Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services

Fort Providence (Jan 13/06) - For students in Fort Providence, access to the world of technology just got easier.

Humming quietly in the computer lab and classrooms of Deh Gah elementary school are 38 new computers.

Audrey Landry, front, and Kristy Tanche take advantage of the new computers at Deh Gah elementary school. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

With black and grey hard drives and flat screen monitors, the new Dell computers are light years ahead of what they replaced. Their predecessors were a batch of 20 mixed and matched old second-hand computers with bulky monitors, said Lois Philipp, the school's principal.

"It was just really old equipment that needed to be updated and replaced," Philipp said.

At the beginning of November, almost a year after the process to buy them started, the new computers arrived at the school to loud fanfare from the students. The purchase was made possible by a donation from the Snowshoe Inn and funding from Industry Canada, said Philipp.

"It's a world of difference, night and day," said Philipp.

The old computers were so outdated that they weren't even worth donating to another organization, she said.

With 24 computers in the lab and one in each classroom, the students have more access, she said. Things are also easier because the computers are not constantly breaking down.

In the new age of technology and education, the computers are used by classes for everything from basic word processing to research and Powerpoint presentations.

"Technology is always good if it's used properly," she said.

For the students, the technology is also a way to use the Internet and get a glimpse of the wider world.

"The students love having that access," said Philipp.

Community members also have a chance to use the computer lab in the evenings between 7 and 9 p.m.

"They're great. They're better than the other ones," said Audrey Landry, a Grade 8 student.

Tearing her attention away from one of the computers, Landry said the new models are a lot faster, especially on the Internet.

Doing research for classes is one thing she uses the computers for, but Landry also admits she likes surfing the Internet for herself.

Kristy Tanche, a junior high student, enjoys using the computers after school to talk to her friends online. The new flat screen monitors and the speed of the computers are nice, she said.

After talking, both girls quickly got back to using the computers.