by: Stehpanie Monteleone '10
What started out as an Apple laptop for every student and teacher who wanted one has been downgraded to no laptops and three smart boards with a promise of four more.
A smart board is basically “A big touch screen that a computer image is projected on to” said WHS technology teacher Mr. Knowlton.
There are currently three smart boards in the school, but the administration plans to order more. The smart boards are not for each classroom, but one for each department. There will be computer projectors for teachers. They aren’t interactive but they are useful.
The administration has also updated all three computer labs with brand new HP computers and a new Adobe software.
There still is no official word on when laptops will be available for teachers and students but Mr. Broderick said that he’s hoping by Thanksgiving. There will be six carts each filled with 25 laptops. Mr. Broderick said “It gives the teachers mobility any classroom can become a computer lab.”
The wi-fi here at WHS has been down for quite some time. The hold up with the wi-fi is that they’re still trying to fix the bugs in the system. Mr. Broderick expects the wi-fi to be fixed within the next 60 days he says.
Teachers have wondered if students will be able to get an email account Mr. Broderick said, “I‘m, not sure if they will address that piece yet…I would say ‘no’.”