BIG BAY -- Thursday is the big day. President Obama will be on the NMU campus to discuss the university's use of WiMax technology and the influence it has on the surrounding community.
But soon, other schools in the area will be installing WiMax systems to enhance the learning experience for students, such as Powell Township School.
Ben Wright has always been a math whiz. This Powell Township eighth grader takes high school level Algebra I online through Michigan Virtual University while his classmates take regular eighth grade math.
"I log in, go to the study resources for Algebra 1 Testing, and I go lesson by lesson through the whole semester," says Ben.
The school, which takes pride in its commitment to technology, works to incorporate online learning in every classroom. And soon, it will be using one of the strongest signals available. Within the next couple of weeks, a WiMax system will be installed at Powell Township School, then teachers will begin utilizing this tool in their classrooms.
Powell Township Principal Sam Oslund says WiMax technology will allow students at Powell to take virtual field trips and participate in long distance learning.
"It provides an opportunity for our children to reach out to the rest of the world, as I see it," says Oslund.
Powell's use of WiMax will serve as a model for what President Obama envisions for our future with his national wireless initiative.
In his State of the Union speech, the President said he's working to get wireless coverage for 98 percent of Americans including those in rural areas.
"We're 30 miles from any potential sites for field trips, but by having the ability to go online and off-site, we can literally go anywhere in the world," Oslund says.
Big Bay will receive NMU's WiMax signal from the town's water tower. Powell students are looking forward to receiving WiMax...and for the president's visit.
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