Student uses digital pen with a Chromebook for the first time.
New Advancements in technology happen every day, and in Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123, we consistently look for ways to introduce classroom technology in a way that enhances student learning and engagement.
For the 2025-26 school year, fifth grade students are receiving electronic styluses with their Chromebooks as part of the four-year device refresh cycle. These digital pens work directly with online testing and learning platforms, allowing students to show their work while solving a math problem or even transform digitally handwritten words into typed text.
By introducing the styluses into everyday classwork, teachers are able to see how students work through a question each step of the way.
“Digital pens are a great tool for math, giving students a natural way to show their thinking,” Margaret Nugent, District 123’s Math Curriculum Facilitator, said. “They allow students to draw visual models using shapes, arrays, graphs, and number lines, as well as write complex equations with fractions and exponents. This helps students both visualize the math and easily share how they solved the problem.”
Students are excited to learn with the new tool and are more engaged with the content, as using a stylus is a more natural and beneficial way to process information rather than just typing or using a finger on a touchscreen.
These digital pens also have capabilities beyond math. They can be used in other subjects such as English, science, and social studies to enhance student understanding of the content and help them communicate what they have learned.
“The students are eager to use the latest and greatest technology the District has to offer,” Robert Strickland, 5th grade teacher at Hannum Elementary School, said. “I am excited to see what they can do in the new IM platform and to see the students be true 21st Century learners.”
Currently, fifth graders are in the process of swapping their old devices for the new Chomebooks with the stylus pens with their elementary school building techs. They will be the first grade level to try the new tool before introducing them to other classes in the future.
As one class received their new devices, you could feel the excited energy in the room with students expressing how the stylus will help them with their work. One student even said “I am never using my hands again,” as they used the stylus for the first time in the IM platform.