Classrooms in Birmingham, Alabama, will soon feature a number of new technology upgrades, including interactive whiteboards, classroom projectors and interactive student response systems that can poll students' responses to questions in real time, according to the Birmingham Patch.
Students who have access to technology, such as a laptop, interactive whiteboard or
DLP projector, are at a significant advantage because the equipment allows educators to connect with students quickly and through a variety of media options. In a class of 20 to 30 students, the ability to convey a set of information in a number of different ways at the same time helps ensure student comprehension and retention.
Birmingham schools have been particularly receptive to integrating technology in the classroom, and in total, have spent $2.19 million on new classroom technology, according to the source.
"This whole investment is not just we’re providing students and teachers with tools and technology," Birmingham executive director of technology Joe Hoffman told the source. "We’re looking to find ways to change the way teachers teach, and the way students learn."
Over the past few years, school officials in Birmingham have focused on integrating wireless systems into all classrooms, allowing students to access the internet via laptops they bring to school, and this September marks the first term that every classroom in the district has wireless access.
