State Department of Education now on iTunes U

"Whether accessed through a desktop, laptop or smart phone, CDE on iTunes U will be an important tool for the continued professional development of our community of education professionals," O'Connell said. "Educators now have more opportunities to access relevant information whenever and wherever it is convenient for them."

Available content meets the CDE's criteria, which includes high-quality video, audio recordings, presentations, PDF documents and other education- related information.

Schools will be able to offer educators free resources that are produced primarily by districts and private institutions throughout the state, O'Connell said.

More than 200 media files are available on iTunes U.

Additional content will be unveiled in the near future, but for now the Education Department is asking districts to contribute material.

"School districts have contributed, and we're also working with various organizations for additional content," said Tom Adams, the department's director of standards, curriculum frameworks and instructional resources.

Adams said the content will continue to grow as long as people contribute information.

Information on the Common Core State Standards is also coming to iTunes U. The standards explain what students are expected to learn. 

The Education Department has a number of tools up for educators including information on how to implement a standards-based education.

The Riverside County Office of Education has a presence on the site too. It has a video presentation from the Educational Leadership Services Division.

"Going forward, we expect more contributions," said Jim Long, a consultant for the Department of Education. "We do have additional content in the queue that will be out soon. But right now, we're looking for existing material, we're not asking people for new information."

To see iTunes U, go to www.apple.com/education/itunes-u.