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Schools

District Wireless Network to Be Installed This Summer

Dozens of iPads, laptops, printers to also be available for 2012-2013 school year.

A secured, district-wide wireless network and dozens of new laptops and iPads for students of all grade levels are among the highlights of the district’s Strategic Technology Initiative that are scheduled to be in place by the start of the new school year, according to presentation at last night’s meeting on behalf of the Ad-Hoc Technology Committee.

Assistant Superintendent Paul Pineiro and Chief Technology Officer Brian Auker addressed the Board on behalf of the committee to provide an update on the initiative and answer the question many have asked since the plan was announced to the public several months ago: what are we getting?

According to Auker, both the district wireless project and the accompanying network security will be in place by September 1 of this year. The installation of the wireless network is scheduled to begin on June 18 and should take about one month to complete, he said. He also the equipment is in place for the security system that will protect the network. By July 15, the district’s Internet bandwidth should be increased from 50 Mbps to 100 Mbps, and the district has already ordered the new circuit required to do so.

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Auker also detailed what equipment is scheduled to be ordered and supplied to different schools in time for classes this fall. The high school’s media center will have a number of new desktops, laptops and printers installed by September. Its science department will receive new laptop carts, which will replace the near decade-old ones that are currently used. Sixty iPads will be purchased and shared by all departments, and 60 new laptops will also be available.

At the intermediate schools, 30 new desktops and printers will be installed in the instructional labs of each school. Sixty iPads will be purchased as well. For the elementary schools, the goal is to modernize the classrooms for students in first, second and third grade, some of which are currently using technology that is more than seven years old. Thirty iPads will be purchased for the elementary classrooms.

Find out what's happening in Westfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The district will hire a data analyst and a district technician in order to ensure the use of the new equipment is effective. The district will also select two technology coaches – one for the secondary school level, and one for the elementary schools – to fill a pair of one-year positions aimed at training teachers in using the new equipment.

The plans discussed by Auker will cost an estimated $680,00 in hardware costs and $310,000 for staffing expenses, for a total estimated cost of $990,000.

Pineiro discussed different projects and professional development options that will be available to the district. They include the use of science probe kits, iPad apps and web-based collaboration sites such as Edmodo and Wikispaces.

The Board seemed encouraged by the presentation, lead by Ad-Hoc Technology Committee Chair Mitch Slater.

“There are some really great days coming for Westfield,” he said.

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