http://bayshorenewsblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/science-labs-benefit-both-students-and.html

Thursday, October 18, 2007
Science labs benefit both students and teachers at Raritan High School

KATELIN WILSON / Courier edition Oct. 18

The forty-year-old high school science labs at Raritan High School are finally receiving the makeover they deserve, according to school officials.

Michael Miller, science supervisor at the high school, is one of the officials working to make that happen.

Miller explained that the updates, which included American with Disability Act-compliant lab tables equipped to raise and lower for disabled students, individual gas hook ups, smart boards, laptops, and LCD hookups provide a more technological setting and allows for more hands-on activity.

Out of the 11 science labs in the high school, seven have been updated thus far.
School officials worked with the teachers to make sure they are meeting the class needs. The teachers helped the officials make the decisions on what should go into the newer labs so that unnecessary spending did not happen.

"We value the insight of teachers on what works best in the classroom and together we work to develop the blueprint layout," Christopher Mullins, school business administrator and board secretary, said.

According to officials, unnecessary spending is what they want to stay away from. William George III, interim superintendent, said that due to taxes in New Jersey being so high, it is important for the school district to be fiscally responsible.

According to George, the labs are a responsible expenditure because the longer the school waits to update, the more work will have to be done in the classroom.

After passing four consecutive budgets, the residents of Hazlet have failed the last two. People are more likely to be passionate when passing a budget with curriculum improvements because it is helping the students," George said.

According to Mullins, the cost for two classrooms to be updated is $250,000. He added the updates are necessary but will get more expensive over time as technology changes.

The older labs that have yet to be remodeled date back to 1962. Principal Colleen Rafter feels the updates will result in a positive outcome for both students and teachers. "The teachers are very excited about the updates and everyone wants to have a chance to use the new equipment," she said.

Officials stated the teachers are very grateful to be able to work in a technologically updated class. "We held a workshop Monday where teachers demonstrated all the different experiments and techniques they could use in the new labs," Jill Takacs, director of curriculum, instruction, and testing, said. "They were able to share their ideas and it was really great."

Jennifer Blaustein, a biology teacher, agreed that the updated labs make teaching a lot easier and a more effective way to learn. "The smart board is amazing. There are so many things you can do with it that I haven't even learned them all," Blaustein said.

Another item that Blaustein is very happy to have is a dishwasher in one of the labs. "The dishwasher is used for all of the labs; it is a great thing to have. It makes it a lot easier to clean and saves time at the end of the day," Blaustein explained.
The new labs also help the teachers prepare for their classes in a faster and more reliable fashion.

"The new labs guarantee that the plans you have made for the day will always happen, whereas when I was working with the older labs, you had to be prepared in case something wasn't working that morning," Blaustein said.

Students have had a positive reaction to the new labs as well. Sarah Pepper, 17, a senior, said, "The new labs are definitely better. Before the classrooms weren't as high-tech and now they are great. It shows that Raritan is making strides to make things better for the students."

Elena Skopetos, 17, also a senior, agrees. "With the new labs I took more of an interest in science," she said. "We get to work in a cleaner environment that is better for learning."

"We want kids to take pride in the school system and to do so, we provide the students with the best programs that we can," George concluded. "We are very proud of our science labs and will continue to update the curriculum to the benefit of both students and teachers."

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