Pimlott. (photo right) are weil.’ equipped | with computer tech "nology at home. They need more at Carson Graham sec below) helps Grade.11' stu dent Ashleigh de Rot in “to lag on in a 60-minute period,” Cousins said, “People took notices: ; “So after that; the boys got | us some new Things are looking up. I think PI stay a re bwo computer labs i ae ‘Canon Graham. “The computer-science fab recently” réceived ‘seven and one Mac 7600. The © years old ‘and wn lab is the: ‘most well-equipped room in the. schol at this point, with numerous mid- to bigher-end Macintashes, sed by students at the school for. word processing, top. publishing, programming . and learning: preadshects and darabase pron. jucation: ministry has § Seba geal ¢ very three. student public Schools. is aan Os “The stanidar i provide equality of ace: ology — integrate technology into othe cur ic et the school,: ace rding 10, Ewens, remains. "g iechnologi cally, deficien “News Editor Sunday, March 2, 1997 — North Shore News — 3 ‘Students at wy school plugged into Internet business — By Michael Becker : . . HE future is now and it is written fl on the back of Jason Bristow’s T- shirt: seatosky.com, The Rockridge middle school student “has his own business on the Internet. As the operator of Sea to Sky Information Systems, Bristow has designed web pages for clients since April of last year, The whiz kid.is just 13 years old. ‘The West Vancouver: public school he attends opened last. year. {t cost $14.5 million and is thick with informa- ‘Hon, technology. This year. 796 students are enrolled 4 in Grades 7 TG, ; ‘They have. access “10 more than 200° computers. Satellite receivers draw video programming and provide bwo-way video communication. The schoot i is wired for fast Internet access, ; a “Mike: Evans: was, leading ‘a computer art chase last week. Grade 9 students were hard at it designing loges and business cards for companies they had invented. Said Evans, *T hey have to go to.a bank and ask for” $50,000 worth of start- up of-money. So they have to have all of the visuals they need for that company.” ; 2 The teacher shows off'a stack of color C D covers the cu dents ad j just completed. “47 find that ex iting with just Grade 8 and very file art skills-and within a ‘couple of months they're actually producing semi-protessional work,” he said. Evans uses high technology to assist in the develop-, ment of ideas and imagery. “One of the things kids can do is make a drawing and take it into.a computer pro- gram and they can transform it very easily. They can play with the program.” Clay mask making isa staple art project for Evans : He’s added the Internet to the Press. “We try to stretch the kids fram the traditional: tech- oe niques. One kid went on the Internet and did a search . for masks. He's on the Internet for 10 minutes and with- in that time he’s found a site about a particular artist that’s producing clay masks. “The kid has gor all that data and is fired up about the project: I haven't even had to bring the masks from fast year ta show them.” ; The creative process has received a major jolt, “T think the technology is really supporting the learn- ing experience ina fantastic way. We're. doing it all the ume and there’s av end to the possibilities,” said Evans. ‘Robyn Bell, 14, is designing a logo and business card: for her project company, Daisy Chain Florist...” “All the stuff we're learning now is: new. { havea: computer at home. but ‘it’s an old one. Ir $ fun, hard to tearn at the beginning, but now it's casicr,” she said. ‘See Hi Tech ae a Parents unteer work and iin was going, to BS ‘down he tubes. schools behirid | Dis strike was over after a‘day, A PAC? fundraisin “collect money to Purchase much needed | com uter) equipment for: - Carson” - Graham studs ents he Bagh now a more hambie goal i is Being met at “the school: every Grade 8 student i is: learning touch- "typing, skills There is nO Internet access at the school. For studeiits who have access to computer’ sci- ence and business education labs, the ratio is one computer for every’ 19 students. Exclude then and the ratio for the general school population is one computer for every 197. students. ; Ewens has no problem with 2 goal of one com- ‘puter, per ‘three students. The trouble is thatthe ¢ province is not-supplying, the, bucks fast enough-to make ithappen. Parents and educators, are stepping in to try to bridge the gap. Cash taised through car washes, bake sales, auc: dons, casino nights, donagons and special ¢ grant appli ations is spent on equipment ¢ and supplies these days, “That.brings us toa broader i issue: Who is respon: © sible for’ providing the’ necessary tools our students sonced 10 be equipped | for the world beyond Grade 12? Is it the provtace, by way ofan equitable distribution of salicient money gleaned fram a broad base of tas- pavers, OF is it Ap tO parents “motivated: bi. the self interest Of having children evirolled in public s houls? Food banks were once considered desperate emer gency measures, They aire now. community mainstays Some would rgue that with food banks i in pi ace c there tess. presitire for governmerit to" adequately fund : ahead Feb, 15. social programs. "There is an’ uncomfortable’ parallel : ~ here. with’ parent advisory: committees jumping in-to “fill the te¢haology funding yap in schools, . Said? Ewens, “That's, always: a double- edyed sword. Do vou do nothing and wait for the govern- ment to find you.as they should? If one Awaits for that to happen, will that happeat “vie've learned that the y goals or targets they estab- “Tish for themselves representcan ideal, It’s not reality ‘until'you have, the hardware sitting in front of you. ~ Parents have. taken the initiative, although there might be a philusophical probleny with that. Are you then taking away the incentive forthe ministry. to find the way they ought to be-morally obligated 10 do? Te's.a question that remains imanswered,“ he said. fy the: meantime Ewens walks into a classroom, eSthe absence of technology and wonders it stue tits at Carson’ Graham are eetting a: fair shake, “Without question, computer Jiteniey: to. st dents today is whar Htericy waste students at the. turn. of the century It’s obvious that without com: puter literacy skills'a graduate of our school systeny ls going to he'seriously held back: They're j “going to meet the same. threshold that their coun: ‘terparts might have who are ¢ coming through anath: _ _ er. school,” hes id. = oe “Approximately,” ’ “300. people. attended the event. Parents brought: ‘in just over $25,000 by auctioning™ off’ everything * from - autographed biking jerseys trom Alison Sydor and..! Leslie ‘Tomlinson’ to. artwork. from “Soni Onley and Joe Average. . The Carson Graham PAC is sup ported ‘by a core membership of about 20. ‘dedicated parents. 0 ‘Cindy! Hird “is: one! of the mm Hird’s son’ Trevor. ‘is: 16 and: i Grade 10 and. Devon, 1 Grade. 9 at: Carson Grahan vers Hird’ and her husband Johiv are Carson Grahans graduates. an Reynaderte Pinot is also a PAC member. Danghter Lindsay, 17, isin ‘Grade LL and her son-Bradyy- 14, is win Grade: 8 ‘at the 1001. Her hus “band! Rick: gre adu ted rom Cars n, as did she.” Pimlort anid Hird hi hat Capila