We visited Bay Point Middle School classrooms, asking teachers, students and administrators how technology helped them. Other schools are invited to share their experiences. Ask just about anyone and the word is likely to come up. The 62nd Avenue S school is a traditional middle school with a magnet program for science and technology, with connections to the Internet and more than 350 computers. The school received federal grants when the magnet was established, enough to provide one computer for every four students in the magnet.
Regular classrooms have fewer computers, although the school is working to increase resources there.
The school also received a state grant for its wiring. Principal Dennis Griffin says the technology gives teachers an important educational tool, and it reduces discipline problems because students are more focused on their work. What they learn here they can take into the job market. Not every teacher has embraced technology yet, Griffin said, but he sees progress. And he and others are proud of the way the school is using its technology.