The latest local news, weather and high school sports in and around Columbia and Jefferson City

JEFFERSON CITY, MO. -- Students at Thomas Jefferson Middle School had a rare opportunity Friday.

The sixth-grade class in Jefferson City used 21st-century technology to learn more about an artist in Atlanta.

Desks, walls, and pictures, they all make up Ms. DeFeo's classroom.  The children got an extra treat when they took a virtual field trip in their very own classroom.

Tim Campbell is a 6th-grade student in the social studies classroom at Thomas Jefferson Middle School.

"We got to talk to a guy all the way in Atlanta," Ms. DeFeo’s 6th grade social studies student Tim Campbell said.

The guy Tim referred to is Jeremy Dale, an artist.

Dale answered questions from Ms. DeFeo's 26 students through Skype.

"I think they got a lot out of it because it wasn't just me telling them oh yeah, you can do this,” Jeni DeFeo said.  “This is a real life experience.  Jeremy is a person who does this job and it gives them a whole new lease on, wow this could be something that I could do."

Students wrote down questions they wanted to ask dale and one by one they got the chance to sit in front of the computer and ask away.

Defeo said technology has a huge role in her classroom.

"Technology changes my classroom everyday and everyday it gets bigger and better,” DeFeo said.  “I use it a lot, things like Google Earth, I use music all the time, we do things like podcasts and videos and it really engages the kids.  They're really into it, it gives them an opportunity to open up doors and maybe talk to people the might not ever get a chance to talk to before.  It's just an opportunity to take your classroom and open it up to a global perspective."

"It teaches us a whole new thing about comics and a new lesson about books and stuff," Campbell said.

Mrs. Defeo's students got to enjoy some of the 21st technology, it's technology they'll be using for years to come.

"This is their life, this is the way communication's going to work for the 21st century, is that you may be in Jefferson City, Missouri but you can talk to Canada, you can talk to Atlanta, you can see what's going on there,” DeFeo said.  “It’s teaching kids that there are these opportunities out there and allowing them to explore them in a safe environment."

DeFeo hopes to set up more Skype sessions for her students soon.