Raleigh County students welcome new technology to their classrooms

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS)– In the old days, the class skeleton was a staple in anatomy class. But after Raleigh Schools Superintendent David Price bought five new virtual anatomy and dissection tables for each of the county’s high schools and Academy of Careers and Technology, students are learning about human anatomy in 3D – without using a cadaver.

Coach Bernard Bostick said the table gives his junior anatomy class at Woodrow Wilson High a detailed look at every system in the human body. Students have access to four digitized images that are based on real-life cadavers. They can choose to look at female and male Caucasians and Asians, layer by layer. A fifth digital cadaver is pregnant.

Students can examine their hearts, brains, and other body parts.

“It’s one thing to talk about it but when you actually see it and you see where it is in the body and see how it works and the position of it then it just adds another level to their intelligence,” said Bostick.

Students say the table has let them see the human body in a realistic way.

“I thought it was just a table that had computer screens on it but then he explained that it was to help us dissect stuff even though we don’t have certain supplies in our classroom,” said junior Daniella Fragile.

Coach Bostick said the table is the next best thing to viewing and dissecting an actual human cadaver.

Mr. Bostick told 59News that the table is replacing skeletons and it’s also giving native users of technology a better understanding of technology. Each table costs around $80,000. Students say it helps them in their area of study.

“When you’re in nursing you have textbooks, it helps,” says nursing student McKinzie Cernuto. “They might show pictures and stuff but with this, it really helps because you actually get the real image.”

Coach Bostick said that the class skeleton’s arm even got recruited for use as a hall pass.