School already benefiting from technology upgrades
December 1, 2008
The Vision and Values campaign is already making a difference on the Orange Lutheran campus. Over the summer, campaign donations financed major upgrades to the school’s technology resources: a new wireless network, Apple computer systems for teachers and staff, and major improvements to the school’s network infrastructure.
These changes have allowed teachers to enhance their traditional classroom instruction with a myriad of new technologies. Math teacher Erica Hantula, for instance, has introduced classroom wikis to encourage collaboration among her Algebra and Pre-algebra students. (Wikis, such as Wikipedia, are group-authored websites.) Other teachers have introduced GPS scavenger hunts, digital portfolios, and video production into their classes.
One of the most notable changes is a campuswide wireless (wifi) network. With more and more smartphones and laptop computers in students’ hands, there is great potential for academic learning in campuswide wifi. Built on a backbone of 40 wireless access points, Orange Lutheran’s wifi network allows students to research papers, complete homework, and participate in OLO classes from anywhere on campus.
Several other important upgrades to have taken place behind the scenes. Orange Lutheran recently upgraded the total bandwidth of its Internet connection from 1.5 to 20 megabits per second, making possible the use of streaming audio and video in the classroom and around campus.
Campaign donations have also funded big improvements to the school’s intracampus network, increasing the connection speed between computers on campus tenfold. Benefits from these upgrades have already materialized: Orange Lutheran now hosts LuTube, a streaming video website at www.lutube.org, which will showcase student-created work. The school’s weekly character moment videos, the product of student and teacher collaboration, are now available for viewing on LuTube.
While teachers are already making use of this improved infrastructure in exciting ways, even more is yet to come. In the planning stages now are a learning-management system to further encourage online collaboration among students and new programs in the digital arts that will develop students’ interests into real-life skills.
Previous Stories:
New wing named in honor of Dr. Ken Ellwein
Vision & Values Campaign most successful in history with over $10 million in pledges
Orange Lutheran community gathers under the big tent to celebrate the strengths of our school
