What technology does your kids’ school provide for them?

[Snow mom]

Pre COVID kids got chromebooks in 3rd grade and started bring them home in 4th grade. When schools shut in 2020 they scrambled to get everyone chromebooks and I think it’s been that way ever since (although now my kids are a bit older so I don’t know if they still give chromebooks to the littles or have gone back on it). They get new Chromebooks on a schedule, something like every 3-4 years. We don’t have insurance or any cost but I don’t really know what happens if they break multiple Chromebooks. DS insists there’s a cost once you break the second one but DD has seen kids purposely break their Chromebook in school and insists they just get a new one, over and over. Neither of my kids has broken one yet although DS’s is in pretty poor shape. Because he got it in 1st grade it seems like maybe they have to keep them longer before they reach a swap out year.

[Kindra178]

Pre pandemic iPads in fifth - eighth. Post pandemic first - eighth. High school chrome books.


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[mom2binsd]

Since middle school our district gives them Chromebooks, middle and high take them home each night.

The comment that they were shocked more didn't offer Macbooks-I have seen the cost difference and it is huge between Macbooks and Chromebooks. The chromebooks seem to do just fine for our students.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

Public school in Texas. Kids in elementary got chromebooks (3rd, 4th and 5th grade). Here middle school is 6, 7, 8th and they all get chromebooks.

The kids only use it in class and a little bit of homework. The chromebooks tend to be very old.

[ahisma]

Michigan, public school, it's BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). There are year long loaners available, but they're older and pretty slow from what I gather.

[Dayzy]

Every child in our public school district gets a chromebook. The k-3 buildings keep them in school but 4-12 they bring them home daily.

[Philly Mom]

Michigan, public school, it's BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). There are year long loaners available, but they're older and pretty slow from what I gather.

Isn’t this an equity issue? The reason why every kid gets a device here is for equity across the district. I’m sure the kids don’t need MacBooks but they have been giving those out since long before they had a device for each elementary student.


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[hbridge]

We will buy DD1 a laptop before she starts college; not sure if she will want a MacBook Air or a PC.


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I would wait until she chooses a school. We found the college had a recommendation and free extensive tech support on campus for the recommended machines .

[carolinamama]

Public district provides Chromebooks but I have no idea at what age that starts - I only have kids in public high school. It seems they receive a brand new one and are expected to keep it as long as it works/they are students. *I just asked DS1 (senior) if he uses his Chromebook or his laptop for schoolwork. Said he hasn't touched his Chromebook in almost 2 years and uses his laptop since it's bigger and faster. He started using an iPad for notes and studying this year. Waiting for him to choose a school before we figure out his tech needs for next year.

Private K-8 school provides laptops to all students 4th and up. Kids turn them in at the end of the year and receive a new one each fall. This started during Covid and has continued, although they have gradually returned to minimal work on computers.

[NCGrandma]

I would wait until she chooses a school. We found the college had a recommendation and free extensive tech support on campus for the recommended machines .

Definitely agree. And in some places, the recommended systems vary depending on a student’s probable major. At the art school my DGD1 attends, some departments use Macs, others use PCs, depending on which has the preferred software. DGD1 is about to declare their major — either of the likely possibilities is likely to require pricey supplies so I’m hoping they won’t need a new computer too!


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