Thirty brand new state of the art computer systems along with many other devices can now be accessed by Benton community members or high school students interested in advancing their technology skills. The new lab made possible by a federal grant secured by the Regional Office of Education (Barry Kohl, Superintendent) through the Community Technology Center Program funded by the U. S. Department of Education allows visitors to explore many facets of software, hardware and the Internet. Open three nights a week for the general public and students the lab will be staffed with personnel able to answer most any question that might arise. Additional training sessions covering a wide range of topics will be available throughout the spring and summer months. There is no fee for any access.
“There are many options for people needing a terminal or a quick Internet connection”, states Bill King, BCHS Technology Director. “We are fortunate to have what is known as a T1 connection running into the high school. That is many, many times faster than the normal person can get in their home. For someone needing to do some serious downloading or uploading of photos or video this provides the perfect place to make that happen. Once they download a file the computer systems here have the capability to burn that file onto a disk they can take home and then install or copy to their hard drive. For example a file that would take several hours to download at home will probably download in minutes here in the lab. And that’s just one example of how this lab can be used. Scanners, photo printers and other devices will be available to the public for use. And if you’re not sure just how to do something we’ll have someone here to help you out. It just doesn’t get any easier!”

The Regional Office of Education is offering numerous classes in various uses of technology. Already community members have been able to sharpen their skills in digital photography, digital camcorders and video editing, online learning opportunities, document scanning and there is much more to come. Information on the free instruction classes can be found on the Benton High School web site (www.bentonhighschool.org) or by calling Linda Montgomery at the ROE office at 438-9711.

Lab Hours: Monday thru Thurs          7AM - 8 AM
                 Mon., Tue. and Thurs.     6:30PM - 8:30 PM

                 Students every day after school until 5 PM

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