For example, large touch screens that work with projectors and computers--called interactive whiteboards, or "action boards"--are replacing chalkboards in many classrooms. With this technology, teachers and students are able to view and interact with digital media presentations and control computer applications with the touch of a finger.

Educators are also increasingly using podcasts, which are digital audio or video files that can be played on a computer or downloaded to an MP3 device. Podcasts enable teachers to share lectures, interviews, discussions and assignments with students at any time. They can also be a tool for publishing student-generated content.

Even cell phones are being used to improve student achievement. In one recent experiment, 9th and 10th grade math students were given cell phones equipped with special programs to help with their algebra studies. The study found that the students using the phones performed 25 percent better on the end-of-year exam than students without the devices.

According to Dale Fulton, a former school superintendent for instruction and current senior vice president of curriculum development at Discovery Education, "No matter what methods teachers and administrators use to engage today's students, high-quality digital content is critical.

"Today's classrooms are dynamic places, and teachers are challenged to spend as much time on instruction as possible," he adds. "So when a student asks a question like 'What does Antarctica look like?' or 'What does a Masai tribesman wear?,' a library of digital media can help answer through engaging content that makes students want to learn even more."

Fulton, whose company produces Discovery Education Streaming, the in-classroom digital video-based learning resource scientifically proven to increase academic achievement, says digital libraries are also cost-effective alternatives to expensive book and DVD libraries.

"When the scientific community decided a few years ago that Pluto was no longer a planet, all the book and DVD libraries and all the textbooks referencing the solar system were instantly out of date," he explains. "With a digital library hosted online, content changes can be made quickly and seamlessly, making sure students and educators have the most up-to-date information."

For more information, go to www.discoveryeducation.com.

Today's classrooms use a variety of digital technology to help engage students.