Three years ago, Briarcliff Middle School earned the coveted Apple Distinguished School Designation. Not to be outdone, Todd Elementary School followed suit and recently received the designation as well. And remarkably, Briarcliff Middle School has also been recognized this year – yet again – as an Apple Distinguished School.
This designation, first and foremost, requires a school to be nominated to apply. Once nominated, the school can begin the application process, which focuses on creating and submitting a video.
“The video that we created highlights how the school infuses technology into the curriculum to enrich and enhance the educational experience for students,” said Todd Principal Jessica Michaelidis. “We wanted to demonstrate how we inspire students to imagine and be creative, and show not only the impact technology has on the students’ instruction, but also the impact students themselves can have on our school community and on the greater community.”
According to Michaelidis, the school aims to provide students with greater choice and agency.
“We want students to not just be merely consumers of technology, but to also be able to create,” Michaelidis said. “It’s not just about researching and gathering information, but also about showing what students learned, how they have grown as learners, and how they can teach others.”
The video features several examples throughout the school of students last year who used the Apple technology.
In Laura Cascioli’s fourth grade class, students explored the history of the state of New York. They created podcasts to teach other students about what they had learned.
“This is a great example of students using the Apple technology in a way that impacts others because it provides students with a platform to educate others,” Michaelidis said.
Third graders learned about forces and motion. They used their iPads to take photos of themselves at the playground going down the slide, climbing and throwing balls.
“Rather than using their iPads to only gather information, they used them to create real-life evidence of motion,” Michaelidis said. “They annotated their pictures and made infographics to educate others about the science of motion.”
All the teachers at Todd are Apple Teacher Certified or are in the process of earning their certification.
“The designation requires a certain percentage of teachers to be certified and once the newly hired teachers receive their certification, we will be at 100%,” Michaelidis said.
Those who have received their certification participated in a professional development program to learn how to utilize Apple products and tools to integrate technology with the curriculum and, according to Michaelidis, even very young students are able to showcase their learning as a result.
First graders in Alyson Tully’s and Kimberly Andrews’ class used their iPads in a unit of study that focused on measurement.
“They used measuring tools on the iPads and then compared their results with more standard ways of measuring, such as a ruler,” Michaelidis said. “They also took photos of items that their classmates could measure and then worked collaboratively to analyze the outcomes.
“Using Apple technology makes learning fun and gives students another dimension of learning,” Michaelidis said. “Receiving the designation was a proud moment for me as an educator and is a testament to how hard the teachers at Todd work to find ways to enhance creativity within lessons, while allowing students to make use of these tools in an effective way.”
Assistant Principal Anne Marie Foley was also honored by the designation.
“It was exciting to be acknowledged for the work teachers have done with integrating technology and pushing students to the next level, thus giving them the opportunity to be creative and engage in different ways,” she said.
Briarcliff Middle School Principal Amy Gladstone was thrilled to find out the school received the designation again.
“This prestigious honor underscores our commitment to fostering technology-rich environments that support our learning goals,” she said. “This achievement is a testament to the innovation and dedication of our staff, who inspire creativity in daily lessons, projects and beyond. It reflects our commitment to innovation in education and our dedication to empowering our students with the best tools for success.”
The video of Todd’s application for the designation is available to watch on the school’s website under “Student Life” => “Curriculum.”
