Over the summer, Ames High students attended an informational meeting about the laptops they would soon be receiving. In this meeting, students were told of all of the magnificent uses for the computers; besides the obvious homework and projects, suggestions abounded, with everything from starting a business to parents using the computer for job searches.

Now, after having the computers for over a month, nothing exciting has really been accomplished. Teachers have moved more assignments online, and the scratch of pencils on paper has been replaced, to some extent, by the sound of tapping keys.

One possible reason for the computers “failing to live up to potential” could be the lack of training many students have with the machines.

A group of technologically savvy students has been put together to help other students troubleshoot their machines and provide maintenance, but for most, the devices are used primarily for the internet.

However, one definite benefit of the machines is access to the Adobe suite for students that normally wouldn’t have a computer with these programs. The Adobe suite consists of Photoshop, InDesign, and many other programs used to create web pages, videos, and more. Students are currently only able to get these programs from the library if they are in a class that requires them, but more students could download them in the future.

“I’d like to learn more about web design,” senior Kyla Crabb said. With the expertise and technology present in the school, this could be a reality. In order to fully utilize the one-to-one computing, students need to help each other.

As the program continues to grow and evolve, more uses will become apparent. Although still young, it has already made big changes in the school, and more will surely develop.