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More Than 30,000 Computers To Be Replaced
Throughout Cobb
 Change
usually doesn’t happen overnight, but in classrooms and
computer labs across the Cobb County School District computer
workstations are being upgraded while students and staff are
at home asleep. As part of the sales tax-funded improvements
specified in SPLOST II, more than 30,000 new computers are
currently being integrated into Cobb schools and offices,
replacing all classroom, computer lab and administrative
workstations in service for five or more years.
Installation of the new systems is being handled by TSI, a
technology integration firm commissioned by Dell, with support
from the District’s technology and project management teams.
During the first three refreshment sessions at Sprayberry
High, Russell Elementary and Mableton Elementary, the
integration team swept in after school hours and worked late
into the evening, installing more than 1,000 new computers.
Many of the systems replaced were 10-15 years old, running
Microsoft Windows 95 on antiquated 386 mHz processors. In the
coming weeks, the TSI team will complete new installations at
Durham Middle School and Green Acres, Mt. Bethel, Bells Ferry
and Powers Ferry elementary schools, replacing the outdated
machines with powerful and efficient Dell systems.
Assistant Superintendent for Technology Chris Ragsdale
said, “The refreshed technology will be a dramatic improvement
to the tools teachers and students have access to on a daily
basis to enhance the learning environment. Improving the
learning environment through the effective use of advanced
technology is the intent of the technology portion of the
SPLOST program.”
 The
immediate benefit of the major technology upgrade is apparent
from the moment staff and students return to school following
an installation. At Mableton Elementary, each classroom’s two
workstations were replaced and an older, all-laptop lab was
replaced with a complete set of new desktop systems. Mableton
principal Kym Eisgruber said, “This has brought the morale of
our school up. Having two new computers in each classroom is
going to provide more access for students and having faster
systems in our lab allows teachers to go directly into
instructional time. Our teachers said it was like Christmas.”
Allison Coker, assistant principal at Sprayberry High
School, was equally ecstatic about the new technology at her
school. “Our teachers and students were absolutely thrilled.
They’re using the computers more on an individual basis and in
the labs. Ninety percent of our building had computers far
more than five years old, so the change was welcome. The
installation did not impact the instructional time at all; the
transition was smooth and seamless,” said Ms. Coker.
By the end of 2007, the District will have replaced 13,000
systems and will continue the process into 2008. The
refreshment of obsolete workstations is one of several
technology initiatives approved by Cobb County voters in 2003
as part of SPLOST II. The one-cent sales tax initiative has
also provided the District with the means to provide a laptop
computer to every classroom teacher and refresh servers,
printers, copiers and network infrastructure. The goal is to
maximize the learning environment for every student and
continually make the Cobb County School District a more
productive and efficient operation.
Released 3/26/2007 |
