Archbold High School is now high tech.
Thursday teachers gave each student an iPad.
Teachers have organized materials online for students to download.
The district paid more than $500 for each iPad. Students simply had to put up $50 each as an insurance fee so they can take the tablets home.
Thursday marks the start of a new era at Archbold High School. No more heavy textbooks. Teachers gave all 338 students iPads.
The juniors in second period English aren't the least bit intimidated.
"It's something new and it makes school a little different, mixes it up," says Marli Fryman, a junior.
"I grew up with technology so it's something I can adapt pretty well to," says Taylor Dickman, a junior.
"It'll be easy to organize stuff, we won't lose stuff, we'll see all of our assignments on it. The organization will really help," says Emerson Radabaugh, a junior.
Students can use these to read textbooks, watch videos of lectures, and take part in online discussions.
English teacher Ryan Throne has been getting ready to roll out the iPads for months. He's also recording each lesson with a camera set up in the back of his classroom for kids to download.
"A lot of students are absent for activities, sports and things like that so the more I can provide them with materials that they can use on their own I think the better I can support their learning and not waste class time catching students up," says Throne.
The iPads cost the Archbold School District more than $200,000.
"The high school students are digital learners," says Brent Gnagey, the Technology Director for Archbold Schools. "The digital world is part of their world and that's where we believe this is the thing to do, it's the right thing to do."
"Students who are not able to afford Internet at home or their parents have just made the decision not to have the Internet at home, they are not deprived of the opportunities other students have," says Throne.
Most students are simply happy the gadgets lighten their backpack load.
"Less textbooks we're not getting textbooks this year so I won't have those ten pound books to carry around," says Dickman.
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