Decatur City Schools Foundation

Cell phones, iPads and Netbooks; these are familiar terms in today’s world, especially among students. Today’s generation of students has grown up with the Internet as their companion and technology as go-to entertainment. However, the question is being asked more often today than ever before: Is technology a tool or a distraction when used in the classroom?  We caught up with Decatur City Schools Technology Director Kathy Rains to get her opinion on the importance of technology in our schools, and how it is changing the face of education every day. DCSF: What are your thoughts on the use of technology in education? How is it changing how things are done in the classroom? KR: The promise of positive outcomes for technology use in the classroom is great. Used as an instructional tool by teachers, technology can make instruction engaging and can gain a student’s attention like nothing else and keep a student focused on instruction for longer periods of time. Used as a produc