Are the Tablets Worth It?

(This post is done in the format of the argument, followed immediately by our rebuttal.  Later it switches to our argument and the reasons we support it.  There is an important note at the bottom; if nothing else, read that)

Arguments against:

• They're expensive

This is the biggest problem I can see right now.  Tablets range from $100, to prices painful to look at, and the quality varies depending on the price and on the maker.  We'd probably go with a 3-4 star model for $100, or possibly a 3.5-5 star model for $150.  This would put the fundraising goal at around $30,000-$45,000, if we assume approximately 300 students attend CGS.  This seems extremely expensive, but the price can be lowered through school discounts, or discounts for ordering in such bulk.  I'm currently in the process of finding out how we'd acheive these reductions in price, and will keep people updated on fluctuations in our estimate unless we have a definite idea of cost.

• The money could send multiple kids on study tours

Yes, it could; by one person's estimate, an approximate price of $30,000 would send 7.5 kids abroad on a full scholarship (that last half kid is getting cut in half, I suppose...).  However, purchasing tablets would affect everyone in CGS for a much longer time.  Yes, study tours are amazing experiences, but raising funds for scholarships only affects a couple kids per year for only a couple weeks.  The tablets would last at least 2-3 years, probably more if cared for well; they can be reused and will continue to help more students for longer periods of time

*a note: we are NOT anti-study tour, or anything like that.  We're just trying to find an option that will help more people than scholarships*

• Theft/breakage

Please be gentle with the tablets if we manage to pull this off.  Don't throw them across rooms, even if they're in your backpacks.  And keep an eye on them when they aren't in your hands.  However, in the case of loss or breakage we have two options:
1) you break it, you buy it
2) have some extras
If you break it, you should be expected to pay for it in some way.  I'm sorry, but that's just fair.
Most people have laptops or tablets of their own already; those who bring their own technology to school can deny the option of a tablet; we can use these extras in the case of breakage or theft.

• Mainstream teachers may be less than enthusiastic

I've had classes where mainstream teachers love the kids using laptops, and I've had classes where they give detentions to kids who have any sign of technology on their desks.  If we manage to get the tablets, we will definitely be talking to mainstream about the option of tablets.  If your teacher still adamently refuses, then just keep the tablet in your backpack for the class.  Yes we're trying to be more green, but if the teacher will fail you if you don't have looseleaf or a notebook please just accept that and do things their way. 

Arguments for:

• They're great for characters

I use my dad's iPad to practice stroke order for chinese characters.  I don't know how the tablets work for other languages, but just the fact that you can magnify complex characters and words in order to get it right is very helpful.  I've learned a lot using a tablet to help me study.

• They're more green

This point extends beyond us.  Schools use a lot of paper.  Last year CGS ran out of paper in the Mac Lab; I had to hand in some essays printed on the backs of old assignments (and sometimes even on the fronts of assignments).  We want to help in any way we can, and by eliminating the need for paper we hope to maybe make an impact (even if it is small). 

• They're better for your back

Textbooks and notebooks are heavy, especially if you have to walk long distances to the school or to your home train station.  Many students - including myself - complain of back pain from too-heavy backpacks (or sometimes the backpacks themselves are destroyed; stop me in the hall tomorrow and I'll show you my strap).  Students sometimes carry up to 15 or 20 pounds in textbooks, notebooks, pens, etc all day, and it's contributing to health problems later on in life.  A tablet is much lighter, and carries more books than any backpack.

• They will help with organization

You'll never have to sprint to your locker for a book or notebook.  All of your course materials and notes will be on the tablet.  And you won't have to be concerned with losing handouts or homework; it will all be right there.   Also, calendars will make keeping track of due dates easier because you can set it to automatically remind you of an upcoming assignment.

• They're better for class than hard copies

Notetaking will be far easier using tablets.  You can write notes in the margins, highlight, underline and make notes on the actual text, not just write the notes on a separate sheet of paper.  The same goes for powerpoints or other presentations the teacher does; you'll be able to enlarge text if necessary, and make notes as you follow along.



I would like to take this time to note that purchasing $30,000 of tablets is a goal, and a lofty one at that.  Like I said during my speech today, most people's reaction is "that's ridiculous.  How can we possibly make that much money?"  And I stand by what else I said during my speech: if we apply ourselves and commit ourselves to multiple fundraising events, we can get there. 

I also ask people to be patient.  We will try our best to get the best deals, and to make as much money as we can, but it's very possible (in fact likely) that this idea could involve 2 or more years of fundraising in order to accomplish.  So if graduation comes along and you don't have tablets, be patient.  $30,000 is a massive amount of money; if we manage to make even half of that - even just a third - it will have been worth it.  This plan will hinge on how willing you all are to fundraise in order to acheive it. 

The most important thing to us is that even if we don't make our goal, we can look back on the year and the events and say "it was worth it".  We want CGS to have an amazing year, and we can do that at least in part through fundraisers. 

Maybe a fundraiser is fun, but only makes a couple hundred dollars. 

Who cares how little that is?  We're a couple hundred dollars closer than we were before the fundraiser, and we had a great event.  Even if we lose money, what's best for the CGS population always comes first.  If you guys don't have fun, then the fundraiser was a miserable failure; if you guys do have fun, then regardless of profit, it was worth it.