A pilot program at two North Carolina schools will bring the iPod Touch and other technologies into classrooms. North Carolina Virtual Public Schools (NCVPS), a state government organization, will be testing high-tech educational techniques at Culbreth Middle School and Scroggs Elementary School, both in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School District.
"What we're doing is very purposeful research," said Bryan Setser, executive director of NCVPS. "It's really a national benchmark in terms of e-learning."
The agreement gives each school $30,000 to buy audio/video equipment and mobile technology devices such as the iPod Touch. That amount may grow based on early study results. Indeed, the program could grow into a statewide initiative
NCVPS will work with the staff at both schools to design the courses and teaching tools. High-tech classes begin in January and will be evaluated in the spring and summer.
The iPod Touch will be used by students as a one-too-one device with which to access the Internet, view educational podcasts, download e-books, and access other software. Students will create blogs, record audio and video podcasts and have lessons in virtual worlds. The device is also known for 3D gaming, a feature that was somewhat unsettling to school board members.
In the middle school, the pilot will run within a program called Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID). It places academically average students in advanced classes and gives them support to succeed in those classes and go to college.

Source: Chapel Hill News, Board approves technology pilot program, by Colin Campbell