New Initiatives

The Bethpage Union Free School District is committed to the central role of technology in the learning place. Among hte highlights of our technology are:
 

• Wide Area Network- The district has in place a Gigabit Ethernet WAN running over fiber optics provided by Lightpath (a division of Cablevision). The WAN allows better communication between schools, a state of the art VoIP phone sytem, and curriculum projects that involve collaboration between students in different schools. The WAN allows the centralization of servers that saves the district money.
   
• Bethpage Academy of Technology- A program designed to meet the growing need on Long Island for IT workers. This void in the job market must be filled if Long Island hopes to continue as a high tech center for the nation.
   
• Thin-Client Deployment- The district will further deploy thin-client technology where appropriate. The WAN allows us to consolidate servers to a server farm. As currently deployed in all five Bethpage schools, our thin-client solution allows students to access their files and our applications over the Internet from home. This is a major step forward in the district's home-school philosophy, extending learning outside the classroom.
   
• Science Labs- The district has two Dell Labs on Carts for use in the science labs of JFK Middle School and Bethpage High School. These carts are wirelessly connected to the district WAN and the Internet. Each cart has a complete set of science probes for experiments. The district uses PASCO probes.
   
• Staff Development- The district continues to invest in staff development as a means of insuring the proper use of technology. A Professional Development Academy provides teachers with the opportunity to extend their technology proficiency.
   
• Videoconferencing- Bethpage is a leader in the use of videoconferencing in all five schools. We use Polycome IP videocameras and have conferenced with such cultural institutions as the Bronx Zoo, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Museum of Television and Radio, the Albany Museum of History and Art and the Intrepid Museum.