they were easier to use. Teachers can push out worksheets via One Note, and within moments, the students would have it.

OneNote is not the only thing that makes these tablets special in a classroom. Everything you need for class is on one device, it really does not get easier than that.

Classes used to have to meet in a computer room or library if they wanted to work on a project. The tablets have Microsoft Word, Power Point, Publisher, and Excel. My personal experience with these programs is nothing short of fabulous. There are times when the program is a little slow or glitching, but that does not happen often enough for it to impact my opinion.

The tablets do cost the school a lot of money, but is it worth it? I know Lynbrook is trying to keep up with the new technology being released every year and other schools that update their technology yearly. Students should not complain about them because there are students who would love to have the academic advantages that tablets render.

The Dell Latitude can arguably be the best device the district has chosen yet. It provides protection from breakage without sacrificing any of the software or functions needed for a device to thrive in a school environment.