Gateway to Teaching and Learning
With computer specialists to work with both younger and older students, connecting to the world of technology is a priority. There are over 150 computers school-wide. Each classroom, the library, and the two computer labs have access to the Internet and the file server through the school’s network. Students take advantage of the wealth of information available via the Internet and on-line databases. In addition, seventh grade students have the opportunity to build computers.
The computer specialists work hand-in-hand with faculty, integrating computer use with a particular project or unit of study. Innovative tools such as the Smartboards in selected upper grades classrooms offer even more potential for collaborative projects across the curriculum. Technology at Nashoba Brooks helps each child to achieve his or her best. Technology is a gateway to innovative teaching and learning, allowing the freedom to link ideas and make new connections.
What’s new in technology?
The school’s newest technology tool is the Smartboard, which combines the touch-screen capability of a video game with the drawing flexibility of whiteboard markers. Using a colored marker as a mouse, teachers and students can access and control any computer application (including the Internet, CD-ROMs and DVDs); they can add notations, labels, informative doodles; they can create graphic representations of work in math, science, art, or any subject. Teachers can save what has been written or drawn and send it to students’ computers.
Teacher Comment: "There’s an exciting potential here for collaborative projects, such as students working in a painting program creating an electronic mural. One student can begin a painting, and layers can be added by more students. This could be done over hours, days, or weeks. Each layer stands on its own or is combined with others. Painting one at a time, with fingertips if they like, the students work without getting paint on their fingers. More magic!"
Technology Director Peter Antupit offered the ultimate hands-on project to a group of seventh graders: building three computers from scratch, or at least from smash. Their account has some elements of a suspense story: a "devastating" opening, a puzzle to solve, and a hero- maintenance technician Ron Richards-who saves the day.
Rana : The first thing we did was to learn about the parts of the computer we were going to build and the different components that we were going to use.
Liza: We took apart old computers, but the cases were so tight they wouldn't open. We had to smash them with hammers. We did it outside on the blacktop. I liked that part the best.
Ellie: Mr. Antupit ordered the parts, and when they arrived, he explained what each one would do. We started putting everything together-cemented on the fans, put cards on the motherboard-the memory cards, the graphics card, the network card, and the sound card. Then we populated the motherboard and got it ready to be hooked up to the rest of the computer. You had to be careful-you couldn't touch it.
Rana: We had to sit with our feet in chairs because of possible static. Mr. Antupit was concerned about the motherboard and about us.
Emily: Then we worked on the cables. Everybody thinks there's something wrong with the cables, but they are supposed to be twisted. This is because a long time ago a bunch of engineers couldn't agree on how to put in the cables. They messed things up, and they got twisted. Rather than fix the problem, they just left it that way.
Rana: Mr. Antupit said this was because those people didn't communicate. This is how every machine ever since has been put together.
Allie: It was confusing to tell which ones went where. We had to do that by noticing how the spikes on the motherboard and the holes on the ribbons matched up.
Emily [smiling at being asked what the mass of colored things were called]: Hmm. Let me think. Wires! That's the power. They came in bunches and fit in just one way. We snapped them in.
Allie: The next part was putting the hard drive in, and then the floppy drive, then the CD. It was difficult getting the CD to fit.
Ellie: When we put the CD in-that was really hard. There such a tight space we had to slam it into. To make sure that it stayed there and wouldn't fall out or wiggle, we had to push the clips in, and try to slide the CD in, but our fingers didn't fit between them. We had to use screwdrivers.
Liza: We looked like freaks putting them in. Mr. Antupit, Ms. Porrazzo, and Ms. Zacharis were all having to help.
Rana: And then, after all that, we switched the computers on, but they didn't work. Ms. Porrazzo called the company that sold us the computer parts, and other people worked on the problem, but Mr. Richards figured it out. The memory cards weren't aligned right. Even though they didn't work the first time, it was fun to start the computers and see the blue screens. And then when we got the problem fixed, we could say, "We built these computers, and they actually work."
Allie: They are going into the library, with plaques that say, "Built by . . ."
Emily: Us!
