Rich East High School in Park Forest, Illinois was recently awarded an $830,000 federal grant to improve its technology in the classroom.
The school is only the 15th in the state to receive the grant, which stems from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The federal funding has allowed the the Southland school to purchase new netbooks for all of its students. Two other schools in the district, Rich Central and Rich South, did not receive awards.
Many high schools that have purchased new laptop or netbook computers have also invested in an HD TV, LED monitor or
DLP projector to enhance the effects of their new technology. By connecting a laptop to a projector, teachers can create an interactive learning environment that can reach more students at one time.
Encouraging students to participate in lessons continues to be a difficult task for educators, but many forward-thinking teachers have used cutting-edge technology to spark interest in traditional topics. A recent report found that digital projectors are becoming more prevalent in the classroom because teachers are using them to effectively communicate new information with students.
