A new luxury will be provided to students and staff throughout the district for the 2019-20 school year. Apple MacBooks will be provided to further improve the education of students through new technology.

Students will receive the computers within the first weeks of school and will be required to keep protective cases on them at all times to prevent any damage.  

Principal Sam Ruff believes that the students will adapt well with the new Macbooks and  won’t cause many issues.

“Students, a lot of times, are better able to handle change than adults,” Ruff said.

The Macbooks will help solve the issue of some kids not having internet access at home, which makes it easier on the teachers and makes the students more equal in their education.

“If an assignment was on Blackboard and you didn’t have a device at home or you didn’t have the ability to gain access to that technology, the teacher would have to find another way to provide that assignment, but now we’re providing Macbooks to everyone and that kind of levels the playing field,” Ruff said.

Another change students will notice next year is the BYOD wi-fi will no longer be available for personal devices. The new server will only connect to the school-provided MacBooks, and other devices such as cell phones will be expected to be put away in classrooms. Associate Principal Leah Vomhof believes that phones are distracting in the classroom.

“Our goal though is to help you focus in the classroom because our goal is to help you learn and if you’re on your phone not doing active things then that can impact your ability to focus,” Vomhof said.

Vomhof sees the MacBooks as a way to eliminate the problem of students being distracted by their phones. Cell phones will not be an exception in class, as seen in past years, because all applications needed for class will be on the laptops.

“There won’t be a BYOD student and there will be greater restrictions on cell phone use in the classroom because you won’t need your phone to do a Kahoot or take a quick Google form quiz,” Vomhof said.

According to Vomhof, the Macbooks will prepare the students for future education and occupations.

 “They [MacBooks] will provide students [with] the opportunity to learn a little bit differently, but also prepare for maybe a college course or things they may be taking,” Vomhof said.

Vomhof also believes that the new technology will  “give teachers more options of ways to engage students in their learning,” and “make things a little more personalized.”

Ruff knows there is a lot of work to do, but has a lot of faith in DHS.

“I’m excited about the opportunities for teachers to expand on what they are currently doing. It’s going to take a lot of work from both students and teachers perspectives to kinda get this right,” Ruff said. “I feel like we have a great staff that’s willing to learn and try new things.”