State education officials were in Macon today to see how nearly 2-million dollars in technology is helping students learn at one local high school. Every child in the 9th and 10th grade has their own netbook computer.

The kids at Westside High School don’t carry a lot of books or papers. Almost everything they need is online. They read and turn in their assignments digitally as well.

Money for the computers came from a federal grant through the Georgia Department of Education. State School Superintendent John Barge visited Westside, one of two Georgia schools that got the money.

“We know that students are engaged naturally with technology and it’s really good to see students actually using it and seeing the learning process work for these students.”

Barge says they plan to track student achievement at Westside and see if the technology improves performance. Over the next two years all students at the school will get computers.

Tags: Georgia Department of Education, Bibb County Schools, online learning, State School Superintendent John Barge, Westside High School, technology in education