Top Ten Reasons You Need (and Deserve) to Be An Apple Teacher

 

Apple Teacher is a excellent program of free professional learning Apple Education released last summer in the United States. Through a digital badge system, Apple recognizes each mini-course you successfully complete. The mini-courses include badges in Pages, Keynote, Numbers, iMovie, GarageBand, Productivity and Creativity in either iPad or Mac strands. I highly recommend completing matching mini-courses in both strands concurrently, i.e. complete the "Keynote for iPad" and the "Keynote for Mac" at the same time as it helps you understand the nuances of a program based on the device you are using. There are also coding badges available in the fabulous Swift Playgrounds covering basic coding concepts through implementation in the classroom. So why sign up?

1. Rich resources. Each mini-course has a fabulous multi-touch starter guide with step-by-step instructions, classroom examples and helpful tips.
2. Self-paced. No one needs to know you are learning in your pjs! Learn what you want, when you want. 
3. Build a strong foundation in the Apple ecosystem. Forming a solid understanding of iWorks (Pages, Keynote, Numbers) and learn how they fit together and extend learning.
4. The Apple Teacher community (#AppleTeacher) is a wonderful way to grown your Professional Learning Network (PLN).
5. Different perspectives. In the Apple Teacher program, you are learning from the best of the best. These teachers use technology in such interesting ways and you will gain new perspectives on how to use technology in your classroom. I never thought about using Numbers to organize students' research for example.
6. Evolution. Apple Teacher is a program that learns and grows with you. The recent addition of Swift Playgrounds is the first example but I am quite certain we will see more added to this program.
7. Classroom ideas. You will learn not only how to master certain apps but also gain new ideas in how to implement in your classroom. Real life, practical learning!
8. Magical. When you go outside your comfort zone, that's where the magic happens. Perhaps you have been hesitant to learn spreadsheets, or coding, or GarageBand (I know I was!) - well, this is the perfect program for you. Stretch your learning and take a risk - - you never know where it may take you.
9. Professional recognition. In most fields today, professional learning is key and education is no exception. What's lovely about the Apple Teacher program is you are earning professional badges from a highly respected educational company which will transfer no matter where you go.
10. It's FREE!   

 Apple Teacher is expanding around the world!

Happy Birthday iPad!

Do you remember January 27, 2010? I do. The famous keynote when Jobs announced the iPad. I felt like it was the device that schools had been waiting for. It was not a cheap netbook. Or a heavy, clunky tablet computer. It was an honest-to-God "magical" and "revolutionary" device. 

It is incredible to me when I think how much this device has afforded us in teaching and learning. The iPad breaks down barriers that blocked technophobe teachers from truly integrating tech into their classrooms. There is something so friendly about the iPad. The touch capabilities build an intimate relationship between the user and the device. Somehow, a lot of the fear is taken away. I have seen teachers pick up this device and with little instruction, begin using it right away as opposed to the introduction of a laptop. 

Children take to it right away. They seem to have a natural understanding of navigation and gestures. iPads have become so commonplace today that I think we forget what it was like pre-iPad. The ease, portability, speed, freedom and almost unlimited potential of this device are outstanding. Jobs was right, the iPad is magical and revolutionary. It has and will continue to shape teaching, learning, publishing, creating, and communication in ways we cannot even fathom yet.

Now, teachers send photos or videos home every day to parents. Students of all ages create stories, individually or collaboratively, with ease and share them with each other, parents or around the world. Whether it's Book Creator, iMovie, Puppet Pals or any of the dozens of apps available, our students and teachers are creating and stretching beyond the boundaries of their classrooms. 

As our school begins to weigh the best way to address the digital book market, it is incredibly exciting to see how books are developing in ways we never considered to address all types of learners. Accessibility is only part of the wonderful developments that are available now. Teachers have the ability to create their own textbooks, thanks to iBooks Authoring tool. The rich media embedded in books brings learning to life in ways that I thought were only possible in futuristic movies. The future is here now and it is a very exciting one. Thanks, Steve.