Today’s technology never seems to cease with improvements and continues to advance at a pace that’s almost tough for users to keep up with. The computers at the school should be no exception.
Well, actually they are.
For the past few years the school has invested in a computer lab that is completely portable. The “lab” is a set of Dell laptop computers for students to use in classrooms to do research and assignments.
It sounds like a good idea, because it would save on space and it would be more convenient. There is only one problem with that. The computers don’t work. .
The computers at the school run off the Sdale server network. This is how they can control each individual computer and is also the computer’s source of Internet connection. Desktop computers run off a LAN line, so their connection never fails. But for the mobile computers, they have to wirelessly connect to the Sdale network server. This is a problem because they’re never connected. Students can’t log into the computers because of the computers constant failure to connect to the Sdale network. This becomes more of a hassle than convenience.
Due to cheap and poorly made hard wear, the laptop computers that make up the mobile computer lab are difficult to use. Many are missing buttons, have missing keys and havae cracked screens, which prevents use.
The mobile computer lab consists of a fleet of 12 rolling carts that can be pushed and rolled from class to class as they are needed. In each cart are 15 individual Dell brand laptop computers. Each individual cart cost up to $3,000. That’s $36,000 that was wasted.
The school received the money for the computer labs from stimulus money provided by the district two years ago. Even though the Springdale School District administrators had good intentions when purchasing the labs, that money would have been better spent elsewhere.