North Rowan High School - Northern Lights Yearbook (Spencer, NC)

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Control by computer. Mr. Thonen fills in the little dots on a role sheet that indicate the presence of students. Photo by A. Starnes it 4 uuhle Eguhhle Until 31121 Trouble omputers were designed for effi- ciency and time-saving. But occa- sionally, even using the new, state-of-the- art methods seemed tiring and tedious for teachers and for students. One of the main t'gruoes of using com- puter systems was the monotony of filling in the thousands of tiny bubbles used on Scan-Tron and S.l.M.S. machine sheets. Another disadvantage is, as Nicole Cor- pening stated, lf you don'thave a pencil then you can't take your test on Scan- Tron. The advantage of speed, however, seemed to outweigh all other disadvant- ages. I use Scan-Tron only for exams because it is faster. The disadvantage is you really don't know what the students learned, commented Mrs. Morris, a sci- 130 l Computerized ence teacher. The S.l.M.S. tStudent information Man- agement systeml machine also served as a great time-saver. This computer pro- gram was used to process attendance, grades, and student schedules. Mrs. Austin, S.l.M.S. Coordinator, added, Information on individual students or groups of students can be reported and totaled in minutes compared to the hours that were sometimes necessary the old way. Although rather impersonal, computers saved much needed time for the faculty. As a result, the time-consuming personal touches of yesteryear have been traded for futuristic efficiency and speed. Krista Hicks wg ibn No fear of dots here. Cool and man takes a Scan-Tron test in Fashion ing. Photo by B. Puckett Daryl

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dffpy ,kg .JT - , it ig' Uh-oh!! Betteiget Maaco! But when Dean Wgrick, Dan Livasy, reg Williams, and Adam Iuttz combine their skill, you are bound to have a smooth running car. Photo by T. Vaughters ICT students learnlgob skills. Mr. Isenberg helps students like Mark oontz find and keep jobs in Io- cal industrial companies. Photo by B. Burgin 7 hurzxtinn at urk Vocational classes pave the road for tomorrow. ftentimes, practical knowledge can be more important than book smarts. This was discovered by many of North FZowan's students this year. Vocational classes were often enjoy- able and provided a much-needed change in the schedules of students. As Jamie Sloan said, Accounting is fun. It shows me how to balance my money. It also shows me how big companies are run and how they budget themselves. But possibly one of the best aspects of vocational classes was that they provided the perfect opportunity to gain practical knowledge. Through hands-on experi- ences, students received a working un- derstanding of helpful information and developed skills they can use in real life. Occupational classes also gave students an idea as to whether they were suited for certain careers in order to grepare for the future. These classes elp to meet the needs of the current job market by giving practical experience in the classroom, commented Mr. Sutton, who taught Data Processing and Key- boarding. Lives revolve around jobs. Vocational classes eventuallv benefit our entire society, expressed Mrs. Ramsey, who taught several business classes. Voca- tional classes gave self-satisfaction, taught important ideas, and provided val- uable skills. Through these courses, students can have successful and fulfill- ing futures because they will be prepared. Krista Hicks Vocational Classes i 129

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Keeping accurate and complete records for ap- proximately 600 students, it seems as if Mrs. Austin's work as S.I.M.S. coordinator is never done. Photo by A. Kluttz Perplexed, Cassandra Aldrich tries to decipher her new computer printout report card. Despite the fact that the S.l.M.S. machine makes the report card process somewhat more convenient for teachers, students' personal printouts are difficult to under- stand at first and are missing the old-fashion per- sonal touch of teachers. Photo by C. Watkins . 'fir 151-lm, V .W , N - ': 'N' ,U V N - V' ,Mi-1.1.9, V i , .. -V AQ H Ion-,,,,,,W f .Vg , .V I ' V- . . I '-AH fx 5. S gs 11. L Saving much time and needed energy by using Scan-Tron tests, Mrs. Burgin grades exams in min- utes rather than in hours. Photo by J.Plummer Computerized X 131