Technology in library assists teachers, raises questions

Teresa Avila, Reporter
February 28, 2010
Filed under News

While the renovated library has been open to students and staff for the past few months, the finishing touches have only recently been added. Three SMART Boards and a flat screen TV have been installed as part of the new library bond issue.

“All of the new libraries are getting the same features,” Librarian Nikki Ballard-Long said.

The SMART Boards are meant to provide three different “classroom” spaces for teachers, allowing for multiple classes in the library at a time.

The flat screen TV has mainly presentation purposes, according to Ballard-Long, showing announcements throughout the day or, for the past week, the Winter Olympics.

These new technologies have not yet been fully utilized by many teachers.

“They’re still too new,” Ballard-Long said. “The problem is that we don’t have computers hooked up to drive them, so you have to have a laptop.”

Many teachers who have used the SMART Boards, however, have found them helpful. Language arts teacher Dawn Indelicato-Faw used the SMART Board in the computer area to help her ALAR/P II students find websites useful for their research projects.

“It was nice because I could just stand there, point and click, and help them find the places they needed to go,” Indelicato-Faw said.

However, some see the new technology as unnecessary.

“I don’t think the TV was worth it,” freshman Rachel Cole said. Other students agreed the new technology had been a waste of money.

But, Ballard-Long explained the money for these additions came from a bond issue that passed before the economic recession. This bond issue money has nothing to do with the current operating budget, from which the district is trying to cut $5 million.

“It’s like two separate pots of money,” Ballard-Long said.

Overall, it is hoped that the Smart boards will become a useful tool for teachers as well as students.

“Everything that we needed was right there, and it was very convenient,” Indelicato-Faw said.

“I think it’s a cool new feature. We just need more time to embrace it and utilize it the way it needs to be utilized,” Ballard-Long said.