Technology in this day and age moves fast… what is cutting edge one week is then old and decrepit the next. Technology is also something that this generation cannot live without; in addition to basic communication, smart technology is now used as banking systems, alarm clocks, and credit cards. The same goes for technology in schools. It is leaned on very heavily to educate, grade, and track how and what students are doing. Robinson Secondary lies in one of the richest counties in America. With the incredible output of high performing students, Robinson deserves better technology.

  Opening a laptop in Robinson is always a gamble. Does the battery work? How slow will it be? And more importantly, will it even turn on? Desktop computers are no better. Rampant bugs and login times plague students who are trying to work. For some underprivileged kids, the schools hand-me-down laptops are all that they have to work on their IB or AP papers. The laptop that is often used in FCPS is the Dell Latitude e5430. This piece of ancient technology was released in 2012. That was back when Obama was running against Romney, Gangnam style was the thing to do, and the iPad 3 had just been released.

  A re-amping of technology, especially laptops and other computers, is sorely needed. Tech especially isn’t supposed to last this long with the amount of work being done on them. In the mornings, teachers are having issues with their speakers when trying to play GMR, an essential communication device to allow students all across the school to know what is going on. Last year, the majority of teachers received new laptops, and their old laptops were added to the student pool. This sort of recycling cannot happen when students’ futures hang in the balance.

  Other FCPS areas are having the same problem and taking steps to combat it. Chantilly is spending $2.1 million to upgrade their technology. They’re using this money to buy laptops and train teachers on how to use said laptops. One may argue that Robinson has added a computer cart in the library along with a number of iPads. This isn’t enough. Robinson has over 2500 students. A computer cart of 20 computers does not make a large enough dent in the problem for it to be effective.

  As Robinson, and especially FCPS, make the switch to more Google centered programs, they should also consider picking up on Google technology. The mega company Google has always helped when it comes to education. Doubtless, they would also assist Robinson in refurbishing or replacing aging computers. There are a multitude of resources available to schools, especially one of this size, and FCPS should take advantage of that.