Karaffa: Technology in our schools

By Supervisor David Karaffa
Augusta County

The desire for computers in the classrooms of the Augusta County Public School system is a significant discussion this budget season. The issue points are cost, maintenance, integration, and impact on our children’s education.

This school year (2013-2014), a pilot program was started in Stuart Middle School (SMS) with Apple MacBook Air laptops networked with Apple TVs mounted in the classroom. I had the opportunity to visit SMS, meet the students, speak with teachers, and see first hand how the technology has been integrated into their classrooms. What I witnessed was an overall positive in the classroom. However, let's review the topics of debate over this issue.

The Augusta County Board of Supervisors has agreed to fund the school system with $1 million per year for three years to implement a technology program in our public schools. This will involve the continuation of the technology in Stuart Middle School along with all of the other middle schools, and Fort Defiance High school next year. The second year will see the integration in all the high schools across the county. In the third year, elementary schools will be brought online with the computers. The $3 million is coming from the sale of Ladd Elementary school; therefore, it will not impact the taxpayers in the initial three-year roll out.

It's important to understand that it isn’t just the laptops that need upkeep, but also the wired/wireless system and other components that make the system work that will need upkeep and replacement as they age or become obsolete. Each school will have its challenges and the School Board will need to start planning and putting money away for replacement of these components in their budgets now in order to keep up. That would mean hundreds of thousands per year that needs to be put away. This will be a new expense.

In order for the technologies impact to be significant, teachers will need to be assisted and coached on how to use the technology in the classroom to enhance the learning experience for each student. As a county, we need to be able to see and measure the positive impact this technology is having. Most notably, through SOLs, SAT, and other current measures of student performance.

The debate points are as numerous as the opinions on whether technology in the classroom actually helps education. The argument has been made that a perfectly good education can still be had with a knowledgeable teacher and a chalkboard. However, it is too basic to be practically applied in today’s world and in our current public school system. It is important to face a few realities. Discipline, special needs students, and the constantly evolving digital world have a real affect on public school.

Other learning institutions are able to be picky about which children they accept and teach but public schools cannot. An individual computer for each student in the classroom allows for students to learn at their own pace. It enables a student who understands a subject material to accelerate ahead of the rest of the class and allows for other students who are still struggling to be given more guidance by the classroom teacher. I saw this in practice at Stuart Middle School during my visit. It is important to point out that since the computers have been put in place discipline issues have gone down, according to SMS’s principal.

Technology also aids in educating special needs students. Currently, Augusta County has over 700 special needs students. Some computer programs have been specially made to offer assistance to teachers who are educating these young people. They offer different avenues or approaches to these students' different needs.

Lastly, technology is here to stay, and as much exposure we can give young people to it as possible will help with their ability to assimilate into our digital culture. And while many of our young people do get an adequate exposure to this technology at home, it is not uniform or consistent. Having this technology in a controlled atmosphere will give that experience of uniformity and consistency along with accomplishing the task of enhancing our students' education and exposure to technology.

In my opinion, this technology should be cautiously embraced in our public school system. Computers shouldn’t just replace paper and pen and technology shouldn’t replace a teacher -- to do so would be inappropriate. We need to make sure that teachers are trained to use the technology to their fullest and that they are used to enhance our children’s education. That administration shouldn’t let the computers just sit in the corner of the classroom with their screens dark. The three-year roll out will allow for the teachers to be trained and administration to measure the usefulness of the technology before another group of our kids are exposed to it.
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David Karaffa, 30, represents the Beverley Manor District of Augusta County on the Board of Supervisors. A registered nurse, he is the Director of Nursing at Stuarts Draft Christian Home. He and his wife, Katie, have three daughters. Supervisor Karaffa can be reached at DavidKaraffa@comcast.net or by contacting the government center in Verona at (540) 245-5600.  

Silicon Shenandoah ... why not?

An idea that has been bantered around for a few years is the suggestion of developing the Shenandoah Valley into an eastern version of California's Silicon Valley, bringing clean technology and employment for our college graduates who often find they must go elsewhere to find jobs.

With companies fleeing California at a time that finds the state bankrupt and ever-increasing taxes breaking the backs of industry, is the time right to advance the idea of a Silicon Shenandoah?

James Madison University's ISAT computer school (Integrated Science and Technology) could anchor the northern end with Virginia Tech's computer science school anchoring the southern end.

Talking with young 20-something computer science majors, their first concern was the level of education and the fact JMU, if not Tech, would need to toughen its computer courses to compete with the likes of Berkeley and Stanford who have years of experience on Valley schools.

But could it be done? Would companies and higher education be willing to partner to bring that type of clean technology east?

Bob Kirchman, an architectural artist from Staunton, VA, who works with a variety of computer programs while pursuing his profession, weighed in on the possibility of offering more for our college graduate children:

Sadly, we're seeing a systematic attack by cash-hungry government on the engines of creativity that normally drive human progress.

Nowhere is this more true than in California, where increased taxation and regulation strangles all but the best and brightest. Still, Silicon Valley is home to a surprising number of start-ups. Human ingenuity always finds a way to excell even in the direst of times. Sadly, the growing burden narrows the number of winners. Here is where Governor McDonnell's Pro-Market Virginia needs to be promoted with increased vigor. Virginia could well become known as the state that refused to let opportunity die.

Using Governor Bob McDonnell's "Bob's for Jobs" as a base, Kirchman continued:

Governor McDonnell can continue to promote policies that allow many start-ups that would be impossible in California to gain traction in the Old Dominion. We've already become competitive with wine, why NOT technology too. Northrup-Grumman just placed their future growth here. Why can't the trend continue?

We have world-class universities, the Langly NASA facility, and an existing tech industry in Blacksburg and Herndon already. We have empty manufacturing plants in the valley that could be part of this creative renaissance. We have a good workforce that would allow some industries to localize their operations for both economic and strategic advantage.

Daring to dream the impossible ... why not? After all, Virginia was settled by those who dared to dream the impossible.