Cuesta College debuts new computer lab in Nipomo
Central Coast New Tech High School (CCNTHS) has gone high-tech with the recent installation of a state-of-the-art computer lab. Debuting this week, the lab features nearly 30 brand new iMac computers. It’s a collaboration between Cuesta College and the project-based four -year old high school.
“Cuesta owns these machines,” said New Tech technology education instructor Peter Sullivan. “The computers are a way for Cuesta to have duel-enrollment classes through our school.”
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Cuesta students will have access to the iMacs during nighttime computer-science related courses. In the daytime, CCNTHS students will use the technology to learn a variety of computer-related skills.
“They’re going to learn how to program,” said Sullivan. “They’re going to learn how to code. They’re going to be creating web apps and programs that help them get a job in the future, either as a professional web designer, developer or computer programmer.”
Sullivan noted the computers are a significant upgrade to what CCNTHS students had been utilizing since the school opened in 2012.
“It gives our students an opportunity to work on a professional coding environment that is set-up by Cuesta, maintained by Cuesta, in terms of what software they have installed on it, and at the professional level that you would expect for learning to be a professional programmer,” said Sullivan.
The computers were purchased through funds from State career and technical educational enhancement funds.
“In terms of web development and programming, you need specialized software that’s installed and Macs are particularly good at giving access to your computer through a terminal to let you run those applications,” said Sullivan. “Having the Mac lab allows our students to get that lower-level access, whereas some of the other computers may not be set up in a programming environment, so you’re limited in terms of what you can teach with them, so this really releases some of the shackles on the students and lets them dive deeper in their learning.”
The first course offered by Cuesta College at the lab is Computer Information Systems (CIS) 203. The nine-week long course starts on Oct. 17 and will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays. It will focus on the fundamentals of iOS development for iPhone, iPad and iPod platforms.
Students interested can visit https://www.cuesta.edu/
