The excitement of the Brantley Elementary students showcasing the advanced technology they use to learn their daily lessons was undeniable Tuesday night.

Those students were quick to demonstrate to parents how they use Promethean boards, document cameras, iPads, laptops and other high-tech devices to complete their assignments during Brantley’s first technology showcase.

It’s good to see that the nearly $1 million stemming from the School Improvement Grant is being used to purchase devices that have clearly made learning fun for the students.

I hate to say it, because it makes me sound incredibly old, but things have changed a lot since I was in elementary school.

I remember being excited to write on average whiteboards. I never got to experience the excitement of interactive ones in elementary school.

It’s no secret that education is the key to success. It’s also no secret that kids are often against the idea of attending school.

Since I’m well aware of the value of a great education, I’m fully supportive of healthy teaching methods that will help children embrace school more.

I just hope that these kids remain interested in school so the dropout rate can decrease.

Like some of the Brantley Elementary teachers mentioned, it does more than make students eager to attend school. It also helps them to absorb the material better.

I could tell from the smiles and kind words from the parents that they were happy to see their children enthusiastic about something so vital to their lives.

For example, Bettie Evans, a parent of two Brantley Elementary 2nd-grade students said she could tell her kids love incorporating technology into their daily school lessons by they way they are quick to tell her at the end of the school day about their time at Brantley.

“I’m proud of them,” Evans said. “I am so proud of my babies.”

The fact that those children were able to learn how to operate the devices speaks volumes to their outstanding brilliance and confidence.

I know several adults who have stuck their nose up at technology simply because it appears too complicated.

Teachers said the process of teaching the young students how to use the devices was difficult at times, but the students have come a long way since they started using them in August.

I know how easy it is to get stuck in tradition, because the idea of change can seem so foreign and scary. Therefore, I commend the Dallas County School system for being willing to go beyond the textbooks and embrace this new form of teaching.

The children who have the potential to become our future leaders are evidently benefiting from it, which means we all will in the end.