As I sit and write this article on my computer, I wonder what it would be like to not have this easy access every day.  The school has thought about this for many years, finally deciding that BYOD is the solution. BYOD, bring your own device, requires every AHS students to have their own computer.  For a public school, the idea of making every student bring their own computer is asking too much from too many people.

Many people who cannot afford a computer, or who do not have a computer with high quality features, will be singled out.  As teachers tell students to pull out their own computer, these students’ faces will turn red with embarrassment and disappointment, because they know they don’t have what everyone else does.

The students who are in this difficult position face much more than embarrassment; it also places a burden on their parents.  Parents are obligated to pay for an extremely expensive computer, in order to keep their child in the loop.  When the parents decide to spend the absurd amount of money on the new, best computer, the technology will continue to advance and their new computer will soon be archaic.  Therefore, students and parents will once again be pressured to buy another computer.

The problem of students actually working also comes into play.  Students are more likely to be on Facebook or playing games than actually doing work.  Especially because with technology, students can switch tabs and even desktops before a teacher can walk over and see what they are doing.

One class that is already forcing students to bring their own computer is Discovery.  Students in this class say that they are penalized when they don’t bring their own computer, and are virtually never allowed to use the school computers because they are too slow.  It is a very helpful class; however, it is simply ridiculous if students aren’t able to succeed in a class because they cannot afford a supply.  At any public school, the school has the responsibility to allow all students accessible education for any class.

BYOD may seem like a good idea at a first glance, but once you look at it a couple more times you will realize that it is not.  People will be humiliated and a burden will be put on their families.  The small amount of benefits will never have an opportunity to shine through.