Technology in the Classroom/Part 1

The world of education has received a face lift, and no grade level is exempt.

From junior high school to masters programs at Louisiana Tech University, students are being weaned from chalkboards and textbooks, as schools have opted to embrace the latest and greatest new technologies.

"As teachers, the challenge for us is maximizing those tools so they can be captured and motivated. As students, they'll progress and become life long learners," said Kimberly Kimble-Lopez, a Professor of Education at Louisiana Tech University.

At A.E. Phillips Laboratory School in Ruston, Spanish teacher Lindsay Herd's class is picking up on a new language in a non-traditional way.

During our visit, the class was learning how to create their Spanish project using a free program called Prezi.

"It adds a little more excitement to the traditional Powerpoint," Lindsay Herd, a Spanish Teacher at A.E. Phillips Laboratory School told NBC 10 News.

The internet programs are also useful outside school hours.

Herd's students have access to a class website that allows them to check assignments and keep in touch.

She also uses a Wiki so the young learners can work together and have 24-hour access to her Spanish lessons.

"I post recordings of vocabulary words so they can go home and practice," said Herd.

Keeping a class of 32 connected can be a challenge, but the students mutually agree, that the technology makes learning more fun and keeps them motivated to study.

"I'm an audio learner and think it's cool that we can use smart boards and laptops. It's more efficient," said Anna Grace Whitaker, a student at A.E. Phillips Laboratory School.

"It makes it more interesting than just writing and it's more interactive. I enjoy it a lot more and want to learn more," David Ramachandran, a student at A.E. Phillips Laboratory School told NBC 10 News.

A few grade levels ahead, an entire high school has been created to prepare students for an ever-changing world of technology.

It's been appropriately named, New Tech.

"I was used to the regular classroom where you would sit at a desk and work without interaction," said Caleb Diebold, a New Tech Ruston student.

Students like Caleb Diebold were looking for a high school experience that is anything but ordinary.

He was able to find that experience through New Tech, A school that challenges students through with a variety of learning outcomes.