Connecting to the WiFi is a real struggle

The addition of Chromebooks this school year has no doubt been great. Teachers no longer have to battle for time in the library to type essays, and students can have internet access at all times during the school day.

While being able to do everything online from a Chromebook may seem great, a semester into the school year, the WiFi still prevents students from getting things done.

One purpose of the Chromebooks was for students to be able to have access to technology at all times during the school day. The district wanted students to be able to learn and communicate in ways that couldn’t be done without technology.

This purpose has most definitely been achieved, some classes use Chromebooks to further supplement the learning process everyday. Even for the classes who rarely use them, it is still convenient, if the teacher wants to use Chromebooks last minute, they can.

However, the weak WiFi network at school leaves some students unable to complete their work because they have no internet connection. In a class or study hall, students are often left sitting and staring at a screen that won’t load.

Some teachers say they have even experienced problems connecting to the internet when they arrive to school well before the 7:40 start time when nearly no one is trying to use the WiFi.

The worst time to try and connect to the internet seems to fall between 10:30 and 12:30, these being lunch periods as well as class periods. With so many students using WiFi for phones, Chromebooks, and other devices, it becomes near impossible for the network to support everyone.

I myself am often left sitting in class unable to take notes or participate because Google Docs and Google Classroom are unable to load with the weak internet connection. During classes that also line up with lunch periods I have the most frequent problems, but even in my seventh period study hall I am sometimes sitting and doing nothing because all my work requires internet access.

Students and teachers could clearly see during AIR testing, the WiFi kept kicking people off and many had to start the test over because of problems with the internet connection. Anticipating that students will be taking standardized tests online, it is even more important the WiFi be stabilized.