Forget the ancient chalk board, and forget the dry-erase white board... there is a new tool in Houston County Schools which is revolutionizing teaching.

Teachers became the students today at Houston County High School when they attended a training about a new fixture in their classrooms... the SMARTboard. The SMARTboard is a piece of technology which can project any program from the computer onto its surface... websites... Power Points... anything. Students can use their fingers as the mouse during interactive games and lessons. It even has plastic pens which simulate a marker, and allow the user to write anywhere on the screen at anytime. Math Department Chair, Alyson Keenom, says having a SMARTboard in her classroom this year makes a big difference. She adds, it keeps the students more interested in what is taking place during the lesson.

Ms. Keenom also told me the SMARTboard isn't the only new piece of technology in Houston County Schools this year. Teachers also have a new student data system called "Infinite Campus". This allows teachers to access all pertinent student data quickly and easily, and all in one place...from attendance records, to referral history, to test scores. No system like this was in place in Houston County before.

All schools in the Houston County School system have SMARTboards in classrooms. Teachers at Houston County High say like any piece of technology, sometimes there are glitches... however their students are usually well enough versed in technology to give them a hand.