Friday, December 11, 2015

What's New for the 2015/2016 School Year?

This year brought a significant infusion of technology equipment and more importantly, the addition of a second technology coach.  Erin Damji took over as technology coach in grades K-6, while Caren MacConnell shifted her focus to grades 7-12.

With 827 student Chromebooks added district-wide this summer, we have cut our student to computer ratio in half.  All four schools now have ratios from 1:1 to 1.32:1.  That is a dramatic improvement from where we were in 2013, when our ratios were as low as 3.6:1 and as high as 6:1.

The wireless networks at Village, W.R. Satz and Holmdel High School each received upgrades.  Indian Hill did not require any such upgrades, since classrooms were already outfitted with a wireless access point in each classroom.

The district also replaced 300 computers that were six years old as part of our retirement/replacement plan.  Most of those replacements (180) were at Village School.

Holmdel High School's TV production studio made the jump to native HD recording and editing with (3) new cameras and 27" iMac workstations.  A new HD video switcher and control surface along with a new 16 terabyte shared storage/workflow system round-out the list of modernization upgrades.

A special "Thank You!" must be extended for the generosity and technology donations provided by the HFEE, PLG and PSA.  Donations made to Village School now provide a 1:1 student to Chromebook ratio in second and third grades.  Two Samsung Galaxy 10.1 carts bolsters Village School's lower grades with a total of 50 tablets.  The donation of eighty-one Chromebooks by the HFEE and PLG drops Indian Hill's student to computer ratio to 1.19:1.