New tech sparks enthusiasm for returning Colorado students

While many students may be dreading the inevitable return to school this fall, those in Fort Collins, Colorado, have at least one thing to look forward to -- new technology.

According to local news provider the Coloradoan, every incoming freshman in the Poudre School District (PSD) will be equipped with a new laptop computer this year, as the district makes an effort to prepare students for learning in the 21st century.

A bond approved by Fort Collin's voters in the fall of 2010 provided the district with the funding to purchase the laptops, according to the news source. Freshmen at Poudre High School will be the first to receive the new laptops in September, and the district's other three high schools will receive the technology throughout the year.

To make the most of its purchases, the district has also provided more than 30 PSD teachers with training for the technology. Additionally, parents and students will be taught how to take care of the laptops.

Schools around the country are introducing technology initiatives to increase student engagement and improve achievement. For example, Grandview High School in Missouri has purchased 400 tablet computers for its students, which, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, will enable the school to reduce the costs of textbook purchases.