The GHCA Computer Lab - a Summary.

Each computer has capabilities to access a local encyclopedia CD, to run word processors, spreadsheets, specialized educational software and more. Each computer also has Internet access through a filtering proxy server.  Students have access to a fast laser printer and a color scanner.

The lab is not only used to teach our "Computer Fundamentals" and "Advanced Computer Technology" classes, but is also used for our other classes as well. Science classes often meet in the computer lab for simulations, demonstrations, and labs. Other classes use the lab for Internet research, typing and writing tools, test taking, etc. Students often come in during their study halls to do homework and research for their classes.

To understand the abilities and limitations of the computer lab, it is important to understand its beginnings. Older computers were donated from various businesses to GHCA for a period of over a year. Most of these computers were old 486 PC computers. Many of the computers had old and failing components. Our current computer science teacher, Mr. Surran, spent over a year repairing these computers and designing the computer lab.

Because many of these computers are old 486 computers with limited memory and hardware, we are limited to what software we can use. Newer software will not run on our computers, and sometimes even older software runs at a crawl on certain machines. Some computers only support 16 colors, which is inadequate for any form of multimedia presentation. Older computers are also more prone to crashes and hardware failure, causing frustration for students and downtime for the lab.

One of Mr. Surran’s goals is to eventually replace all the 486 computers with at least a Pentium class computer. Four of our computers are fully equipped Pentiums, and they serve our students well. Each computer should have adequate video and sound hardware for multimedia software (most educational software fits this profile).

The monitors in our lab are old and small, starting to blur. One of our main concerns is the strain an older monitor has on our student’s eyes. We would like to replace these monitors with newer, 15 inch monitors.

The actual room the computers are in allows for expanding our current workstation count. We are currently saturated in some classes, with no spare computer should another student join that class. Other areas such as network improvement, ergonomics, and software also offer room for improvement.

GHCA continues to accept both equipment and financial donations to improve the condition of our computer lab. We are convinced that the lab offers us a great opportunity to expose our students to technology and to help enrich their learning in their other classes as well. We are grateful to those who have donated to the lab in the past, and encourage anyone who wishes to invest in a great cause to consider the GHCA computer lab.

-Michael Surran

Click here for the computer lab homepage.

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27 School Street, Houlton, ME 04730