In today’s day and age, technology is advancing
rapidly and is an increasingly large part of everyday life. One of these new
technologies, laptops, are becoming increasingly popular and now most of the
teachers here at West are receiving them. The school has also unblocked many
social networking sites, such as Facebook. This is a big advancement in
technology for Joliet West.

Not
all the teachers are receiving laptops. Physical education teachers who don’t
teach health aren’t receiving them. The physical education teachers might get a
laptop, a tablet, or nothing, but physical education teachers, deans, and
counselors can borrow one of the laptops for a day. “The main reason the
teachers were given laptops was so that they could get used to the laptops that
the future students of Joliet West will have,” network medium manager Wendy
Davis said. They are to be used strictly for work purposes only and are not for
personal use.

In
sadder news, none of the students currently attending West will be receiving
laptops. Laptops will be given to each new freshman class, so the first class
that will be receiving these laptops is the class of 2016. “Giving all the students
laptops at once will be very expensive, so we plan to give each new freshman
class laptops that they’ll keep until the end of senior year. The goal is to
have all textbooks online instead of actual books,” Davis says. The laptops
will teach these students responsibility and the laptops help them with school.
These plans aren’t one hundred percent sure, so there is still a chance that
laptops will be distributed to more students next year.

The
school has also unblocked many sites for school related purposes. “We unblocked
many social networking sites like Facebook because sites like these have much
information on stuff like businesses which students could use for research in
projects and homework,” says Davis. Although the school unblocked many sites,
not all were included, such as porn sights and games. “This doesn’t mean
students can do whatever now on these now unblocked sites,” Davis says. These
now unblocked sites are a privilege, and like all privileges they can be taken
away.

Joliet
West has been keeping up with this constantly changing world and all the
advancements in technology. With all of this advancing and changing technology,
it is unsure of what West’s next big step in technology will be.