INTRODUCTION

During the 1969-70 school year the Phoenix Union High School System purchased a Hewlett-Packard 2000A Time-Sharing Computer. This compu­ter, purchased with matching funds from an NDEA Title III grant, was named the Educational Computer, since it is used exclusively for in­structional purposes. Since the original acquisition, the Educational Computer has gone through several updates. The last expansion was in the 1973-74 school year. At present this Hewlett-Packard Computer is a 2000F model which can communicate with 32 users simultaneously. Fifty-seven terminals are utilized by academic departments in the schools which results in approximately a two-to-one ratio of the num­ber of users compared to the computer service available. The computer is located at the District Office and services the terminals over tel­ephone lines.

Originally, the Educational Computer was used for teaching programming languages, and for problem solving in mathematics and science classes. However, during the last seven years the use of academic computing in the Phoenix Union High School System has experienced considerable growth. Currently, a number of academic areas are utilizing the Educational Computer for a variety of applications. Departments currently using the Educational Computer include Mathematics, Science, Reading, English, Foreign Language, Social Studies, Business, and Home Economics.

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COMPUTER LITERACY

The computer is here to stay. Computer technology affects everyone's life every day. Utility bills are printed by computers; traffic lights are controlled by computers; election outcomes are tabulated by computers; grocery and department store inventories are maintained by computers, etc. The Educational Computer Specialist is available to talk to groups of students regarding the impact of computers on our lives.

Rick Meyer District Office Ed. Computer Center

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