VHS Goes Virtual

 It seems as if the conversation towards creating a universally electronic society never ends.  First email took the place of paper mail, then social media/messaging took the place of email.  Now, at VHS, the virtual classroom is replacing the actual classroom.

Students have now become a part of an even more vast virtual web as a result. For students at VHS, it[the virtual classroom] is the latest development:  Google Classroom has consumed a largely-paper agenda.

         School seemed like the last place in which paper still reigned supreme, but this has now taken a sudden turn.  This generation of students has become very accustomed with all the new technology, and this new addition has had immediate positive feedback.  At Verona High School, students have been buzzing about how they don’t need to worry about losing their paper assignments anymore.

“Google classroom has really helped me stay organized and on top of my assignments” says senior Jake Farrell.  Mark Riggio adds “I actually don’t have any folders anymore because all of my assignments are done through google classroom. I really only carry around notebooks, which some people do not even do anymore because some people choose to use online documents for taking notes as well.”

An environment where phones have typically been looked in a negative connotation has changed into one where students are encouraged to use their phone for the Google Classroom application on smart phones.  This app allows for easy access of assignments and important reminders directly through the student’s phone.

“A lot has changed this past year, I don’t even get yelled at for using my phone sometimes in class anymore” says Farrell. Although it did take a great deal of time to set up each “classroom,” the work has paid off.

This new technology has become the doorway to helping improve students academically and at the same time help the environment.  Among Principal Cogdill’s list of goals for VHS is converting all paper assignments to electronic assignments.  Verona High School is on path be one of the many schools to be completely paper free within the next five school years.