Published: October 07, 2009 11:41 pm      

Class of ‘Novas’

Clark County students learning with the help of new computers

While their parents may have driven the classic Chevy Nova, students at Jeffersonville High School are using a different type of Nova to get ahead in class.

Portable mini-computers called Nova5000 are being used in science classes at the school to help students merge technology, hands-on lessons, all while completing their science lab experiments. The Nova5000 allows students to use devices, such as a thermometer, to keep up with changes and document those on a graph.

“It gives them individual results immediately and it gives them the technology they may not have seen otherwise,” said Delaina Snelling, as her advanced placement chemistry students worked through an experiment to separate copper from a chemical compound this week.

Before this, students had to create the graph themselves, which takes a lot of time, Snelling said. She said this way not only keeps them more engaged, but allows them more time to learn, instead of working on writing it all down.

“This is something they would use if they were working in a real lab,” Snelling said.

Students said they like having the technology.

“It’s a lot better than having to stick a real thermometer in and having to write everything out as you go along,” Sicari Franklin, 17, said. “It saves a lot of time.”

“It is also more accurate, because we have exact calculations,” said Danielle Eckert, 17, as she worked alongside Franklin and 17-year-old Susan DiTeresa for the experiment.

“I think this gives you more time to learn other stuff,” Franklin added.

The set of Nova5000s they were using is a set the school shares among science classes in the building, which were paid for via a grant through Indiana University Southeast’s Indiana Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Project. That program paid to put the systems in Charlestown, Parkview and River Valley middle schools as well as New Washington Middle-High School, according to Mariane Fisher, supervisor of instructional services for Greater Clark County Schools. The Novas also can be used in math classes.

Those at Jeffersonville High School were surprised they are one of the ones to get the technology.

“We’re high-tech now,” DiTeresa said as she worked on the copper experiment.

Each of the mini-computers cost about $500, according to James Hollenbeck, director of the ISTEM-IUS project.

The Nova5000 Web site says the mini-computer can be used in science classrooms, general student computing and for one-to-one computer initiatives. The computers are relatively inexpensive and do not require additional money to pay for technical support.