According to the Daily Herald, the Illinois Board of Education's Low-Cost Laptop program will bestow additional funds to four school districts in the state. One of the recipients, the Palatine Township Elementary District 15, will use $467,000 in grant money to buy 900 iPads.
Teachers and state education officials believe the tablets and other technology will enhance the education of Illinois students.
"We see technology becoming more and more an integral part of curriculum, and this allows students to immediately interface with the world," Richmond County superintendent Donald Schlomann told the media organization.
Educational technology has been positively linked to increased student attentiveness and engagement in daily school activities. Therefore, teachers who have success using the new iPads may consider integrating additional devices, such as an e-reader, an interactive whiteboard or a classroom projector, into their lesson plans.
Given the tight budgets affecting schools around the state, the four districts may consider themselves lucky to receive the additional state funding.
"Across the state, very few districts were awarded this incredible opportunity, which many educational technology experts predict is the wave of the future," Jim Garwood, deputy superintendent of Palatine District 15, told the Daily Herald.
