The day of the hole punch has come to an end. No need for binders or color-coordinated dividers at St. John the Baptist Catholic School; each student has his or her very own flash drive.

From research papers to presentations, St. John's students can store nine years worth of education on a data storage device no bigger than their thumbs. And flash drives are only the beginning of the technological revolution at this local school. St. John's is partnering with Boston University and the University of Richmond as the first school on the West Coast to pilot Tech-It, a standards-based program that employs modern-day methods of learning.

"This is so exciting for us because the reality for students is that in today's education you have to be able to use technology," said Principal Nancy Jordan. "It has to be integrated into their daily lives."

The idea behind Tech-It is to combine technology with academics, said Jordan. Students learn technology skills directly through projects that teach state standards.

"In order for students to assimilate and advance their technology skills, they must experience practical applications to their daily lives," said a letter to parents at the beginning of the year.

For Jordan, this means making "trying to make technology applicable so that it is meaningful," she said. It means using technology to teach relevant academic lessons, "not just using Excel to randomly alphabetize files."

Julie Picard, who teaches seventh and eighth grade language arts and social studies, said the program uses technology to "reinforce what we already do. Š It's another creative way to learn something. It's exciting for (students), and as a teacher it makes it a little more interesting."

Jordan said the program provides "amazing resources for educators and students that keep them on top of everything. ... They can take virtual tours of the Museum of Modern Art. If they can do that in the classroom instead of from a 50-year-old book, information is right at their fingertips."

Included in the curriculum are graphic design, multimedia, operating systems and Web page design. There is an emphasis on Internet research, PowerPoint presentations and digital video. Students can even use a computer program to learn the different between MLA and APA style, and how to cite references. Tech-It also offers an "online locker" for students, which allows them to save their work online and provides parents with quick access to their children's work.

Picard said the emphasis on technology will help prepare students for high school and college, providing them with skill sets necessary to compete in an increasingly technological world.

"This year, everything is working for our technology, and our kids are benefiting" said Jordan. "This is the world they have to live in. This is the world they have to look forward to."

And if Tech-It proves a success at the end of the three-year contract, it could be the world other West Coast schools have to look forward to as well, as St. John's will serve as a model and resource for other interested schools. So far, the school has nothing but positive reviews, said Jordan.

"Students are ripe for this; this is the world they live in."

The only challenge, said Jordan, is keeping up with the kids. "Some of them are already ahead of us," she said.