This Frontline segment, "Education in the Digital Age", explores the impact technology at what was once a troubled school in the Bronx, NY and a more progressive school in Chatham, NJ.

I. Intermediate School 339 in the Bronx
3 Years ago... lots of gang activity, low test scores... only 9% of children were performing at grade level math.

Now... 64% at or above grade level math. Every child has access to laptop. Teachers use computers and software to track answers and focus on the hardest questions. Board of Ed blocks sites like Youtube and MySpace but the kids hack through controls:)

"As long as kids are productive, teachers don't have a problem with students chatting..." - comment from teacher discussing how the kids are learning to multi-task.

II. Chatham School, NJ
Instruction at Chatham is interactive because the kids expect it to be. Classrooms have Smart boards and teachers create podcasts of lessons. One teacher set up a Ning Social Network to study Hamlet.

Some observations from teachers include:
- Teachers are entertainers...
- More students struggle with focus than before.
- some teachers accept, Sparknotes as the reality of how the 'real' world works

"Walking into classroom without all that media is like walking into a desert" - comment from teacher about expectations and reality of technology in life and education.

The takeaways for me are...
1. Children can simply benefit from access to computers and the freedom to use them how they like.

2. Experiment a lot with technology... risk of failure is far out-weighed by reward of the experience.

3. Standardizing use of technology across classrooms is far less important than allowing teachers to explore with tools they are comfortable with.

It's hard to ignore the differences between the schools, like ethnic make up, access to resources and more. One school seems more focused on needs while the other reacts to expectations. That said, it's clear technology has a profoundly positive impact on learning across the board.

Watch the vid and discover a lot more.