Presbyterian Christian School is taking a bite out of computer technology for its students.
Working towards becoming only the third Apple designated school in the state, the school, from kindergarten through high school, is completely Apple based. That’s approximately 1,200 computers – laptops, iPads and Macs - with 570 iPads on the elementary campus, including teachers and 430 MacBook Airs at the high school with the others in the possession of teachers and staff.
The school has come a long way since 2007 when they had one laptop for everybody and they took turns checking it out.
With the start of this school year, the elementary school’s computer lab was completely outfitted with 21-inch all-in-one Mac computers replacing computers that were installed when the school was built. “So they were 11 years old,” elementary technology director Rene Smithers said.
An Apple designated school means the school is 100 percent Apple computer based, with no Windows devices, and that all teachers have passed tests and received badges, which certify they know how to use all 16 programs on both iPads and MacIntosh computers.
Jackson Academy and Magnolia Heights in Holly Springs are currently the state’s only two Apple designated schools.
“We’re really close to it,” said Terry Walker, the school’s IT director. “We’ve fulfilled most of the requirements, which they’ve changed and are a lot tougher than they used to be.”
Walker said the election process starts in February.
“We were pretty much a shoein last year, but we didn’t meet the length requirements, because we didn’t have devices in everybody’s hands,” he said. “We are 92 percent Apple teacher certified, so all teachers have gone through the certification process, including Headmaster Dr. Allen Smithers.
“It’s a big deal and we’ve worked really really hard to get here. The faculty and staff have worked hard. It’s been a collective effort.”
Because PCS is a private system, they can’t partake in grant programs to help pay for such technology.
“It’s a one-to-one lease and we hold the burden of all the devices,” said Walker, noting they have a really good partnership with Apple that provided great rates.
He noted a small increase in tuition of $25 per student covered the technology lease.
If tuition stays level the lease is covered 100 percent and if continued for four years, then the school owns the devices and can resell them.
That’s one reason they went with Apple over Chromebooks and other brands.
“Macs provide the best return on our investment,” Walker said. “They have a high resale value compared to something like Chromebooks and other devices. If we had Chromebooks at the end of two or three years, we could just put them in the dumpster. “They have no resale to them and no value at the end of 3 or 4 years.
PCS has the latest generation of every device as they were issued. He said the average Mac will last 10 years.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Walker said having the Apple computer lab will also help the school move toward the progress they are looking to in the future.
So, how are students using this technology?
Kindergarten students are using Ipads to learn the basics, how to take care of them and how to go to certain places on them.
First through sixth-grade students use Ipads in the classroom, take Accelerated Reading tests and visit the computer lab for 30 minutes a day, once a week. They are using a keyboarding program to teach them how to type.
Walker said the keyboarding is important since they start so early. “We want them to learn correctly before they start their own bad habits. They learn to type correctly – not with one finger or pecking.”
“Even a 3-year-old is going to be swiping the phone, so they learn early on,” said Smithers.
First graders also have a reading book on their devices.
Fifth and sixth-grade students will do more with their Ipads, in addition to the keyboarding. They also have the luxury of carrying them from class to class and taking them home.
All their textbooks are scanned onto the Ipads for students in grades one through six.
Fifth and sixth graders will also add some basic coding, which Walker said is exciting.
Smithers said they do everything on their computers – type, book reports, take tests, put together Powerpoint presentations; it’s endless what they can do.”
At the high school this year they started an IT fundamentals course, which is the bare bones on hardware. Students learn all components, how to tear apart, put back together and troubleshoot.
Walker said they were potentially looking into expanding into robotics next year and then the following year virtual reality and then just branch as they want from there.
Each student in a classroom is assigned an Ipad and knows his or her number. The teacher has a cart in the classroom they all plug into for charging purposes.
All teachers have an Ipad issued by the school as well as a Mac laptop.
At the end of the school year all computers are wiped clean and reloaded during the summer months to be ready when the new school year begins.
“It’s quite a summer project to get it all taken care of,” said Smithers.
Each student also has an email address. “We do that so we can email them or they can email IT support ANY time and we tell them what to do, where to meet us, turn it in etc.,” said Walker, who is IT support. “I get emails all through the night.”
He said he even receives emails from teachers at nights or on weekends when they are working and something won’t work right. “Anytime, anywhere,” he said.
He recently got a desperate email about 10:30 at night from a high school student needing to do his homework, but couldn’t find his laptop. Walker zeroed in on it and told him it was in one of two classrooms. “Sure enough when he got to school the next morning there it was,” Walker said.
And with computer there’s no more “the dog ate my homework, I left my textbook at home, etc., because it’s all right there with them.
Walker said that any child in the school system now was born with this type of technology.
“They had one of these in their hands before they could even say a talking word, so you have to reach a different generation,” Walker said.
LOCKED DOWN
Computers are completely blocked down and the school’s content filtering follows students whether they are on campus or working at home.
“They can only get to what we approve them to get to and I can lock a computer down at a moment’s notice,” said Walker.
And yes, they do have some offenders who want to be where they are not supposed to be. In such situations Walker can block their Internet, which means they can get to mail, the PCS website and that’s it. “They can literally go nowhere else,” he said. “They can’t do a Google search. It will load and show results, but students can’t go anywhere.”
Walker can also pop into any device at any time, which he does quite frequently, and take screen shots of students in class. If they are doing something they shouldn’t be he can walk into class, show them his computer and ask, ‘Is that where you’re supposed to be?” Or I can send them a message, “Is this what you should be doing in class?” You should watch things close really fast.
Walker said the control they’ve put in is the same for seventh graders as it is for seniors.
“If a younger age abuses that it creates more problems that may affect the seniors, that pressure starts coming down and the younger ones think aboutwhat they are doing and maybe this isn’t really worth it anymore.
Each classroom is equipped with new projectors, Apple TVs and speaker systems in every room. Teachers can present any type of media with sound, it’s all controlled inside the classroom. Each room also has its own wireless access point .
“It does’t bleed over into the hallway. Those 32 devices are online from that classroom. It also helps keep the computers operating at a steady pace without bogging down.
Each student can personalize his or her computer with backgrounds, a screensaver, which makes it a little more personal for them. “They feel that sense that it’s mine and will take care of it more,” Walker said.
Walker said the future looks very bright for PCS students.
“Our plan is so everyone can code,” said Walker. “We are piloting that this year with the 6th grade and are going to take it all the way down to kindergarten with some very basic things kindergartners can do.”
He said it helps with basic critical thinking, problem solving, so you get arithmetic and writing in it, all the various file sets you need, but the kids can see their designs come to life.
“There are a lot of exciting things upcoming,” Walker said.
