--- Forwarded Message from Daniel Tom <[log in to unmask]> ---

>From: Daniel Tom <[log in to unmask]>
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum   <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #5601.5 Designing classrooms program (!)
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Date:  Tue, 18 Apr 2000 13:28:48 -1000

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This discussion on the PBS teleconference has brought to mind another
thread.  It is wonderful when you can actually plan for a renovated
classroom, a new building or a new lab and take into consideration all the
issues, but what do you do when you have to integrate new technology with
existing infrastructure, sort of like "putting new wine into old wine
skins?"  It seems that we at the University of Hawaii have not had the
luxury of being able to plan for a new installation.  What has happened is
that equipment is bought first because the money suddenly surfaces and you
must spend it right away before it is taken away and then questions of
where to install it and how to install it and what do we need in the way
of furniture are asked only later after the equipment arrives.

We are located in a building that was built in the early 70s with
electrical wiring that was sufficient to support the power requirements of
an audio language lab facility.  Each lab had 48 student stations and 1
teacher console.  Since then we have converted two of those labs into
computer labs, one Mac and one PC, using existing wiring.  The Mac lab
was the first to be installed and in the beginning when we started we
managed to trip the circuit breaker at least twice and this was with
the lower end Macs of that time.  Our staff electronics technicians were
able to calculate how many Macs could be run simultaneously along with the
printer without tripping the circuit breaker and we configured the lab
accordingly.  We have successfully managed to upgrade the Macs
periodically without tripping the breaker again.  However, we have just
installed all new G4s and face this problem again.  We want to keep some
of the older Macs in the lab also but don't know how many of those can be
installed with the new G4s and still be safe electricity wise.  Sooner or
later re-wiring will have to take place, not only for our labs, but
probably for the entire building.  However, all of that takes money and
the appropriate paper work, etc., and probably will not happen anytime
soon.  Meanwhile, we must integrate the technology with no clear blueprint
for the future.

Daniel Tom
Language Telecommunications, Resource & Learning Center
University of Hawaii
E-mail:  [log in to unmask]
FAX:     808-956-5134
Voice:   808-956-5118