School district encourages new technology in classroom

The Davis School District spent yesterday teaching teachers and others in the district how to use new technology to better reach students in the classroom.

Roger Martin, the district's technology director, says one tool it's now using is the personal response system. It's a small keypad that lets teachers ask a question and students respond by texting the answer. It's graded instantly, so a teacher knows right away if the students understand a subject.

The district also is encouraging teachers to use podcasts, digital cameras, blogs and other tools for learning that students relate to.

Martin says another program allows students to save their work on a hard drive at school and then access the files when doing homework by logging on from anywhere with an Internet connection.