by Maddison Balachowski

As this year at STA comes to a close, the next coming school year brings a change that can set STA apart from other schools. This change is laptops for each student to use throughout the year and is just the crest of the technology wave that is hitting schools around the nation.

‘The key to change and growth is leadership,’ principal of academic affairs Barbara McCormick said. ‘[Leadership] is evident at STA.’

This technological advancement is a result of a survey taken by faculty, staff, alumnae, students and parents in the spring of 2009. Though technology was not the main focus of the survey, it did recognize the problems STA faces with technology. On a scale of 1 to 5 the participants were asked if students had access to the appropriate technology.  The result for students was 3.6 whereas faculty and staff had 3.1. and alumnae and parents gave it a 3.8. This survey helped STA administration decide what needed to be changed.

‘Laptops will help set St. Teresa’s apart from other schools in our area,’ STA math teacher, Jeanella Clark said. ‘I also think it will more adequately prepare our students for uses of technology other than just simply entertainment.’

With each new generation, schools try to find new ways to help the students learn using methods that students are more familiar with. Technology has become the new way of learning and has started a domino effect in schools. This domino effect is the outcome of schools competing to be on top of the higher education for students. However, this will also help to improve the SAT and ACT scores for many students according to a Northwest Michigan College study on technology.

‘My classroom and style of teaching is more like that in which you would find in an university so I help my students be more prepared than other classes might,’ STA science teacher Renee Blake said. ‘[My] students become better prepared for real world application and problem solving.’

Because we live in an instantaneous society, students want feedback within moments of turning in an assignment or exam. With advances like Moodle, Turnitin.com, and Powerschool STA is quickly become a technology advanced school. Moodle gives each student access to their homework on any computer, while Turnitin.com allows teachers to grade students paper on the computer, and Powerschool will show the students their grade in that class.

‘I give my students online quizzes and exams that they do during class.’ Ms. Blake said. ‘These help them to get immediate feedback about how they did.’

More universities and colleges are beginning to use technology in class and are getting rid of the ‘old’ way of teaching by adding wifi to campuses and wireless remotes that allow students to take multiple choice tests without paper. With each generation comes a “new” way of teaching; this new generation is more attuned to technology. While some classrooms are still using chalkboards everyday, others have gone completely online. For a high school to help prepare students for college, the high school needs to follow teaching methods similar to universities.