As Chief eLearning Officer at the Chicago Public Schools, I am constantly on the lookout for new and innovative uses of technology to improve education. The TeacherMate handheld computing device is one of the most promising new educational tools I have seen. Not only is the cost of each unit low enough to be affordable for every student in a classroom, but the device is easy to use, easy to train, and easy to maintain. This is a big step forward in providing quality education to an increasingly technological generation of students. I am impressed with Innovation for Learning’s consultation with leading reading educators locally and nationally, to design their own pedagogically-sound reading software which has been integrated with print and manipulative materials to form a complete reading curriculum for K-2 students. The curriculum has been designed to fully meet the Illinois Reading First and Chicago Reading Initiative Framework guidelines. Innovation’s continually tests the effectiveness of their curriculum with the Illinois Snapshot of Early Literacy (ISEL). I look forward to working with Innovations for Learning in evolving their handheld computing device into a highly effective tool for 21st century teaching and student learning in our school system.         Sharnell S. Jackson Chief eLearning Officer Chicago Public Schools     I have been following Innovations for Learning's progress for more than five years, and I am amazed at what this relatively small nonprofit has been able to accomplish in that period. IFL is truly innovative, truly committed, and truly inspiring. Their latest innovation, theTeacherMate handheld computer, is the most exciting new development I've seen in education. The painstaking way in which IFL has aligned the TeacherMate software with schools' core reading and math curriculum makes this a particularly powerful tool. By keeping the price of the TeacherMates so affordable, IFL may have finally solved the puzzle of how to provide individualized instruction to the millions of students in need across the country. The potential upside of this technology is enormous, and I am confident that IFL can play a leading role in making public education what we all want it to be.       Mark Rigdon Global Program Director, JPMorgan Chase Foundation       Innovations for Learning is one of the first nonprofits we have supported under our new initiative to focus our grantmaking on those organizations that are making the most impact in the communities we serve. IFL has been developing innovative educational tools for more than 15 years and is tireless in its service to public schools. I am particularly excited about IFL's new TeacherMate handheld computer. Young children today are growing up with technology all around them, and they will learn more from technology than any previous generation. The TeacherMate handheld computer has the potential to provide young students with individualized instruction in a manner that captivates them and can lead to sustained learning.         Kim Davis President, JPMorgan Chase Foundation     Thank you for the opportunity to use TeacherMate with our students in first grade. It is really exciting to see our students eager to visit the center in their classroom that has the tool. The handheld tool inspires our students as they see it more as a game than a tool to enhance their reading skills. As I visited the classroom, the students expressed: "Is a lot of fun", "It would be fun to take home", "It has a lot of games." Thank you for this great opportunity and we look forward to maintaining this partnership.     Zaida Hernandez Principal Jungman Elementary School, Chicago     The TeacherMate system is an outstanding program. It definitely enhances the student’s reading skills. If the students could use these devices all day long they would. It gets them focused on what they should be learning, but they think they are just playing games. We had a principal from another school visit this week, and after he started playing with a teachermate we couldn’t pry it our of his hands either!       Martha Arriaga Teacher Jungman Elementary School, Chicago