JIM BARTEL
What Bartel is looking forward to most after the school year starts: “Watching the new ways our faculty and students will use the tools and systems we’ve put in place for them over the summer.” What students need most these days: Inspiring educators who help them become confident and creative thinkers. “I believe today’s teachers have a deep understanding of their students, knowledge of both new and traditional education resources and the skill to combine them to create an engaging learning environment,” he said. Favorite tech toys to date: Bartel loves his third generation iPad with its crystal-clear retina display. For photography, Bartel the Olympus OM-D and f2.8 12-24mm lens are his devices of choice. “Last year was about imagining technologies. This year’s about watching some of them come through.”
Charles Russo
I
n the middle of a classroom at Half Moon Bay’s Sea Crest School rests a plain, metal cabinet. It’s just large enough to be awkward and doesn’t really fit the decor, which is speckled with a riot of cheery construction paper and crayon creations. The only clue to its contents is the friendly beach-ball-like logo quietly stamped on the side. It turns out that it contains new Chromebook computers from Google — one for each of Sea Crest’s 76 middle school students. The school also has a collection of Apple iPads stashed away so every middle-school student has access to one. Some of these devices were donated, and the school purchased the rest. However, none of the tech toys would have made it to Sea Crest without the efforts of Bonfire Labs CTO and parent volunteer Jim Bartel, who used his tech savvy and connections to reach out to the companies. Bartel has volunteered at Sea Crest just over one year so far, but he’s already clocked in over 400 hours. “With things changing and constantly evolving, I’m happy to
help move that along. It’s one of the ways I can contribute and make a difference,” he said. Bartel hopes that these devices will supplement the needs of the teachers and the missions of the school, like working collaboratively and cutting back on paper use. They’ll also help kids explore their writing and science projects, data collection and analysis, and language learning activities. “Last year was about imagining possibilities. This year’s about watching some of them come through,” Bartel said, who looks forward to establishing a vision for future programs. In addition to helping launch major projects like Google app and iPad pilot programs, Bartel also sets up e-mail accounts, expanding wireless networking and fixing printer hiccups. “One thing led to another and I found there’s a lot of things to do,” he said. “You get involved in something and you want to make sure it’s done the right way. Every one of those hours has been a joy.” — Sara Hayden A U G U S T
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