When the Board of Trustees announced its decision to provide next year’s freshmen with laptops, courtesy of the school, we were less than thrilled.

After all, we’d be left out of the program—paying for it, yes, but not benefiting from it.

We were worried about teachers being forced to change their curricula to use these computers, and we thought that computers might be nothing more than a distraction for students and a burden on teachers.

But after the initial shock wore off, we realized that this position was based more on jealousy than on reason.

This program gives teachers the option to modernize the curriculum by incorporating digital textbooks, online materials and computer-based lessons.

Digital textbooks will not only help lighten students’ over-burdened packs, but also provide
multi-media aspects like videos, interactive photographs and graphics.

Standardized school laptops will also simplify the movement of typed documents, eliminating compatibility issues between the many brands of laptops and desktops students currently own.

The arguments we initially had against the problem have proved insignificant compared to the good this program could do for the school.

The costs are substantial, but the money is already set aside and will be only a small portion of the overall budget.

Additionally the same argument used to justify the expense of the middle school iPads holds true here.

If even two students are swayed to attend the high school by the promise of laptops, then the program will nearly pay for itself.

And while the computers will be a mandatory part of a student’s school supplies, teachers are not required to change their curricula or switch to digital texts if they do not wish to.

And, sure, laptops could be a distraction for students, but students will use laptops in college and in life.

The same argument we advanced against online grades holds true here: high school is about becoming independent, and students need to learn to be responsible.

Not every class will utilize these tools, but having laptops gives teachers an opportunity they have never had before.

Imagine having a physics lesson with every student simultaneously looking at three-dimensional waves on their own laptop or a biology class examining an interactive model of the cell.

In 10 years, every private school in the area will have a similar program. Country Day can lead the way or be left playing catch-up.