New technology comes to BVH classrooms

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Lucia Rivera

Bonita Vista High International Baccalaureate Biology Higher Level, Advanced Placement Biology and Accelerated Biology teacher Michelle Mardahl-Dumesnil smart board plays a video to her in-person students. During her third period class the Google Meets call is played on the screen.

Itzel Leon, Staff Writer

With Bonita Vista High (BVH) recently returning to in-person learning in the form of a hybrid schedule, all teachers on campus have received new technological resources such as flat screens, microphones and cameras. The district provided this equipment in order to make teaching easier for teachers and students, including students who have not returned to school.

“Every classroom has a 75-inch interactive flat screen, and that was something that was at the site level. We decided that it was part of our infrastructure we wanted,” BVH Principal Roman Del Rosario, Ed.D said. “How much do we use to buy technology beyond what the district provides? At the school site level, there are really important decisions that have influence over how we spend our money.”

Advanced Placement (AP) Literature & Composition teacher and Yearbook Advisor Juan Gabriel Garcia explained that the new technology helps better facilitate the hybrid learning process.

It allows for students who are in class to stay engaged in a way that simply staring at their personal screen does not,” Garcia said. “I can alternate between clicking my trackpad or clicking the screen which again makes for more physical engagement than just sitting in front of the computer.”

In contrast, English 9 Accelerated and International Baccalaureate (IB) Literature teacher Raymond Chhan does not believe these new resources have necessarily made online teaching or learning easier.

“There are some limitations with the smart boards. For example, annotations or notes that I make on a document with the smartboard are not visible to students viewing the document online. It only affects the smartboard itself. It is helpful for students who are in person, though,” Chhan said.

Do you prefer online assignments or on-paper assignments during distance learning?

  • Online (50%, 21 Votes)
  • On-paper (43%, 18 Votes)
  • Undecided (7%, 3 Votes)

Total Voters: 42

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In addition, Chhan believes that new technology creates more technical issues. However, he clarified that this is not a significant issue for students and educators to be concerned about.

“More technology options will equate to potential issues. I would not say it’s to the fault of the technology, though. There are always issues that can happen with anything,” Chhan says.

Career and Technical Education Multimedia teacher Hugo Martinez, however, stated that there are few problems now that he has adjusted to the new teaching and learning styles. Martinez expressed that no matter the challenge, teachers learn to adapt for the sake of their students.

“We’re committed to our students, we’re committed to our community and we’re going to make it happen. We’re going to learn what we need to learn,” Martinez said. “At the end of the day, it is all about students being empowered through their educational journey and I want to be there for our students during these difficult times,” Martinez said.