BY ANNIE TIAN ’29
Jericho High School’s new school year marks a transition away from Chromebooks and toward MacBook Neos. Following the buy-out of computer chips by AI companies, Chromebook prices increased, creating an opportunity for the district to innovate.
Since their rollout, these MacBook Neos have received excellent feedback, as they provide students with a high-quality user experience and reduced restrictiveness. Not only are the Neos insured with AppleCare, but they also now grant access to a larger pool of resources, including the Apple store. Although the Neos lack the touch screen feature of Chromebooks, which many students miss, students are finding that the Neos run more efficiently than Chromebooks. Suha N. ’30, a freshman who has abandoned her Chromebook for a Neo in this new transition, said, “The new device has so much more storage. They’re way fast, while my Chromebook last year was super slow.”
This transition toward Neos has also created a smoother experience for teachers, who are now able to send lesson plans directly to students’ devices through programs like Jamf Teacher and Apple Classroom. These programs allow teachers to send more than mere directions through assignments, enabling the embedding of any links to documents or websites the lesson may require. Additionally, these new devices allow teachers to more effectively monitor students’ screens and make sure that they stay on-task. Mr. Michael Larkin, Jericho’s Director of Technology, explained how the move toward Neos helps the district in a step toward transitioning out of personal device usage in the classrooms. Mr. Larkin said that it is important for teachers to be able to effectively manage every student’s device in the classroom, which they can’t when everybody has a different one due to personal devices. The Neos are the first phase of the transition away from individual devices, which can lead to distractions that not only inhibit productive learning for the individuals with the device, but also distract the students around them.
For students who still have access to their personal devices, the school is in the process of implementing an additional policy that incorporates limiting student Wi-Fi routes and systems. This means that students will now have to fill out a form and log their devices in order to gain Wi-Fi access. This policy connects back to the state-wide phone ban initiated in the 2025-2026 school year, adding an additional layer of insurance that phones–or personal devices functioning as phones–aren’t used during school hours.
Ultimately, this transition is a huge step in producing a proper environment that encourages learning while reducing any distractions that may inhibit such growth. Students and faculty alike are highly satisfied with how these MacBook Neos provide them with a much smoother educational experience, both mentally and technologically.
Be First to Comment