Jackson County, GA –  One student watches an instructional video another accesses another class from her smartphone. All of these devices are allowed and welcome. Holly Canup,the media resource specialist at East Jackson Comprehensive High School, is a big fan of the Blended Learning program.

“It’s a combination. We’re using a combination of technology, print, face to face, we’re trying to hit every modality to help these children be successful and I think thats what blended learning is about and thats the strength of it,” says Canup.

The idea is to teach the way students learn with technology. The school renovated its media center creating a digital lab mixed with desktop computers as well as laptops.

Mobile learning is also a new addition to the learning tech at the school according to Canup because as long as students have a WIFI connection, they can access courses anywhere on their laptops courses and even mobile phones.

East Jackson Student Gregory Chance-Hunter says that the program helps him learn at his own pace.

“In the end its more productive to the student and probalbly to the school too that the classes are online and its taught at the students pace rather than a group.”

Principal Jamie Dixon says the main challenge to the program is funding.

“We are struggling to find revenue sources, we expect the budgets to be anemic for a number of years.”

The Jackson County School district has applied for an At&T one to one grant that would help with funding.