Infrastructure

At Pike, technology is knit thoughtfully into learning and teaching. We use a wide variety of hardware and software to help students reflect deeply, express themselves meaningfully, connect with their community, and engage with enthusiasm in classroom work.

With a total of 250 student computers, more than 100 software titles, and wireless connectivity throughout the campus, Pike offers a rich field for student investigation.

The Upper School and Library each include computer labs outfitted with SMART Boards (interactive white boards), projectors, DVD/VCR players, speakers, color- and black-and-white printers, and desktop computers. All computers are connected to our internal network as well as the Internet, and they contain a variety of software including Microsoft Office, FirstClass email, Safari/Internet Explorer, Macromedia Studio MX (photos, Web pages), Geometer’s Sketchpad, and many other applications.

Throughout Pike, mobile carts may be wheeled anywhere on campus to connect wirelessly to the Internet, dozens of local databases, our Library catalog, and local network resources such as printers and servers. Upper School science classrooms house an additional set of wireless laptops, digital microscopes, probes, calculators, and other tools for student experiments. Lower School (PreK-2) classrooms each include several desktop computers where students often work in small groups. Finally, eleven classrooms at Pike include SMART Boards and ceiling-mounted projectors, and nearly all faculty members receive laptops.

Using these tools, Pike students are the happy authors of movies that explore historical events, podcasts that showcase their original poetry, Flash animations about recycling, digital presentations on ancient cultures, and many other projects.

But even with these riches, we keep in mind that our goal is not really about technology at all. Rather, we hope that technology will help students discover powerful learning experiences in their core subjects--language arts or mathematics or science, for example--that might not otherwise be possible.

You can see additional details about quantities and distribution of computers at Pike in the attachment below.