By Lynn Hatter
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-956514.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – Students at Raa Middle School are making the jump from a traditional classroom, to one filled with new technology. As Lynn Hatter reports, gone are the days when just a paper, pencil and textbook were all that was needed.
In Carlos Fernandez's 8th grade class, students are engaged in a race car game. But instead of physically driving the car, correct answers to the questions being posed to them move the cars along.
"Who was Hancock's best friend? Louis Armisted's best friend why is that important?"
Fernandez uses a digital classroom. His notes are all projected onto a board at the front of the class and students can download them from home. The students use hand-held clickers to answer questions. Fernandez says he'd like to see more classrooms go digital, but notes it isn't for everyone.
"I think teachers need to stick to the way they think they're most effective. And that might be electrostyle, it might be technology integrated. It's whatever works for you. Not all the students learn the same way, so all teachers should not be teaching the same way."
Many public schools are making the jump to more interactive learning. But traditional classrooms still dominate the learning environment.