Save the Trees - by Using Technology!

One of my favorite things about college is the potential for submitting assignments online. My house doesn't have a printer, so if I had to turn something in by hand, it would involve extra steps of finding somewhere to print it out. Some professors prefer assignments in paper, but classes where this isn't the case are such a relief. Many schools require essays and assignments by hand, but why?

According to the National Wildlife Federation, paper can account for 60% of school waste. Think of how many trees can be saved by utilizing tablets, phones and the web more in the classroom. Submitting assignments online has likely saved many a sheet of paper. As more teachers turn to integrating technology in the classroom and people become more environmentally conscious, reducing waste in school could be very helpful at a grand school. It would require a mass effort, not just one or two schools, to make a difference.

I haven't consciously realized it, but I try to save paper as best that I can. When I was younger, I would create new notebooks using binders and paper saved from old notebooks. Now today, I try to avoid printing things out where I can, using Google Drive as often as applicable. I feel like there is probably a lot of people who feel the same. With movies like The Lorax coming out, and the positive messages children's programming tries to put out, a whole new generation of environmentally conscious citizens is being molded. The reduction of paper usage in schools by using technology in the classroom will further this.