Schools are not perfect institutions. They have their strong points, and they have their weak links. Compared to years ago, our school is a fantastic place to be. It is a safe and often fun learning environment. With the close of this school year we are beginning to place an emphasis on what we can do to make next year better. With the talk of school time changing, dress code, and other important scenarios, it seems that the netbooks have a taken a back seat in conversations of ameliorating the school.

The netbooks have become both useful and harmful in the classroom. The introduction of netbooks two years ago also brought along chat on Google Talk and Yahoo! as well as a plethora of games to play during school—and other illegal activities that still happen. As fun as these items are outside of school, they take our focus away from the reason we are here and cause grades to suffer. Throughout this year the proper use of netbooks has become much better. Teachers are learning how to incorporate the technology into curricula on a day-to-day basis. Many classes have gone almost completely paperless and turned to more eco-friendly ways of submitting assignments online. The more we use the netbooks, the more flaws we find in uses of them.

A major concern I have found in using the net books is the loss of files or Internet connectivity. When problems like this occur, some teachers who are not so technologically savvy are confused as to what to do. Teachers should be taught how to fix minor problems and issues that arise during class. This would minimize the number of students in line for computer support and keep more students in class for the full period. Students lose files and connection to the Internet often during the day.

Teachers and administrators are learning better ways to use the netbooks, but they still have their flaws. Using them and taking care of them has been a big responsibility for students. Changes will always need to be made, but overall the netbooks are useful for students and teachers.