A Case For Communication

“Please take out your tablets so that we can begin class.”Although that statement now sounds unfamiliar, it will soon become the norm at Exeter if the proposal for mandatory tablets for students, a plan pushed by the administration and many faculty members, is approved. The idea for implementing a school-wide requirement for tablets, however, is misguided.Twenty-first century society increasingly incorporates technology into the daily lives of people, and now Exeter, among other schools, is looking to integrate tablet use into all subjects. Starting next fall, Exonians will likely have to purchase tablets, either an iPad or one with similar capabilities, for schoolwork. Students will have to cover the cost out of their own pockets, unless they are on financial aid, for which partial or full reimbursement will be provided. These tablets are beneficial and effective in aiding the education process, nevertheless the Academy acts unreasonably by requiring all students to own one of these devices.Indeed, tablets are quite expensive, ranging from a couple hundred dollars to almost a thousand, but the costs can quickly be erased by the savings that owning a tablet incurs. Textbooks for classes are ridiculously priced, and the charges are only rising; this hindrance is only augmented by the fact that a student will use the book for a term and then most likely have no use for it afterwards. But for tablets, a myriad of virtual textbooks with much smaller price tags are available in the App Store. After a couple of terms at Exeter, one might actually save money by purchasing a tablet.Some classes, in fact, would greatly be improved by tablet use. In mathematics, three-dimensional graphs and problems can easily be created, edited and worked on using tablet applications, thus strengthening the learning process of students. It can also be helpful in subjects like history and English by allowing students to save paper and organize notes easily.School-wide tablets, however, are not the answer, and this becomes remarkably clear with the fact that some departments at Exeter do not endorse the idea. The sciences, classics and modern languages department did not fully support the plan, and some faculty members flat out opposed it. It is, therefore, unfair for students to purchase tablets if they are only going to be utilized once in a while. Rather, Exeter should purchase several bundles of tablets for class use. If a teacher or department finds them particularly useful, then they can employ the devices in class time, while instructors who find no need for them do not need to use the tablets.Tablets can also present a hassle that takes important time away from class.“Ok people, turn on your tablets to look at the reading from last night,” a teacher could ask at the beginning of the 50-minute period. But maybe one Exonian’s will not turn on, and another will have trouble opening the text. A third will have a different type of tablet that is malfunctioning and no one will be able to fix it.Maybe that is a slight exaggeration, but mandating new technology for all students is asking for technical difficulties; after all, it is technology—things go wrong—so time might be wasted doing something that can be easily accomplished on paper.Most importantly, by having a tablet for each person, Exonians will not concentrate on the discussion. In some of my classes, when we have an online reading, most classmates bring print copies, but some have computers or tablets off which to read it. Throughout the period, I catch some kids scrolling through Facebook, watching sports highlights or even playing the popular video game 2048. Now imagine 13 Exonians around the table with tablets. Tablets for everyone only makes the phenomenon worse—it tempts us into playing around on the internet when we should be focusing on the class. At that point, tablets go from helping to hurting our education.