— Just two months after school started in August, a number of students at Athens Elementary School began an initiative. It was aimed at a current educational trend that could change the future of education — the use of iPads in the classroom.

The question educators wanted to answer — how do iPads enhance education?

To find out Technology Director Dr. Chris Hamilton and Instructional Technology Specialist Dr. Beth McKinney with Athens City Schools started the iPad initiative at the school.

Eight teachers, including Kate Armstrong, first-grade; Leah Hunt, fourth-grade; Jenny Johnstone, special education; Amy Lewis, special education/speech/language; Virginia Malone, first-grade; Angela McKenzie, kindergarten; Diane Miller, first-grade; and Deborah Vaughn, special education, all made a commitment toward the iPad effort.

Teachers agreed to attend one training session or group meeting per month from October through May. They also agreed to select age and curriculum appropriate Apple iPad apps for use by students and to evaluate their appropriateness. A minimum of eight apps were evaluated and documented by each teacher. Teachers also assisted in developing a list of apps by grade level, to be shared with teachers. They also had to assume responsibility for the care and security of the iPads.

Teachers and students Thursday made a presentation of the initiative to the board.

Through an evaluation led by Hamilton and McKinney, most teachers shared in agreement that the use of iPads with students led to increased class participation and engagement, improved behavior in the classroom and increased attendance as well as left a positive impact on student achievement. The teachers also agreed that students do not need a great deal of training on using the devices and that managing the iPads was not a burden. The educators added that it was easy to find apps with educational value and students took care of the technology.

Johnstone told the board she teaches special education students with moderate autism to learning disabilities. One student in her class is completely non-verbal and he was able to use the iPad as a communication device. “He could tell us what he wanted through pictures,” she said. Johnstone said she was thankful for the opportunity to use iPads in her classroom. “The opportunities are endless,” she said. “There is something to fit every need right at your fingertips.”

Malone, who teaches first grade, said her classroom found the iPads exceptional tools.

“They think they are playing,” she said. “They are learning.” She said it was easy for them to get information and know how to work the devices. “The games are fun,” she said. “They don’t know they are putting sounds together to make words and learning to add a little faster.”

Students including fourth-graders Sarah James Morgan and Kira Walton, kindergartners Kennedy Slaton, Rachel Wiseheart and LaParis Jackson and first-graders Christina Jones, Preston Loggins, Kenziahis Bledsoe and Giovanni Espinoza-Ceja presented the board with a musical rendition about iPads and told members why they feel iPads are important to their education.

A number of school systems have already incorporated iPads. Florence City Schools and Baldwin County Schools have already started using the technology. “People are seeing educational value,” said Hamilton. “I do see it changing the way we teach.”