For Walkersville to Win This Game of Technology Catch Up, the Community Needs to Help

by Susanna Chen for Walkersville High School Lion’s Pride

It is flex (a study period for students) and the library is crowded as always. Each table of computers is occupied with students mindlessly tampering with the keyboard as they watch the the loading sign on the screen spin for what seems like forever. In the background, cooling fans continue to whir to prevent the computers from overheating, while some students sigh and roll their eyes. This is an all too common sight at Walkersville High School which has been nipping at the heels of technology for the past decade.

Principal Tracey Franklin has recognized this issue and seeks to resolve it through an initiative to revitalize the school’s computers. Appropriately dubbed “Road to Technology”, this effort is meant to piggyback off  “Road to States,” the community campaign that supported the football team’s journey to the state championships.

Road to Technology is partnering with the Boosters organization and Frederick County Public  Schools to collect donations through football ticket sales. Each purchase is accompanied with the option to donate to the cause.

Franklin emphasizes the importance of the traction for the campaign gained by the recent successes of the football team. She stated, “Teams like our football team really charge and incinerate that charge. They become the burning embers under the fire, so to speak, that really bring the community together and the school together. And it gives you a sense of this pride that we can be the top.”

With the arrival of the states championship, a developing frenzy binds the community together with a shared sense of achievement. Walkersville has been propelled to greater prominence and Franklin hopes to sublimate a portion of this newfound publicity into Road to Technology.

“It was really about if we could rally behind this community — to behind a team of boys to a final goal–then we should be able to do the same when it comes to the needs of the students academically,” said Franklin.

“Small Town, Big Dreams,” the motto of last year which referred to the unprecedented achievements of the football team, has become especially pertinent with Franklin’s attempts to renovate Walkersville’s technology. This year, the school has received no money for the much needed technological updates and proceeds earned by sports teams go directly to the Maryland Athletic Association.

“There is no money available,” stated media center specialist Cindy Doggett matter-of-factly. “The technology department of FCPS used to have extra money they would use to replace the older computers, desktops, and laptops with updated versions. They don’t have that pot of money this year, so there’s no way to replace them. So we’re kind of on our own.”

Whereas newer schools are constructed with built-in computer labs and advanced smart boards, Walkersville, having been constructed years before the technological boom, has not acquired the same resources.

“I think that newer schools and schools undergoing renovation, like Frederick High School, get technology as part of their renovation. And because we haven’t had any renovation for a long time, our technology is lagging behind,” said Doggett.

This is painfully evident in the building, ill-equipped for supporting an effective technological infrastructure and missing the sleek layout and modern facilities of other schools.

It is undeniable that Walkersville’s technology is outdated. It is generally bulky, unreliable, slow, and not pleasant to look at. The monitors are adorned with randomly blinking lights and the keyboards are interspersed with removed keys. Many of the computers still feature the antiquated design reminiscent of the early 2000s, which is epitomized by the prominent Windows Vista sticker.

Junior Will Anderson commented on this. He stated, “I think that the technology in the school was very good…ten years ago.”

Junior Zaria Gibbs further stated, “I think [the technology] is really poor. I think it could be better.”

The quality of the technology has been detrimental to the productivity of students, many of whom have experienced disruptions in their work. Abrupt disconnections or crashes are common in the computers and have often lead to significant losses in work.

“A lot of the computers are outdated and the systems are connected inefficiently,” said junior Simon Kadel, “I guess, in general, everything’s just really old…I’ve had computers crash on me in the middle of assignments.”

Sophomore Leah Wells also commented on her experience. She said, “I think most of it’s kind of old. Like I was using the computer today and many of them didn’t work.”

In an especially ironic encounter with the technology while in his digital electronics class, junior Nathan Raynor stated, “In a class of five people — we used to sit all in a row — we had to move our seats because of computer failures.”

Regardless of the technology’s quality or appearance, there are still several students who do not have continuous access to a computer. Out of many of the schools in FCPS, Walkersville has the least Chromebooks per student.

World language classes, for example, do not have convenient access to technology, due to their location away from the main building makeshift classrooms called portables. This has prompted the need for special accommodations. However, only a few have been fulfilled.

“Our world language department have eight Chromebooks they purchased themselves for all of their classes to share…And they’re told they just need to buy it with their own budget money. And no one has a whole lot of budget money, so it’s hard for them to purchase the technology they need,” said Doggett.

Doggett has also faced issues with her own management of the school’s technology, running into situations where the number of devices are insufficient in supporting the number of students

“I have a lot of devices,” she stated. “However sometimes I’ll have two classes plus additional students in there. And there have been many instances even in this week alone that we’ve run out of devices for students.”

In a world increasingly fabricated by the web of technology, digital literacy has become an integral part of a successful career. Schools are, therefore, forced to adapt their approach to learning to better align with the quickly evolving society. Traditional sets of books and pencils have been traded in for a laptop and an internet connection. Textbooks are now digitized, and studying for an exam now consists of concentrated rundowns of information delivered through platforms such as YouTube.

“A lot of things we’re doing is through apps or websites or databases that we’re using online and if we don’t have enough devices, it’s going to impact their ability to do the research they need to do and the presentations they need to make,” said Doggett

With this overwhelming stockpile of information, students are able to individually shape their experience in education. Self determination in learning is more pervasive than ever where creating anything in the mind’s eye is only a matter of will. Trivial scientific facts and great pieces of literature are, in a literal sense, now available at the tips of each student’s fingers. This has also balanced out the possibility for even disadvantaged students to attain more opportunities.

“[Not having enough technology] puts [students] at a disadvantage for 21st century learning,” stated Franklin. “They need to be able to learn with the modality of a computer. They need to be able to learn with the modality of collaborative communication through technology with instructional intervention through technology.”

Learning has become more convenient. But, despite countless resources provided by technology, it has never been more expensive to upgrade. This has created a steep curve for schools that wish to stay up to date.

It is only proper for the resources in the school to match the successes of the football team. In order to create a stronger community, better technology is needed. The success of a school is directly affected by the amount of resources that are available.

“We can be at the top. And it doesn’t just have to be in football. It can be in academic scholarships. It can be in art contests, you know, two time winners of the state recycled art competition. It can be in It’s Academic!” stated Franklin with conviction.

Improvements in the school facilities have already been made, such as in the gymnasium, the room for dual enrollment students (courtesy of Charles and Katherine Nicodemus), the locker room showers, and other areas of the school. But, in order for Walkersville to win this game of technology catch up, the community needs to help. Digital Age Solution, a local I.T. firm, donated two Chromebooks to kick off the “Road to Technology” campaign, but a lot more is needed.

Donations can be made at the state football game this Saturday in Annapolis at a table located next to the Honorary Lion Brick Garden upon entering the gate.  Receipts will be provided on request. Donors who give $20.00 or more will be listed in a public release as a community sponsor from the school following the game.

Online Donations can also be made at the following web address:https://FrederickCounty.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/3081/82/False/True