The Etowah County School District in Gadsden, Alabama, recently received $113,000 from the federal government to invest in technology that improves students' reading and digital literacy skills, the Gadsden Times report.
The district received one of the six grants awarded in Alabama through the U.S. Department of Education's Enhancing Education Through Technology program. According to the Gadsden Times, the school district is hoping to improve reading skills in middle school students and increase graduation rates.
The grant will be used to purchase a portable lab and a 21st century classroom for an English teacher in three of the district's middle schools. Each teacher will receive a 32-netbook mobile lab, a document camera, an interactive whiteboard and digital camcorders, among other technology.
Educators have found they can use a classroom netbook or laptop in conjunction with an HD-TV, LED monitor or HDMI projector to display high-quality video and images, creating a learning environment that engages students.
Many schools around the state are purchasing new technology to enhance their classroom resources. For example, the Troy City School Board in Alabama recently approved a $718,841 bid to install new technology in classrooms throughout the district.
