Just a few years ago, students were walking around with BlackBerries and flip phones.
However, as of 2014, there has been an end to the BlackBerry fad, and now the students of Schreiber possess the latest smartphones and tablet computers. The Board of Education attempted to follow the trend, by adopting its own new technologies.
As of this year, the school has purchased about 90 personal lightweight computers called Chromebooks, which are used in many classes such as English, math, and science to take notes, answer online questions, write essays, and watch videos.
“I know that the Chromebooks are used for physics classes to see computer models and different demonstrations,” said junior Will Berger. “I think that they are really great because they are portable.”
Very often the computer labs become packed and over scheduled, and because of this, students are not able to use the computers on their off periods.
So with the Chromebooks, you basically have portable computer lab that is accessible anytime.
“I enjoy using the Chromebooks because they are paperless and I don’t have to leave my classroom. They are also very useful for collaborative assignments and sometimes I get more out of a journal response from a Chromebook because students are used to typing,” said English teacher Ms. Sacha.
Dot and Ed Slade of the Education Foundation Board have recently donated a generous grant to the newly developed TV station at Schreiber.
With their grant, numerous cameras, lights, Apple computers, and green screens have been purchased for the new program and club. In addition, the new flat screen in the main lobby has displayed several news stories, which promote student activity.
Hopefully, this expansion of the TV program will continue to evolve into what will be a great example of how technology has transformed the way in which students learn and communicate with one another.
“The impact this technology will have on the school is tremendous. The equipment we use for the TV program and club is state of the art and the quality of work that students are able to achieve clearly demonstrates that we are providing students with the experience they need to succeed in the 21st century.
Currently, we are able to broadcast student productions to the lobby.
“We are close to gaining connectivity to the cafeteria, and we hope to eventually broadcast student work within the community via the Internet,” said art teacher Mr. Peter Koch.
Years ago, Schreiber developed the Mac Lab and began to take the computer sciences more seriously.
With these innovations, students have been able to take many classes that they enjoy.
As students continue learning how to do these things, many begin to develop an interest in specific fields of technology, which they can ultimately use in their career later on.
“Because of these programs that the school offers with the new technology, it has motivated me to become a sports broadcaster and study communications at college, said senior Danielle Snyder. “Hopefully as the programs continue to develop, more students will be interested in it as well.”
In addition, smart boards, which were purchased by the Board of Education, have been installed in the last few years.
SMART Boards provide many advantages when compared to a regular white board.
Smart boards are much better because the teacher is able to make creative and interactive lessons as students are more engaged and focused.
In addition, the software is easy to use and teachers are able to adapt to the different learning styles of all students.
Overall, technology continues to impact our society everyday.
In order for the students of Schreiber to learn and develop needed skills that they will use later in life, purchasing new technologies for our school is definitely a necessity.