The technology gives shy students an easier way to participate in classroom discussions, allowing them
to type feedback in a chat session instead of having to raise their hand to offer opinions.
The district has seen gains in California Standards Test scores at the three schools, with seventh-graders’
writing scores improving from 64.6 percent in 2008-09 to 80.3 percent in 2009-10.
Though San Marcos Unified is one of many districts nationwide who are embracing online tools
as a way to augment classroom instruction, most have been slow to adopt the technology.