Technology starved East San Jose students get gift of iPads

SAN JOSE, Calif (KGO) -- Silicon Valley may be home to many high-tech companies, but often students in East San Jose are left behind. Today a program paid for by one district is giving the kids new tools to break through barriers. Millions of consumers have purchased the popular iPad, but students at East San Jose's Franklin-McKinley School District struggle to even access the internet.

Students cheered during a big announcement at Meadows Elementary this morning. Third through sixth grade students were given 180 iPads for use in their classrooms. The technology will help give personalized learning to students at a school with 40 percent of students learning English.

Magdalena Moore, principal of the school said, "We have some 3rd grade readers and we have some 12th grade readers, and for a teacher of 32 kids to be able to differentiate the levels with just books is very challenging."

Meadows Elementary is a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) school. They teach coding and even robotics, but the iPads will be used for traditional subjects as well.

Shirikawa Elementary schools will also be receiving 160 iPads today with the goal of equipping all schools in the district with the technology by 2018.