At Pleasant Valley High School, technology is no rarity. The problem with all this technology is that most of these computers are low quality. This is a such a major problem, as in today’s day and age, computers and technology are vital for success in school, as well as many other aspects of life.
At PVHS, many of the computers run on outdated software, making a large amount of work frustrating for all grades in many of their classes. “It’s aggravating trying to work on a paper at school just to have it freeze up because the computer’s system can’t keep up,” comments Nathan Ahlers. This is exactly the kind of problem that plagues many students as they try to work through their school work. Another problem, this time related to programs and websites used by PVHS and it’s classes, is that of horribly outdated and unsupported sites to complete online homework, such as www.physicsclassroom.com, a website used in many physics classes.It highly unsupported and outdated, and many students often resort to using older versions of Firefox, the archaic Internet Explorer or even Apple’s Safari. “When you have to download some old web browser that isn’t that compatible with new technology just to get your grade in school, something needs to change.” says senior Robert Border.
To go along with software problems, Pleasant Valley’s technology is also plagued with hardware problems. Computers often turn off without warning or lose connection due to some port or power problem. “In my almost 4 years of high school, I’ve probably seen the tech repair people just about every other week,” comments Border. When a student sees the school tech person more than a principal or dean, one becomes lead to believe that the school hardware is faulty and needs large amounts of improvement.
As Pleasant Valley continues to move forward, one questions whether the school will decide to develop the technology or to continue to use the same old technology at the expense of the student body.
