Technology in Schools...even the small ones...

My High School has less than 400 students. We have a few dilapidated buildings and a less than stellar average when it comes to standardized testing. But one thing we've managed to excel in? Technology. Our school has done a lot to ensure teachers have the most advanced resources available to help them teach.

Every classroom has a computer and a smartboard. These are frequently used in many of my classes for everything from advanced programming demonstrations to simple educational videos in a History class.

Our computer lab has recently been updated with around 30 desktop computers and around the same number of laptops. Our elementary students are lucky enough to be part of a pilot program, in which there is roughly one laptop per child in several classes. These computers, and the internet, are incorporated into classes everyday.

In rural areas like mine, the internet can absolutely be the difference between knowledge and ignorance. It is the only opportunity for many to explore the world outside their hometown while in High School.

I also read an article about schools in Lawrence, Kansas being changed by technology. Teachers there are using other technologies, such as a 'clicker' for each student in a class to respond to an oral multiple choice question immediately.

Teachers in Lawrence were quick to remind everyone of their own importance, something I understand completely...“You get knowledge, you get facts, but you don’t get the underlying realistic elements in life.” one said.

He's right...there is nothing better than a History teacher who can tell you a war story, or a science teacher who can take you out in the courtyard and blow something up...but these new technologies are making their jobs a bit easier, and hopefully making school more engaging for students.

The President has called, during his Cairo speech, for a way for a "teenager in Kansas" to "communicate instantly with a teenager in Cairo" Education Secretary Arne Duncan, along with the Jordanian Minister for Education, recently demonstrated video technology which can allow a student to immerse themselves in another culture...all from the comfort of a classroom.

Thankfully, the ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) and the White House are investing money where it's needed in our educational system. Technology is an integral part of that system and will continue to become more and more important in the future.