It is no question that technology has severely advanced in the past decade. This, in turn, has advanced social media presence as well as schooling. Google Classroom is a site used by the majority of FHS teachers that allows them to post lessons and assignments instead of using paper. This is only one example of how learning has become more digital. Spanish teacher Ruthanne Gudzan, an FHS graduate of 2001, did not get the luxury of having a laptop like students do today.

Gudzan took a class called “Basic Data Processing” where they learned all the different programs like Excel. This was not done on laptops that current students use, but in a computer lab with desktops. Now, she uses a SMART Board to teach and have more interactive lessons for students.

It is also different for senior Alexis Halvin, who transferred to FHS her sophomore year.  

“Coming from a school with very little technology, I can say that it has changed my life in many ways. I think that it has bettered my education,” Halvin said. “I have been able to communicate and learn in ways I never thought possible. It’s also taught me that not everything comes easy, but once it’s learned, it can be so beneficial.”

Now that technology has become such a big factor in schools and everyday learning, it has changed the way educators teach and students learn.

“I think that we have information at the touch of our fingers and that’s great. We can know pretty much anything, but I think that it’s taken us back some when it comes to independently thinking,” Halvin said.

FHS also has the Bulldog Beat, formerly known as DTV, which is dedicated to getting the day’s announcements out to the rest of the school. This class runs off of technology, including cameras, computers, microphones and more.

“Technology is the backbone of the Beat. Without all the technology we have in that room, we would not be able to have the show run. We have several different pieces of equipment like the MAC computers that are in charge of the whole show. They tell us what screen gets put up, which microphone is recording and it uploads the video to YouTube. All the technology in the Bulldog Beat is what makes the show come together,” senior Austin Schroeder said.

With the use of more technology in schools, phones have also made a larger appearance. Certain apps like Google Classroom, Google Drive, email and Remind have made it easier to complete school work on the go. Remind is an app that will send you notifications from a teacher to “remind” students of upcoming assignments or activities. Gudzan is one of the teachers who now uses this app.

“I didn’t have a phone growing up, nobody did. Cell phones started becoming popular maybe my senior year of high school but everyone had pagers. I got my first cell phone the summer before the freshman year of college,” Gudzan said.

Although they may have a negative connotation in schools, cell phones have also advanced the learning process in FHS. You are able to find the answer to a question in less than a minute. Cell phones, laptops, SMART boards and so much more have transformed the learning environment to make an impact on the general 21st century classroom experience.