Central California District Taps iPad for Elementary ELL Instruction

  • By Jim Barthold
  • 04/24/12

Lodi Unified School District will use the Rosetta Stone TOTALe Course HD application for iPad devices to help individual learners grasp the English language at their own pace.

The Central California K-12 district will use the application for second and third grade English language learners whose language development has reached a "plateau," the district said in a news release. Rosetta, which makes the application part of its TOTALe PRO solution, said Lodi is using a "blended learning model that combines classroom instruction with individualized independent study."

Students are "reacting very positively to Rosetta Stone solutions," according to Art Hand Jr., assistant superintendent for Lodi Unified School District. "Children that have more limited language skills are often less confident in the classroom setting. Now that students are working with a program that enables them to go at their own pace and focus on areas where they tend to struggle, we see their confidence increasing. They're excited about speaking and learning."

Rosetta Stone is known for language training programs that run the gamut from widely used languages like English, Mandarin, and Spanish to less widely used ones like Swahili and Filipino (Tagalog). The programs are used by schools, business and global organizations, as well as individuals.

The Rosetta Stone TOTALe Course HD application for iPad devices blends the company's language tools with classroom instruction via Apple devices and lets teachers create individualized classroom programs based on each student's learning curve.

The application "provides teachers and students with an improved opportunity for language learning that is not only engaging but also highly effective," said Cathy Quenzer, senior director of education at Rosetta Stone.

Rosetta Stone TOTALe Course HD can be access in the iTunes Store. The app itself is free for TOTALe subscribers.

About the Author

Jim Barthold is a freelance technology reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • abstract pattern of cybersecurity, ai and cloud imagery

    Report Identifies Malicious Use of AI in Cloud-Based Cyber Threats

    A recent report from OpenAI identifies the misuse of artificial intelligence in cybercrime, social engineering, and influence operations, particularly those targeting or operating through cloud infrastructure. In "Disrupting Malicious Uses of AI: June 2025," the company outlines how threat actors are weaponizing large language models for malicious ends — and how OpenAI is pushing back.

  • glowing shield hovers above a digital cloud platform with abstract data streams and cloud icons in the background

    Google to Acquire Cloud Security Firm Wiz in $32 Billion Deal

    Google has announced it will acquire cloud security startup Wiz for $32 billion. If completed, the acquisition — an all-cash deal — would mark the largest in Google's history.

  • group of educators working on computer

    Improve Teacher-Student Satisfaction by Removing Procurement Obstacles

    Intuitive tools help teachers gain flexibility and control over purchases, and more time back for doing what they love.

  • horizontal stack of U.S. dollar bills breaking in half

    ED Abruptly Cancels ESSER Funding Extensions

    The Department of Education has moved to close the door on COVID relief funding for schools, declaring that "extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion."