Projector Shortage Forces Teachers to Find Creative Solutions

English teacher Sarah Martin teaches using old school projector.

William Holditch

English teacher Sarah Martin teaches using old school projector.

Brandon Hicks, Reporter

Expo markers slowly run dry, and the old-school overhead projectors of elementary school are rolled out of the closet as teachers cope with the shortage of digital projectors on campus.

Thirty-three classrooms and 27 teachers on campus are without a working digital projector. There are only 10 projectors available to check out on a rotating basis.

“A lightning strike of some sort surged, and that’s what broke them all,” Assistant Principal Bryon Ellison  said. “That was the technology department’s best guess.”

The manufacturing company, Extron PoleVault is in the process of repairing the damaged projectors. Any projectors that cannot be repaired will be returned to campus as is. The first wave of projectors arrived at the school today, however the rest of the projectors will arrive later on the Oct. 12 as some of the parts are on back-order.

When teachers returned to campus the week of August 17, several discovered the broken equipment. Teachers and students are forced to cope with the dilemma, whether finding a solution or going without necessary technology in the classroom.

“I’ll get creative and show a video in the lecture hall,” English teacher Sarah Martin said. “I’ve worked around not having it, but I can’t show them what to click and what to do; it makes laptops a little challenging. It is frustrating sometimes. I’ve have found a groove using the old projectors. It’s a luxury we forgot we have.”

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