Technology today is becoming more and more advanced. Padua Academy is even in on the newest and latest technological devices. One of the advances Padua has offered in the last few years is the Mac lab. Padua has had the mac lab since June 2010.

One of the biggest frustrations for students is that when they enter the mac lab, they oftentimes have to leave because there is no teacher present. The Mac lab gives a chance for students to complete papers, projects, and other assignments. But do students really work on those things 100% of the time? The answer to that is simply, no.

There are so many different distractions that fill a teenager’s mind besides school work. Some of these distractions include the following:

• Tweeting
• Texting
• Other Social Network Sites
• Just the simple fact that not everyone is interested in the subject they are studying for.

When a students are not interested in what they are learning, they can pick out many different things just so they don’t have to focus on that subject.
There are also many ways to avoid these distractions, including:

• Turning off a cell phone or computer.
• Prioritize what needs to be done first.
• Don’t procrastinate.
• Take breaks.

The main reason students are not allowed to be in the mac lab when there is no adult supervision is because they could take advantage of the social networking sites. Students today all tweet, update their status, and go on tumblr. However, the Macs are to be used for school purposes, so teachers don’t want students in the mac lab taking advantage of the technology at their fingertips. Mrs. Sweigart says, “the time most students spend in school is limited, so the computers should be available for them to do their work.”

Though the Macs have different programs such as Photo Booth and other “fun” software, the macs are offered as an advancement in technology and are to be used for school purposes.