Technology Development at PACA Increases With Its Use

Caption: Chromebooks have become the symbol of academic success as its use is integrated into more classes at PACA. [by Felipe Wilcken with the assistance of Benjamin Portella]

by Felipe Wilcken

Since the 2023-2024 school year began, the use of technology by students and teachers at PACA has skyrocketed.  This was the time when secondary students were issued individual Chromebooks by PACA and limitations on cell phone use began. Rafael Bodri, an IT staff, said these changes made their routine much more difficult and brought a big but necessary cost to PACA.

With the use of school-issued Chromebooks and the integration of Google classroom into many school subjects, the IT department has taken on a new approach to creating a safe digital environment for learning. 

PACA took new initiatives by giving students a chromebook and the google platforms for their work. New projectors were also installed and security measures were also added to the chromebooks.

With these new software systems being used at the school, there needs to be a department behind it all who is dedicated to managing the privacy and accessibility of websites among students.  Enoch Bolanta, who has been an IT employee at PACA for the past year.

According to Bolanta, technology can have a positive impact, just as much as a negative impact on students.

The Chromebook and Google applications help students organize their academic life all into one device.  It also gives them the opportunity to network with each other and gives them the ability to submit digital homework assignments instead of physical copies. 

The projectors allow teachers to digitalize their classes and make presentation. Students also get to present their projects and their assignments in front of the class. Bolanta, as well as Bodri, are in charge of making sure the projectors work.  They are also available to trouble shoot with teachers when needed.

“Technology is essential for a school,” Bolanta said, “as IT [staff], we have the responsibility to control the Wifi, provide projectors and the platforms like Google Classroom; which help students in their learning.”

With technology, things are never certain and there is always unpredictability.

“Technology is unpredictable and we never know what we might need to fix, therefore adaptability is essential,” said Bolanta. 

 One aspect of being adaptable to the technological environment is recognizing what is essential from what is unpredictable or possibly dangerous.

“Students can use AI to do their assignments or make essays. AI is not bad but it can cause harm depending on how it is used,” said Bolanta.

For someone in IT, these are a few important points that they are quick to consider.  However, from the student perspective, the focus is often on personal impact on their lives. Rafael Jensen, a 9th grade student, also had some beliefs as considers how technology use affects him.

“I believe that technology has given me the opportunity to improve my study and given me a higher level of education,”said Rafael Jensen. ”Technology can distract us from our goal of studying and it can cause us to turn our heads from academics.” 

The new technology initiatives have been at PACA for almost two years. It has been useful in many ways, but it can also harm students. 

Bolanta said, “Technology is good, but humans are what can cause vulnerability.” 

Bodri said, “PACA will continue to expand its use of technology, we just need to get the money to do these things.”