Starting in late October, Parkway will implement Campus Technology Access (CTA) for both middle school and high school students. Students will be allowed to bring their own electronic devices to school including iPad tablets, eReaders, smart phones or laptops. CTA will allow students to have access to the Internet throughout the school.

“We had been looking for a solution at the secondary level that would give us an ubiquitous computing model for students. They told us they wanted to bring their devices to school to assist them in their studies,” Parkway’s Instructional Technology Coordinator Tom Swoboda said. “We’re only doing what is best for our students.”

Students are not required to bring their own devices however, the option is there for students who wish to do so.

“I think that the CTA is a good idea. It will benefit some students and just knowing that I have the option is comforting. Maybe one day I will need it, and I’ll have the choice to bring it,” junior Noreen Webster said.

Devices that are WiFi compatible will be used. Students will be allowed to use their devices with the classroom teacher’s final approval. Access is only available, not guaranteed, for each classroom.

“The students will use their devices for doing things like research in class, collaborating with students via the devices, taking notes, reading books and articles, viewing videos online and looking up words,” Swoboda said.

The Internet is limited and will be treated as though a student was using a school computer.

“We can finally stop trying to get the WiFi code from teachers, so I think it’s a pretty good idea,” senior Carlos Ruiz said.

Students with the CTA access monitored access on the Internet for educational use only.

“I do not think it will be a distraction to those students who would use them appropriately. Students who use their device for enhancing their learning will find it very helpful to have it. Those who choose to use their device for non-school related activities will obviously be off task and will suffer their own consequence academically as well as their teachers consequence,” Swoboda said.

The school will not be responsible for any lost, stolen or broken devices. However, students should still report any lost or stolen devices to school administration as soon as they are aware of it.