PORT ALLEGANY — The Port Allegany school board heard discussion on the possible introduction of a district technology initiative at Monday’s meeting.
Superintendent Gary Buchsen proposed the board take the initiative into consideration to be decided on at a later date.
The District Technology Initiative would be the integration of a device for every child in the high school to be used to write essays, take tests, and replace some heavy and cumbersome textbooks. The device proposed was the Chromebook, which is similar to a normal laptop. It costs $200 per device. The discussion following the proposal concerned the viability of the initiative.
Benefits would include the students’ ability to work and save projects or essays offline. The Chromebooks would also provide easier transport for younger students, as their various textbooks tend to become problematic to carry throughout the day. Also, a large percentage of the work students do in class is through technology. It was stated it would be beneficial and progressive regarding students and their academic work.
The class sizes were discussed, as well as possible options to purchase enough for at least ninth graders and older. Title I funds were discussed as well as the Rural and Low Income grant. Also discussed were other areas to consider, including insurance for the Chromebooks as well as training for teachers. While an official decision has not been made, there was positive discussion about the idea and is being pursued further by the school board.
