It's West Virginia, so I know the budget is probably smaller than most schools... But "you can't use a Chromebook because we don't have Wi-Fi" and then saying "all we have is a cramped computer...
It's West Virginia, so I know the budget is probably smaller than most schools... But "you can't use a Chromebook because we don't have Wi-Fi" and then saying "all we have is a cramped computer lab."
Cat5 and wired setups. They didn't invest in a solution because they didn't want to (and, likely couldn't afford it.) Chromebooks have Ethernet ports, at least, some do. If they couldn't hard wire drops for the teachers at least, they just didn't want to do anything. They could've had a computer lab that could hold a quarter of the school at a time if they really wanted to. 200 kids and they couldn't figure out any solution?
IMO the computer lab was the proper way to use computers in schools. Probably have to revert to it anyhow and force kids to mostly handwrite again given the LLM crisis. 2nd graders don't need...
IMO the computer lab was the proper way to use computers in schools. Probably have to revert to it anyhow and force kids to mostly handwrite again given the LLM crisis.
2nd graders don't need Ipads or Chromebooks to learn addition or phonics. They need competant (and well paid) teachers and supportive parents.
On Aug. 5, the Green Bank Observatory made a seismic announcement: WiFi would now be allowed within a 10-mile radius of the telescope. It marks a dramatic shift in policy, even if, in practice, many local homes had already installed wireless routers in defiance of the long-standing ban. The observatory cited “radio pollution” from these unauthorized signals as one reason to legalize what had become an uncontrollable situation. The other reason was educational: The school had been begging for years to get WiFi.
In many ways, Green Bank was an unintentional experiment in pedagogy. While the rest of the country rushed to bring tech into classrooms, Green Bank remained stuck in 1999. Without WiFi, the school’s 200 students couldn’t use Chromebooks or digital textbooks, or do research online. Teachers couldn’t access individualized education programs online or use Google Docs for staff meetings. Even routine tasks such as state-mandated standardized testing became challenging, with students rotating through a small, hardwired computer lab where they took the exams.
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Proposals had been floated over the years for the school to get WiFi without interfering with the observatory. One idea was to install LiFi, which emits low-range WiFi through lightbulbs, but the technology was finicky and expensive. Another thought was to pile an enormous dirt mound behind the school to prevent the WiFi from radiating toward the telescopes, but that would have destroyed the soccer fields.
While those discussions dragged on, students fell further behind in math and reading, with Green Bank consistently posting the lowest test scores in the county. “Our kids are no different than the other kids in the county,” said Principal Melissa Jordan. “The only difference, in my opinion, is their lack of access to engaging technology.”
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During the coronavirus pandemic, when schools went remote, wireless connectivity became more critical for students logging on from home. And outside of education, the increasing use of that connectivity to power everything from glucose monitors to prosthetic limbs kept adding pressure on the National Radio Quiet Zone. Something had to give.
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In a compromise, the observatory said it would permit WiFi at 2.4 GHz, but higher-frequency bands like 5 and 6 GHz would remain restricted. The observatory will enforce those boundaries more rigorously and is holding community listening sessions to guide the transition, said Sheldon Wasik, the regulatory coordinator for the quiet zone. Meanwhile, the observatory is collaborating with Starlink to provide satellite internet to much of the quiet zone, a welcome note to emergency responders from surrounding counties who have been clamoring for better wireless communication service.
It's West Virginia, so I know the budget is probably smaller than most schools... But "you can't use a Chromebook because we don't have Wi-Fi" and then saying "all we have is a cramped computer lab."
Cat5 and wired setups. They didn't invest in a solution because they didn't want to (and, likely couldn't afford it.) Chromebooks have Ethernet ports, at least, some do. If they couldn't hard wire drops for the teachers at least, they just didn't want to do anything. They could've had a computer lab that could hold a quarter of the school at a time if they really wanted to. 200 kids and they couldn't figure out any solution?
IMO the computer lab was the proper way to use computers in schools. Probably have to revert to it anyhow and force kids to mostly handwrite again given the LLM crisis.
2nd graders don't need Ipads or Chromebooks to learn addition or phonics. They need competant (and well paid) teachers and supportive parents.
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