Back to school is here!
The first day of school for students in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District (HEB-ISD) is Wednesday, August 23rd. The HEB-ISD is comprised of thirty area schools, serving more than 22,000 students in one of the most prestigious educational systems in the state.
Hopefully by now, your student has all of the glue, pencils, and paper they need to start the school year off successfully. With school getting underway, consider going beyond the basics with the best high-tech devices and tools for students.
If you’re still in search of the staples of back-to-school, here’s the HEB school supply lists, direct from their site:
The Best High-Tech Tools for Back to School in Bedford
School has changed quite a bit from when I was a kid. When I was in elementary school, we had sharpened #2 pencils and chalkboards, but today’s kids are armed with an arsenal of technology that would make Inspector Gadget jealous!
63% of Americans will be buying some extra tech in preparation for school, according to a report from the Consumer Technology Association. Here are the Top 10 back-to-school tech products that consumers plan to buy.
- Smartphone
The ability to stay in contact with family members even with school, work, sports, and many other activities to keep us busy is invaluable. While there are some good deals right now for fancier phone models like iPhones or Samsung, a less expensive and easier to replace model like the Moto G5 Plus is a great option. CNET rates this phone as the best budget phone money can buy.
- Tablet
For high-end devices, Apple is still the tablet king with the iPad Pro 10.5. It’s fast with decent storage, and boasts the beautiful display that the brand has always been known for. Throw in a few accessories like a keyboard or an Apple pencil, and this tablet replaces the laptop, making it perfect for students.
- Wireless mouse and keyboard
There’s no longer much of a need to be tethered to our devices, especially as companies like Apple are moving to completely eliminate ports from their devices altogether. Help your students keep a tidy workspace and give them the freedom to roam!
With quite a few options available, you can shop based on style, comfort, and price to find the perfect wireless combination for your child’s needs.
- Portable Power Banks
That spendy smartphone won’t help you track down your kid after the football game if the battery dies. Just like that new tablet you got them won’t help much with homework after the battery is depleted. For less than $10, you can make sure your student will have access to sufficient power to charge their phone no matter where they are. No excuses. https://www.walmart.com/c/kp/portable-chargers
- Carrying or protective case
Cases for any of your devices not only protect your investment, they can also add a little personal flair to a phone, tablet, or laptop. If you have accident prone children, this is a must have to ensure the life of the device in question.
- Software or subscription
From word processors, to art and design programs, or time management applications, today’s students need quality software to enable the high-tech hardware they are using. Before you go paying for software, check to see if student editions are discounted or free – they often are!
- Laptop
The defining question when choosing a laptop is, “what applications do you need to run?” Chromebooks are inexpensive and work great for online work, writing papers, and watching YouTube, but they don’t have the same range of applications that a Mac or Windows laptop will have.
Take a little extra time to figure out exactly what you’ll be using your machine for so you don’t overpay for bells and whistles you’ll never use. Here’s a handy little questionnaire to help narrow down the options: https://www.laptopmag.com/laptop-finder
- Headphones
Earbuds? Over-the-ear or against? What about Bluetooth? Students need the ability to block out distractions and listen to lectures, podcasts, or watch videos. Parents need to be able to not listen to those things in order to maintain their sanity. You can find great noise-canceling headphones like the amazing Audio-Technica QuietPoint.
- Calculator
Beyond fancy pants calculators needed for upper-level math classes (we’re looking at you Calculus), most students are going to need a basic calculator. Depending on circumstances, students might not have access to their graphing calculators and most definitely their phones, so quick and easy access to a little bit of extra computational power can come in handy.
- Portable memory
No more dealing with floppy discs and CD’s; today’s students carry their data on portable thumb drives. I recommend sticking with name-brand devices, as they are consistently more reliable and prices have come down significantly. Label your children’s thumb drives; they will be much easier to keep track of that way.
Head Back to School With a Smile
While technology goes in out of style, one fad that never fades is a wonderful smile. If your students haven’t been in for their regular cleaning, schedule with our Bedford team today and make sure that their smile is ready for the first day of school!
~Dr. Marea White