“Having a designated computer that the classroom owns is really important for science because some of the labs are set up through the computer. Several teachers will share the same rooms, so then you can set up that one computer with a powerpoint, so there is no need for switching and unplugging,” science department head Kenneth Rideout said.

Compared to the teachers’ Mac laptops, the desktop PC’s allowed access to various science software and made teaching more convenient and efficient, according to Rideout.

“They did let us keep them for quite some time. They wanted to take them away years ago when we moved into the new school, but we said we need them, so they allowed it. They didn’t actually take them away until we said we can live without them,” Rideout said.

All science teachers requested to keep the PC desktops during the initial move to the new school. Besides the four physics classrooms, all biology and chemistry classrooms got rid of the computers over the summer of 2013.

Due to the change, physics teachers had to import most of the software onto their Mac laptops.

“The science department has always said they prefer a dedicated classroom computer, but that would have to be in addition to the computers we already have because we would rather give up the desktops than give up our laptops,” Rideout said.

Physics teachers are now familiarizing themselves with using the software on the laptops instead of the desktops.

“Like anything, you’re used to doing it a certain way but then things change. We just have to learn to accommodate. It does make our lives slightly harder, but it’s not a deal breaker,” Rideout said.

The desktops have been moved to Loker Elementary School for further use.