COLUMN: Learning in Cyber-Land

My name is Katherine Davis and I am currently a senior at Roosevelt High School in Fresno, California. Today in Fresno Unified School District, technology has advanced in many different ways, both socially and academically. One of the most basic usages of technology on campus is run through a program called PowerSchool. PowerSchool allows teachers to do tasks such as take attendance, input students' grades, and provide some direction on what is expected of their particular class. PowerSchool is an online grading and attendance system that students, parents, teachers, and staff use to check up on how their child or student is doing in any subject, or for attendance. This quick look can also link users outside of PowerSchool, such as to the students' previous records, STAR Testing, or the CAT 6, which is taken in elementary school. The attendance record on PowerSchool also links to "Tell-a-Parent."

Tell-a-Parent is a phone line that calls directly to your house when there is an important notice being sent home, important upcoming tests, or notifications of truancy. Tell-a-Parent is so advanced, that it can transmit messages in three different languages and is district-wide. Having this program allows up to 109 schools to possess technology of the 21st century.

Roosevelt High School has made much advancement from when my sister, Michelle, who graduated in the class of 2002, attended there. I was fortunate enough to be one of the first classes to use the new online grading system at Roosevelt High. As a district, Fresno Unified has come a long way. Technological advancements have also contributed to our improved campus safety with the use of rotating lens cameras. Our identity in cyber-land has also improved through Internet protection programs. Displays and presentations with Internet-connected projectors are being used to enhance our educational experience.

The library is also well equipped with the latest technology. For example it has its own separate computer lab information center. The library has changed all the past existing computers to Apple Mac flat screens with webcams and high speed Internet.

However, school is not the only outlet for new technology. Technology has played a significant role in our daily activities. So many of us have cell phones, iPods, MP3s, computers, laptops, iPhones, and much more that provide a new and more efficient way for communication and organization. It almost seems like you can communicate to anyone, anywhere, anyway. E-mail has become a popular mechanism as well as text messaging, chat rooms, instant messages, and the latest craze of MySpace. With this new wave of communication, a new shorthand jargon, or lingo has been developed. A few of the most widely used are: "Ttyl," "Lol," and "Idk." These represent a shorter version of phrases such "Talk to you later," a farewell message, or "Laugh out loud", an excited funny expression, or "I don't know" which have gone world wide, all because of technology.

As you can see technology has expanded so much in such a little time, only for the better. Like I mentioned earlier, in just two school years the whole grading system has changed and is online for public viewing with automatic grade averaging for the teachers' convenience. I presume it won't be long before this era becomes completely dependent on technology. Soon America will be quick and efficient enough to compete with places like Japan, the technology capitol of the world.

So many times I have heard my parents exclaim how they were able to get along without materials such as cell phones and computers. Nowadays, it seems we are lost without them. However, basic tasks and principles of life have not changed much, it is merely the speed and procedure of completion that has changed.

Student info
Katherine I. Davis, 18
Senior at Roosevelt High School, Fresno, Calif.

*This story is from Converge magazine's Spring 2008 issue.