There was a special addition to the usual board meeting at the Stillwater Central School District: Apple iPads. Vince Gallagher reports.

  To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

The One—to-One iPad program started with one classroom last year, now it's in the hands of every fifth and sixth grade teacher and student.

"We worked hard over the last three years trying to develop all of the different wireless infrastructure, the professional development for the teachers, the networking,” explained Chris Lynch, IT director.

There are different apps, students can put poetry to music using garage band, and even take a quiz.

"All the student needs to do is join that room number and they can take a quiz right in their classroom,” said

Or virtual classroom. And while this technology is cool, it also helps student enthusiasm.

"They really put a higher level of effort in their work because they know there's a potential to be published and all of their classmates can see it and we're seeing a great increase of attentiveness and work,” said Lynch.

And what about this: The traditional textbook…is the end near? Not only is this considered to be a bit old school, they cost almost four times the amount of a more contemporary learning tool - the digital textbook.

“So we are looking to make that a widespread distribution in the classrooms and lower our costs and give our students a richer experience when it comes to textbooks," said Lynch.

Then there's personal and individualized learning that comes out of this.

"You have students that are above the pack and you can challenge them, you have students that need that extra boost and support and you can challenge them as well," said Geoffrey Bizan, a teacher.

With this they're also able to create sophisticated demonstrations of their learning, which can only help later in their educational career

“On a college campus or university campus they're coming in a step ahead of students who just got an iPad for their first year of college and they're trying to navigate that,” said Armine Spoelstra, a teacher.

Stillwater is one out of 49 districts in the country to receive this award.