NORTHAMPTON – Every incoming freshman will start this year with their very own iPad at Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School, part of a new program to address communication needs in the classroom.
The “one-to-one” plan is one of the biggest changes Smith Vocational will be making in the new school year.
In addition, the school will be introducing some new faculty, renovating the former Parks and Recreation building on campus to house students from Greenfield Community College’s licensed practical nursing (LPN) program – and working more closely with neighboring Cooley Dickinson Hospital.
Smith Vocational’s total enrollment will be around 470 students, Principal Andrew Linkenhoker said, 130 of which are incoming freshmen that will use the iPads.
“It’s a huge need in the classroom. This connects the student to the classroom 24/7,” Joshua Shearer, the school’s IT director, said. “All the students want it. It’s a very sought-after idea.”
If the college freshmen graduate, they get to keep their iPad, Linkenhoker said.
The plan will be especially beneficial for many students who come from rural communities with limited access to technology, Linkenhoker said.
The principal said the goal with the iPads is to use them for testing, communication, file storage and eventually, electronic textbooks.
Linkenhoker described Smith Vocational as “basically a Google campus,” meaning all students have access to Google apps, like Drive, and use a Google email account.
With the iPads, Shearer said, students will have greater access to their files and work.
“Whenever a student needs to work on a file he has it at the tip of his fingers,” Shearer said. “It’s going to help every student who comes in be able to communicate and do their work from anywhere in the world.”
This type of pilot program is beneficial for any type of school, Shearer said, but it’s especially useful to students at a vocational school. They are “starting them early in tech,” he said, so that they’ll be even more comfortable with technology once they hit the workforce.
In addition to becoming tech-savvy, students will spend time this year renovating the old Parks and Recreation building on Smith Vocational’s campus so that it can be useful to nursing students from Greenfield Community College.
Students will do all the necessary work to refurbish the building. Right now, Linkenhoker said the interior has more of an office cubicle set up, so students will need to go in, clear out the building and open it up, and construct whatever suits the needs of the nursing students.
Smith Vocational is also welcoming a few new teachers this year, including a new superintendent.
Jeff Petersen, the previous superintendent, left to accept a position at William J. Dean Tech High School in Holyoke, Linkenhoker said.
The new interim superintendent for the year, Kevin Farr, has done well at reaching out to all the standing district superintendents in the area, the principal said.
Linkenhoker also said he sees a stronger relationship forming between Smith Vocational and its neighbor, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, this school year. Last year, the school had a luncheon with the hospital to discuss how to work more closely together, Linkenhoker said.
“It seems like most of our shops, they employ individuals related to our shops,” Linkenhoker said. “We’re hoping that down the road we can increase our internship opportunities.”
Linkenhoker also noted that having the licensed practical nursing program right on campus will give students better access to post-secondary options.
A long-term goal for him, he said, would be for students to graduate from Smith Vocational not only with a high school diploma, but also with credits from a local college.
He also said he wants the school to focus on increasing academic rigor and providing more career resources for students. “Whatever our students want, I want to make sure we do the best possible job so they’re able to obtain those goals,” Linkenhoker said.
First day: Aug. 26
Last day: June 12