EAST NEWS
I
t’s August and just a few weeks before school starts. Teachers are working diligently in their classrooms to arrange desks, organize supplies and decorate walls in preparation for students to arrive. By contrast, in the first year, the EAST experience begins with a bare classroom: tables, chairs, computers, and printers; none of the equipment is plugged in or turned on. It’s just sitting there, waiting (much like the facilitators and students). But the wait isn’t too long, and when it is over, everyone involved has experienced something powerful and inspiring. It’s the “birth” of an EAST environment. In the parlance of EAST we call this transformation the Installation Experience. When everything is in place and all the preparations have been checked and double checked, a team of EAST staff members will arrange to meet at this new EAST school and help oversee the installation process. They can’t do it alone, however, they need the help of the school staff, the new facilitator, and most importantly—a team of EAST students. EAST staff arrive first thing in the morning with a vehicle full of equipment. In total, the equipment a school receives costs over $80,000 and has a commercial value far beyond that. While the EAST technical service team begins to assess the environment to ensure the network and other technical components are working properly, the facilitator and EAST support staff review, unbox, and organize the equipment. About mid-morning, a team of EAST students arrive to help get their EAST experience off the ground. You see, students begin to take ownership of EAST during the technology installation process. They learn by unpacking the various technology, charging batteries when needed, and installing and testing the items they receive. They also setup the network accounts and assemble other hardware such as 3D printers, Pi-Top, and an Arduino Kit.The overall objective is to make sure that everything the school received is accounted for and is in working order. One of the more challenging technologies to test is the 3D scanner which requires the technology to collaborate and then scan an object. This item alone tests a student’s patience and takes a lot of trial and error to set up. When the testing process is complete, it isn’t uncommon to hear a joyful outburst. The install team takes a moment to have a mini celebration with the student because they overcame the challenge.
INSTALLING THE EAST EX 10
EAST QUARTERLY | www.EASTinitiative.org
