According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the use of iPads in Chicago Public Schools is on the rise. Like many urban school districts, CPS is taking advantage of federal, state and local funding to bring innovative technology to its classrooms, affording students with an improved educational experience.
Last year, a federal grant paid for 750 iPads donated to CPS classrooms system-wide, and recently, school chief Jean-Claude Brizard announced a new $3 million grant that will supply 4,500 iPads to students in 39 schools, the source reported.
While some of the forms of educational interaction may seem to lack substance at first glance - the iPads teach arithmetic to students through games like "Math Baseball" - the collected data allows teachers to optimize lesson plans and provide students with a uniquely individualized learning experience.
Classroom technology like an iPad, a laptop or an HDMI projector gives teachers a resource that allows them to expand their ability to connect with students.
"It reaches them on a level that I, as one human being, can’t reach them," said Cho Magiera, a CPS elementary school teacher. "I can address them all individually almost all the time and I’m squeezing every second out of the school day."
