This school district in southern California, Downey Unified School District, utilizes the best Apple technology so teachers can supercharge their lesson plans.
The Apple technology we are talking about: Apple Learning Coach.
Supercharging the lessons
Throughout Downey Unified School District, pupils are utilizing Apple technology to craft various projects such as podcasts, animations, and movies, with the use of GarageBand, Keynote, and Clips, respectively.
Such approaches are helping reshape the classrooms, particularly in the California school district. Plus, at the center of all these transformations, some educators have implemented their know-how through the Apple Learning Coach program, revolutionizing the way teachers and students deal with the lessons.
According to the program’s official page, Apple Learning Coach is a professional learning program that is free, training instructional coaches, digital learning experts, and other coaching educators so that these teachers can maximize Apple’s technology.
Apple Learning Coach is a dynamic blend of self-paced lessons, personal creative, and workshop sessions, as well as a credit system so users continue using the program.
Downey Unified School District has tens of thousands of students from transitional kindergarten to Grade 12. The school district comprises 22 schools, including eight Apple Distinguished Schools.
The school district adheres to the coherence model, wherein all schools have equal access to technology, tools, education, and services. For instance, each school in the district has Student Tech Squads where senior students mentor younger pupils, an Innovation Lab that features coding robotics, and green screen movie projects.
Additionally, all educators at Downey are provided with professional learning opportunities, including the Apple Learning Coach program.
“Apple Learning Coach gave us the tools to be able to meet educators where they are, no matter the level of their technology knowledge,” said Jennifer Robbins, director of elementary education at Downey Unified School District.
More than just finishing assignments, it’s all about the fun in learning
After successfully finishing the program, each coach in the program gets a coaching portfolio they can use to implement everything they have learned. One of the coaches who benefited from this is coach Marnie Luevano.
“We work with teachers to identify new ways their students can demonstrate what they’ve learned beyond the use of a worksheet or simply writing an essay,” Luevano said. “And then the kids are taking off with it — they’re so excited.”
This coach also added that each time they visit the schools, the students are always excited to tell them about the podcasts they are watching or present their designs. It is more than just finishing the assignments; it is all about the fun.
Luevano’s role as a coach at Downey is helping the school district’s teachers reimagine how they utilize Apple technology to supercharge their lessons.
“The results for Downey have been measurable,” Apple said.
More than 1,900 educators have already completed the Apple Learning Coach program in the United States. Here’s another good news: the program is slated to expand to 12 more countries by the end of this year.
