Westhill is considering granting students Wi-Fi access on a server of their own because of the advantages of utilizing technology in class, such as students bringing in their laptop to complete school work. Having the access to Wi-Fi has its benefits, but raises a few issues as well.
The most commonly asked question of last school years was, “Do you know the Wi-Fi password? They changed it!” Only a minute after, students found a way to get the Wi-Fi password, even if it involved them asking a teacher, guidance counselor, or someone they don’t even know.
Westhill’s school policy on electronics is that they should be kept in backpacks during the school day, but with the access to Wi-Fi, there’s no doubt that everyone will constantly be on their phones for reasons unrelated to in-school research.
Students frequently use the Wi-Fi for social media, which has become a distraction. Everyday, students are tempted to touch their phones even if they don’t receive a text. “I notice that kids don’t do their work and are on Twitter or Facebook and it’s hard for the teacher to control everyone. It enables them to just joke around and not do their work,” senior Lana Foglio said.
While they’re on their phones, students may become less involved in class lessons, and miss out on important material.
Our generation has become incredibly dependent on the internet, to the point where we can’t live without it. Students find themselves focusing on unimportant, trivial information rather than the tasks at hand. This could prove to be a major obstacle in the classroom.
I believe that we need to realize that the internet won’t always be the answer to the problems that we face, in or outside of school.
