Two groups of students at Loyd Star Attendance Center arereceiving statewide attention for their advances in combiningtechnology in the classroom and going an extra mile to helpothers.

A high school class will be aired on WJTV Channel 12 Thursday at6 p.m. during the Better Schools, Brighter Futures segment fortheir accomplishments with special education students. Yesterday’snewspaper stated the segment would be last night, but thetelevision station had a schedule mix up.

The students will be featured helping special education studentslearn about using computers under the direction of Sherry R. Brown,computer and business education teacher, and Gwen Dickey, specialeducation teacher.

“The relationship that they have is so special,” said Brown. “Mystudents look up to her students and her students learn from mystudents.”

During the past year, the students have worked together onconnecting to a website, painting graphic designs using tools onthe website, copying their finished designs into a new wordprocessing document, personalizing it and printing it out on aniron-on transfer sheet.

Then the special education students put the finishing touches onthe project by ironing their designs on T-shirts.

Dickey believes the work will be vital in the success of herstudents in the real world. She pointed out that it teaches them towork with others and learn skills at the same time.

The program has already received some publicity when it appearedon an educational CD, called “Success Mississippi Style,” lastyear.

Another set of students that will receive coverage for theirextraordinary efforts is Deborah Stietenroth’s elementary class fortheir work on a web page and other computer-related activities.

Thursday, March 1, the group of elementary students will appearon the same program at 6 p.m.

The students created a website for their classroom that hasalready received 800 hits. Parents may use the website to get anupdate on their child’s progress and what type of activities aregoing on in the classroom. The students are also in the process ofmaking their own web pages.

“They’ve really enjoyed it so far and they’re very eager tolearn more,” said Stietenroth of her students.

Each day the students use the Internet to expand their knowledgeand contribute to worthy causes, such as for hunger, wild cats andrainforests. They are able to help the causes by clicking onspecified websites, and in turn companies donate to the causes.

Before the end of the school year, the students will write theirown books using the technology of the computer, saidStietenroth.

“It gives them an opportunity to write… and also they have togo through and search for graphics for their stories,” shesaid.

Another project the students have been involved with isconnecting to elementary students in Australia through e-mail.

“Communicating with somewhere as far as Australia is justincredible,” said Stietenroth. “It just opens up a milliondoors.”

The students are able to share their experiences and learn aboutthe customs of other countries during their e-mail chats.