iPads Popping Up in Glen Ellyn Classrooms

If tablets such as Apple’s iPad are the next great teaching tool, then Glen Ellyn school districts want them in the classroom.

Districts 41, 87, and 89 have all put tablets in the hands of students this school year, and are evaluating the technology to see if its use should be expanded. In Districts 41 and 89, a combined 32 tablets are making rounds.

“The biggest value in these tablets is what kind of applications are provided for their operating systems,” said Mike Wood, District 41 technology director.

Wood supplied a list of applications District 41 has looked at for potential use in its classrooms. They range from Dr. Suess read-along programs to Boggle to one called “French Impressionism at the Art Institute of Chicago.”

District 41 last week received its first 20 iPads, which will go into use at Churchill Elementary on a rental basis from the school’s library in the next couple of weeks. Wood said at the March 7 School Board meeting he wanted to have 20 tablets at Hadley Junior High and 10 at each elementary school in the next two years—a combination of iPads and at least one other model such as Samsung’s Galaxy or the Motorola Xoom for comparison.

“We’re in an evaluation process right now. We want to see which ones will be the best fit,” said Wood, who called the tablet an "emerging technology" that is, at this point, not much more than a big smart phone. "There are a lot of developers that are pushing to market against the iPad. Even iPad is coming out with a brand new version. It's all happening so quickly."

Wood said the district paid $499 for each of Churchill’s 20 iPads. He said that’s a discount compared to retail because it was a bulk purchase with a standard price reduction for school districts.

District 89 technology coordinator Jeff Romani warned against thinking only in terms of cost.

“It’s technology; it’s a tool. Can you really put a price on that?” Romani said. “You’re helping students achieve, it’s just another avenue of getting there.”

Romani said District 89 currently has 12 tablets circulating at the four elementary schools and Glen Crest Middle School on a rental basis. While they are used in general education classrooms, Romani said the tablets have benefits for special education programs, as well.

Romani called the tablet a “motivational reinforcement tool” valuable for its one-on-one nature. For example, he said the district’s occupational therapist can work with students who have developing motor skills and, with the help of a tablet, can help improve their drawing or tracing.  

“It reinforces those skill sets,” Romani said. “It’s a remediation tool and a reinforcement tool.”

Glenbard East special education reading teacher Marge Anderson has 15 iPads in her classroom.

“Because they’re new, the kids love them,” Anderson said. “[The kids] are right on target. They’re engaged just because it’s new technology.”

Anderson said her students have used the iPads for independent and group reading. She said the iPads can instantly supply a definition for any word a student doesn’t recognize and also contains audio support.

Anderson’s students have been helped by the iPad when researching projects on a variety of topics such as car repair and summer vacation plans.

“They couldn’t have researched some of these things without the option of text to speech. Now they don’t need anyone to help read it,” Anderson said.

She said time in between activities for her students is now filled with educational iPad activities such as reading drills, Scrabble and logic games.

“Once they get started and they’re able to figure it out they think, ‘This is so cool.’ The kids are all working all the time,” Anderson said. “The hardest part is for me to learn the technology. The kids are learning so much faster [than I am].”

District 87 community relations coordinator Peg Mannion in an e-mail did not specify how many iPads are circulating the four Glenbard high schools, but Anderson said she thinks more is better.

“I think that there are some other classrooms that could benefit from them,” Anderson said. “Math classes for drill work, social studies for videos. There’s so much on them.”

District 41's Wood agreed.

"I think it could be viable for more than just a couple of specific subject areas," he said. "That really wouldn’t promote widespread use."