Out with the old, and in with the new. We are living in the 21st century where laptops, cell phones and calculators should be encouraged as part of the regime in the education system. These devices develop and enhance the education of students.

Walk down any college hallway or enter any classroom and it is common to find students’ backpacks or arms filled with heavy books required in class. The physical strain and abuse that books put on students is enough to make lugging these nuisances around a painful endeavor. Getting all the information you need exists in the form of sleek and slender, easily portable laptops.

Students can purchase many textbooks through their electronic counterparts, thereby carrying a lot less. This way, students can research and look up references about what an instructor is saying and type notes faster. It also discourages procrastination by letting students work on group projects right away.

Laptops in classrooms continue to be beneficial because the devices serve as a practical medium to prepare students for the future. Not only do they promote global communication, but they may be critical to a successful career. Education is about building students to greatness, not mediocrity.

Sure, laptops can be expensive, but one can find notebook computers for under the cost of a couple of textbooks. Calculators and cell phones are essential tools in the classroom as well, because they offer new ways to learn.

Calculators act as fact checkers with advanced math equations. The recording ability of phones allows the diligent student to not miss a beat. New applications on smart phones let mobiles surpass the basic functionality of a phone.

These advancements were made not to be a crutch, but rather to be used to  readily connect students to additional knowledge (and with knowledge comes power). The technological advancements not only accelerate a student’s capacities, but serve as an eco-friendly solution to wasteful printed material. Save a tree, grab a gadget!