I recently competed and inventory of all the computers in our school. The results were really interesting, and very important. The feeling I had was that our computers were aging or fully aged already. When I started to think about a replacement cycle my stomach kind of turned a little bit because there were just so many machines that were so old. Where to start…The first place I started was to gather data. I needed to know exactly how many computers we had and how old/effective they were. I thought this would take some time, but it still took way more time than I thought it would. Here are some of the things we found: (We are a high school of 2000 students and 105 teachers)
We have a total of 481 computers in the building
Of those 481, 425 are used by students and staff
Of those 425 60% are 6 years old or older. The grand bulk of the computers being bought in 2001.
Of those 425 75% are 4 years old or older
These numbers include the previously mentioned new Mac lab bought this year.
Tyler (our computer technician) and I compiled a spreadsheet containing every computer, with its name, serial number, RAM, CPU, and year purchased. Gathering all of this information in a concrete fashion really helped show where we are at as a school. It is so important to be able to have data to back up what you are trying to get across. Since that spreadsheet was created real action has taken place to improve the hardware situation in our school. (Including the new lab mentioned before and the replacement of 57 staff ibook computers from 2001 with new MacBooks.) And while shiny computers are all well and good, it is critical to remember what they need to be used for–helping students learn. That is where the real work begins.
