Technology is part of our school's overall effort to meet
the educational needs of all students. Through a combination of content-area
curriculum and our District
Technology Plan, teachers use computer and media
resources to enhance instruction and student learning throughout the
curriculum.Computer Network:
The Middle School maintains a campus fiber-optic backbone and local CAT-5E and CAT-6 wiring
for carrying computer network data at 100 to 1000 Mbps speeds to multiple network
drops in every location in our school. Five Intel NT servers and five switching closets manage the data traveling across this
network. Our local network communicates with Mansfield's Wide Area Network
and the Internet through a dedicated gigabit fiber optic line.
We also support wireless network access for our mobile laptop labs, Library Media Center, and the Main Office.
Local Computers:
In total, Mansfield Middle School uses over 400 computers, as well as a
local printer in each classroom and twenty-two network printers.
Nearly every classroom in our school includes three Pentium Class Intel
network computers with access to our school network and the
Internet. Our computer labs, library, and specialized classrooms offer
additional computers to accommodate half or whole class access to computer
workstations. The Microsoft Office suite of software supplements
our content area specific educational software.
Network Services:
All staff members receive desktop and web-based Outlook e-mail accounts
managed by a central Exchange server, and we offer filtered
web-based student e-mail accounts. Our
servers provide Internet access, network printing, network
folders for each student and staff member, Symantec virus protection, SASI
online student attendance, grades, and database, InteGrade Pro gradebooks, Intranet resources, network security,
Internet filtering, access to
Bibliomation subscription research databases and online card catalog, and
shared educational software.
Audio-Visual Media:
Every classroom receives cable access, a local VCR, a 27 inch television
monitor that displays cable as well as a classroom computer, and in most cases an
overhead projector. In some of our rooms we have replaced the monitor with large screen projectors. A modern head-end control room allows for broadcasting multiple signals from video tapes and/or live in-house
broadcasts to every classroom. A new sound system combines with a
new light system and a new large screen projector for our nearly 1,000
seat auditorium. Our Library Media Center's collection includes a variety of media ranging from filmstrips to music collections. To meet the need for individual communication, every room
is equipped with a phone for both in-house and outside calls, and every
staff member receives a voice-mail box and a homework hotline number for communicating with staff, parents, and the community.