Believe it or not, when it comes to tech gadgets, there is no such thing as too cool for school. Gone are the days when you could send a child to school with nothing more than a dozen number two pencils. Today’s students need — or at least want — many of the following high-tech gadgets that make learning, studying and creating projects and presentations much easier than in the past.
E-readers
The simple truth? Books are heavy. Just one or two additional reading books can add a significant load to a student’s backpack. By purchasing an e-reader, such as a Kindle or a Nook, you can reduce the number of books your child has to carry each day, especially if your student’s school district or college is using textbooks that are available in electronic form.
An e-reader is also a great equalizer if your student is a low reader. Because fellow students can’t see what your child is reading, they have no idea that your child may be reading at a lower grade level than he should be, which will allow your child to read without fear of being made fun of.
BlackBerry Q10
They don’t call it a smartphone from BlackBerry for nothing. With a BlackBerry Q10 in his hands, your student is basically lugging around a single sleek tool that combines a scheduling calendar, phone, calculator, study helper and computer. The Q10 also makes it easy for your student to access his email and check on his social media sites throughout the day. Unlike many other smartphones, the BlackBerry Q10 boasts a physical keyboard, which some students find easier to use when taking notes in class.
Graphing Calculator
Many advanced high school math classes require graphing calculators, so keep an eye out for advertisements offering deals on these as summer draws to an end. These calculators are expensive and your student will probably need one again in college, so mark it clearly with your student’s name and contact information.
Laptop
If your student doesn’t already have her own laptop by high school, you may want to consider getting one for her. According to NBC News, laptops work better for high students than desktops as members of this age group tend to do a lot of their studying on the go. For example, your high school student may want to head over to a friend’s house to work on a group project or go to a quieter part of the house to study.
Portable Charging Device
Nothing is more frustrating to a student than watching a smartphone’s battery power sapping away before her eyes and being literally powerless to recharge it. If you send your child to school with a portable charging device, like the Powerstick, she can recharge her smartphone, camera and other devices on the go.
Later, she just needs to connect her portable charging unit into the USB port of a computer to get it charged up again. If left unused, these devices — which can be as small as a tube of mascara — can typically hold their charges up to 12 months.
