Indispensable

     My most indispensable item at work is something that our district calls a "BHI cart."  It stands for "Beyond Hardware Initiative," and is one of the best things the district ever provided for students and teachers.  On this cart I have a computer, VCR, document camera, speakers, and a data projector.  Remember the old overhead projectors?  Okay, maybe you remember when the only tool the teacher had was a chalkboard.  Well, with this cart, I can read a book aloud while projecting the illustrations on the screen so that the entire class can see them while I'm reading.  Then I can make notes or diagrams on a piece of paper, and students can add their own comments so that the whole class can see.  I can show a brief video clip, using a videocassette, DVD, or file on the computer, or I can access author interviews, maps, and book guides at the click of a button.  Students can interact with educational games or quizzes.  This tool makes the learning process come alive in a way that chalk certainly never could.  However, Texas has recently suffered severe budget cuts.  As districts desperately scramble to make ends meet, I'm afraid they won't be able to keep up with technology.  Our students need to learn to operate successfully in a technology-driven world, but I fear that this is just one of many gaps that they will have in their education.

I am what the librarians have made me...

---Bernard Keble Sandwell