New CBA looks to future of technology

While some schools would be happy to provide current technology for students, Albany's Christian Brothers Academy is not.

When the fall semester starts at CBA's new campus on Airline Drive in Colonie, students will have access to futuristic technology. As the school community made plans for the new facility, they knew technology would play an important part in the new building.

"We designed the infrastructure for 2010," said Brother Matthew Michelini, FSC, principal.

Building it right

"Our emphasis was to provide a sound, advanced educational facility that would allow students to be competitive in the 21st century," Brother Matthew explained. "The world is an internationally competitive environment. We knew we had only one opportunity to build the infrastructure to meet these needs."

To succeed when they are out of school, students will need to be able to retrieve and process information quickly, Brother Matthew said. The technology they will have access to at the new facility will help them do that.

"Computer technology is a tool -- like going to the library," he said. "To communicate with someone, you no longer send a letter; it's e-mail. To analyze a problem, you use a spreadsheet program, not a calculator."

Computerized

Accommodations are being made to have anywhere from one to 12 networked computers with internet access in each CBA classroom. Brother Matthew said the school will have between 120 and 220 computer work stations. In addition, there will be a computer lab and a word processing room.

There is also a lecture room equipped with a DVD player, VCR, visualizers and projection equipment that will allow for full screen images. All of the classrooms will be connected to the lecture room, making it possible for the whole school to participate in a lecture at one time.

In the near future, CBA will also have the ability to teach students who are at home. Using video and internet technology, a teacher will be able to turn on her computer and through the student's home computer, he will be able to participate in the lesson.

New methods

The technology present in the new building will do more than just prepare students for future careers; it also has the potential to motivate students and allow the faculty to present lessons in multiple ways, such as:

* language teachers accessing foreign newspapers and news broadcasts over the internet so that students read and hear the language as it is used in that country,

* students in global studies classes researching countries by getting current maps and information instantly, and

* students in science classes searching for current data in their area of interest.

Wall-less classroom

Biology teach Bob Durocher is excited by the possibilities the new technology presents. "I'm really looking forward to it," he said. "I call it biology without walls."

Students in his classes will be gathering information via the internet and presenting their research to the rest of the class.

"It will teach them the basic science skill -- research," he explained. "It's very exciting. No longer will the teacher be the sole authority. I will be learning as well."

Mr. Durocher is looking forward to having technology in the classroom because "all students learn differently. I try to gear all of my classes that way."

Enhancing learning

"Most people today realize that when students are involved and interested, they are more eager to learn," Brother Matthew said. "It's experiential learning. It's not just using a textbook. Students have to be more independent, responsible, and take ownership of learning. Learning is going away from the lecture format. It's more individual investigation and presentation."

This change in the way class lessons are presented has also changed the way students are assessed, he explained. Whereas education used to rely on the teacher presenting information and then testing students, information is now presented to students, who gather additional information and are responsible for presenting what they've learned. Rather than just assessing a student by using tests, teachers are able to determine what a student has learned through their presentation.

"It's a different style," Brother Matthew said. "It demands more from the students."

New area

Brother Dan Gardner, FSC, an English teacher at CBA, is looking forward to learning how to use the technology.

"It's a little scary venturing into an area we hadn't had access to before," he said. "But I'm going to charge ahead and tackle it."

While struggling to develop his own computer skills during the summer break, he believes the students will need little time adjusting to the technology when they return to school.

"They're going to move in, and it'll be home for them. Most kids will plug right in," he said.

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