by Alana Sikes (Posted on May 13, 2026 @ 10:05 a.m.)

Students at Alamo Heights Junior School use technology for many subjects. For example, the subjects that use the most technology are science, math, history, and, of course, English. These subjects can vary based on what needs to be done, such as projects, tests, or even daily work. The learning tool that helps students best is called IXL, with its problem-solving and strategy work. Mrs. Daniel says, “The purpose behind IXL is the skill review over and over, and when we do 15 problems in a row, then we kind of know how to do it.”

The biggest distractions that students have in classrooms can vary from games and music to even social media. Mrs. Daniel states, “Everybody wants to listen to their music and I get it, but it’s our school rule that we don’t.” Mrs. Daniel also adds how teachers make sure students are staying focused: “To keep the kids focused, we have those websites like Lightspeed, and another thing is just walking around and making sure everyone is on task.”

Technology wasn’t very common when Mrs. Daniel first started teaching, and she sees the differences in how the technology is used and the benefits of how the computers work. “The lack of making copies from a teacher’s perspective is a benefit, because what you would have had to do is give them the same assignment, but it would’ve been a worksheet with 10 or 20 questions. Then I would have to take it home and grade it and bring it back, and if I didn’t get it all done and didn’t give it back the next day, you wouldn’t get immediate feedback. But computers give immediate feedback.”

The most helpful strategies that help Mrs. Daniel are very helpful for all the teachers at Alamo Heights Junior School. “I wouldn’t really have any other great strategies other than Lightspeed, walking around, and, I mean, you can always give positive reinforcement like, ‘Thank you for doing what you’re doing.’” The technology that is used throughout Alamo Heights Junior School is used for many things, and our teachers can monitor what students are doing without calling them out or taking away technology.