Duncan Middle School teachers got new laptops, replacing the ones they’ve had for the last few years.
The announcement of a new laptop rollout came from the Duncan Public Schools Technology Department on Feb. 10. Only a few days later, the laptop rollout began.
DMS Librarian Barbara Gee said the new laptops replace the out-of-date laptops the teachers previously had.
“The new ones were off the bond the town signed,” Gee said.
The teachers received Lenovo laptop computers, that replaced their smaller Dell laptops. The Dell laptops were purchased by the school district in August 2021.
The update came as part of the district’s continual revamp of aging technology. Teachers got new classroom, desktop computers last school year, which replaced computers purchased in 2017.
Coach Isaac Mason said he has already been using his new laptop computer. Mason said he likes the size of the new computer because it is much larger than the older laptops; the screen size was among one of the biggest complaints about the Dell laptops. He also said the new technology is faster with improved download speed.
He said he likes the new computer, but he hasn’t found any features the old computer didn’t have.
Gee said the process for getting the Lenovo computers from received to teachers’ hands had several steps.
“Unbox, get them on the library data base, assign them to the library so they can see where the computers are, check them out, get them into new cases,” Gee said.
Before teachers could receive the new laptops, teachers had to an agreement with the district.
“They had to sign something that said if they were to leave the district with their computer the price of it would be taken off their last paycheck,” Gee said.
Melanie Harris, seventh-grade math teacher, said her favorite thing about the new computer is having a number pad on the side, which was a feature missing from the older laptops. Harris said that having the number pad makes it easier to enter grades.
She said she also likes the increased screen size because the size of the Dell computer screen made it difficult to see when entering grades.
Steven Dixon, technology exploration teacher, said the only thing he doesn’t like about the computer is that it’s not an Apple.
Dixon said the new computers are 100 percent better than the older laptops.
“It was like a kid’s toy,” he said.
The older laptops were surplussed. However, teachers had the option to purchase the Dells.
