Wireless internet on campus

CVHS has finally upgraded to wireless Internet, but many are curious whether or not it’ll be available for students.

No one has a definite answer and there are no guarantees that students will have access to it anytime soon.

The wireless Internet, which costed roughly $55,000, was installed this summer. Many teachers on campus who are already accessing the wireless Internet are loving it,  while others are doubting it.

“From my understanding, some teachers have gotten kicked off the wireless Internet when another teacher goes on it from another classroom.  In other words, if they have their entire class room trying to go on it, sometimes the other teacher in that wing gets kicked off. To prevent that, I’ve stayed wired, because that ensures me that I’ll have connection,” said science teacher Richard Schneck.

The idea of having wireless Internet was requested by many teachers and was a common topic discussed in the technical committee of the district. They decided to go ahead with it, although one worry is if the Internet can work in a way where no one gets kicked off from the Internet while someone else is also online.

“We need to upgrade the Internet bandwidth at CVHS so the system can handle an additional 3,000 potential student devices. While this upgrade has not yet been scheduled, it is being planned for fall or winter of 2013,” said CVUSD director of information technology John Perry.

The Internet is still needed in classrooms as our world becomes more advanced with technology. New and improved ways of teaching are waiting to be implemented on our campus.

“We recognize that in the 21st century providing a broadly accessible Internet connection is needed at all of our campuses.  We also realize that providing students with open access to the wireless network is an important next step,” said Perry.

If wireless Internet is open for students to use, a main concern is that it’ll slow down the connection and it’ll also be used inappropriately at school.

“We need to figure out a way to open it up for students while also balancing out the legal protection we as a school must enforce,” said Jim Negri, superintendent.

While the district is trying to revise policies that could benefit the use of the wireless Internet on campus for everyone.

Many students using the Internet in inappropriate ways is a concern. Students often feel empowered to use the Internet as a source to harass and bully other students.
“The Internet can be a great resource or a huge distraction, so students need to manage their time, stay on task, and act responsibly,” said Perry.
While many students are eager to have the Internet available to them, there is still a lot to do before it happens. As the district continues to work on ways to keep everyone safe and the connection strong for all Internet users, there is nothing left to do but to wait.