New technology was approved for students and staff to use. The question is, where exactly is it?

In mid September, Lincoln’s Curriculum Council approved  new computers, iPads, and carts. Lincoln was supposed to receive this new technology by Halloween, yet it is not  here for student use. It has been almost 2 months.

Curriculum Council is the leadership council, and they make a lot of the important decisions for Lincoln. This year, a lot has changed; the council has more power than it did before.  It is able to approve budget items and spend school money. This team consists of all the department chairs, classified staff, counselor, assistant principals, and athletic director.  There are approximately 20 people on Curriculum Council.

This new technology would benefit Lincoln.  Lincoln not only lacks access to a lot of computers, but most of the laptops available for student use, as well as other software and pieces of hardware, are outdated. The technology would be open for anyone to use, just like it is today with the laptop cart.

The money used on this technology comes from grants and the San Jose Unified School District (SJUSD). SJUSD gave Lincoln $70,000.  This dollar amount is arrived at by multiplying $35 per student by the number of students who attend Lincoln. Just like Lincoln, all the schools in the district were offered money for new technology.  This, according to the Principal Matthew Hewitson, is a partial reason as to why the technology is taking such a long time to arrive.

Lincoln, in addition to the laptop cart it already has, will be receiving another laptop cart, a dozen desktops for the library, new Apple technology, and Google Chrome Books. The new cart is already here, but the inside materials are still being waited on.

The technology currently is in shipment. “This is not like buying an iPad online. The laptops have to go to the district procedure center, where each laptop is installed with software such as Microsoft, and is given a seal to prevent theft,” says principal Matthew Hewitson. Therefore, the order, being placed through the district, has been delayed.

“They should be here soon,” continued Hewitson. When Lion Tales tried to contact Head of District Technology, Derek Moore, we never got an e-mail back. Lion Tales still awaits a reply.

Alongside, Lincoln is planning on transforming their Media Center to an atmosphere and appearance similar to one of a coffee shop. Hewitson told Lion Tales, “We want to redesign the inside of the media center to make it a more friendly environment; the back shelves with old textbooks would be pulled out and replaced with cubicles, like an office, so that students may collaborate.” He added, “We even want to bring in dorm furniture and have coffee service.”

Lincoln is eagerly waiting for this new technology, hopefully the spring semester will begin with the arrival of Lincoln’s new equipment.