May 1996 — Features

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The School Design Model at Brewster Academy: Technology Serving Teaching & Learning

DR. ALAN BAIN, Assistant Headmaster, Brewster Academy, Wolfeboro, N.H

The technological transformation at Brewster is based upon two fundamental drivers -- universal access and connectivity, and curricular embedding.

Design of the network was accomplished in collaboration with Trellis Communications of Manchester, N.H. The Trellis network consultant worked in partnership with the school to ensure the physical utility met the curricular needs of teachers and students. It involved comprehensive network design planning, documenting needs through to blueprints, and economical analysis. Actual physical components of the backbone designed and installed to support BrewsterNet comprised:

  • Campus–;wide LAN linking 28 buildings;
  • 46.5 miles of optical fiber installed in the backbone;
  • 500,000 feet of four–;pair UTP cable for voice and data outlets;
  • 32 Ethernet hubs;
  • A backbone router and an Internet router;
  • 3,000–;line PBX voice switch; and
  • 1,776 active ports connecting every desk in every class, every lab, the library and every dorm room.

Functional hardware and software employed in the Brewster Model include: