Technology Improves Students' Skills

Paris Elementary School in Arkansas bought into the federal government's education technology grant program to see if it would help students get excited about what they were learning.

The school saw results after it added interactive whiteboards, LCD projectors, and desktop and notebook computers. Before, 67 percent of third grade students were literate, but in fiscal year 2007, this number jumped to 83 percent . The number of fourth grade students who were proficient in math also increased by 17 percent.

The Arkansas school is not the only one that has seen technology help students succeed. The State Educational Technology Directors Association reports that incorporating technology in classrooms has translated to better academic results in most states. It has also sparked other trends, including more online classes for students, better technology integration training for educators, grant recipient research on its effectiveness and increased technology literacy in students.

These trends jumpstart student engagement and individual instruction, said John Wilson, executive director of the National Education Association.

"The successes highlighted in the trends report show how instructional technology can address teachers' need for engaging curricula," he said, "as well as increase access to management and assessment tools to enhance the way students learn and teachers teach."

For the full report, visit the State Educational Technology Directors Association.