For District 97 Students, A Nice (iPod) Touch

Need a new way to get your technology-crazed students into learning in Oak Park? There’s an app for that.

At least that’s the hope of , which distributed five iPod Touches to each of its 10 schools in January. Special education programs throughout the district received a total of 10 larger iPads. 

Students will be using the handheld iPod Touches for activities such as taking pictures on field trips, using a graphic calculator app in math lessons, and using it to record their voice to self-improve student reading skills. Some schools in the district, such as Longfellow and Beye, have already used part of their own budgets to add even more of the devices this year.

“It’s nice because in the long run, it eliminates a lot of cost because everything is on one device,” said Rachel Vartanian, one of two "technology integrationists" employed by District 97.

The goal was also to bring in the technology many students were already using at home. For schools, it’s often challenging to keep up with the ever-changing technology market.

“It’s a constant battle – how do you engage the kids?” asked Vartanian.

Using the devices also requires some effort by teachers, many of whom were unfamiliar with the handheld devices before this year. Many are still learning.

Vartanian has been going around to each school recently, helping teachers understand all the possibilities available to them with the iPods. One sign the devices have been well-received? Drained batteries throughout the classrooms. 

Each of the 50 iPod Touches were purchased as part of the , a five-year, $3.5 million plan that aims to add hundreds of new laptops and LCD projectors among other equipment upgrades. 

“The intent is that teachers can try those out in different ways in schools,” said Kevin Anderson, District 97’s assistant superintendent for teaching and learning.

He said physical education teachers can take the devices out to do attendance during outdoor classes, or teachers in the younger grades can use the iPod touches for individual reading practice. 

Librarians in the district have also for various media, such as downloading e-books for students to read.

Vartanian admits even she is still constantly finding new ways to use the devices.

“It’s really hard to keep up,” she said.