Thousands of teachers and school administrators converged on Atlanta Saturday through Tuesday for the International Society for Technology in Education conference at the Georgia World Congress Center.

Sponsored by major tech companies like Microsoft and Samsung and by educational publishers like Pearson, the event updated educators on the way computational power is changing education.

The DeKalb County School District was among those who sent people to learn. The district paid entry for about 200 employees at about $400 each because computers and data have become crucial teaching tools, said Gary Brantley, chief information officer. He said databases about students are revolutionizing how teachers assess learning strengths and weaknesses, and that students are simply attracted to computers.

“The kids seem to engage a lot more with what’s being taught when they’re using these tools,” he said.

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