Apple Distinguished School Recognition 2019-2025
At Burley, technology is a tool for learning, communication, and self-expression. Students learn to use technology to research, investigate, connect, publish, and create. It is our goal to move students beyond passive, "click and consume" technology use and to empower them with the skills to use 21st century tools safely and effectively whenever they have a question to answer, a problem to solve, a passion to pursue, or an idea to share. Technology does not replace literature as the heart of our curriculum; rather, it offers students a new set of tools with which they can explore new ideas -- and express their own.
We’re pleased to be recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2019-25 for the thoughtful, innovative integration of technology in five key areas:
1. Creativity, Publishing, Audience
Students share their knowledge and ideas through a variety of authentic media and modalities. What’s more, digital work can easily be shared. Burley students create with real tools for a global audience and invest deeply in their work. This impacts achievement and gives students a strong sense of confidence in their ability to create, inform, persuade, enlighten, and inspire others.
2. Collaboration and Communication
When students connect with others about their learning, they gain new knowledge, express their point of view, consider the thoughts and feedback of others, and create with a stronger sense of audience. Their schoolwork takes on an increased sense of purpose and relevance, and students begin to see themselves as experts and teachers of others. Burley students use blogs, social networks, and class websites to reach a broad audience with their learning and creativity. Through these tools, they explore questions, consider different perspectives, and develop a sense of themselves as empowered, collaborative learners in a digital world.
3. Assessment and Reflection
1:1 devices make assessment and reflection an ongoing, embedded, and powerful part of the learning day. It’s simple for students to snap and share a photo of their work and send it to the teacher or archive it in an electronic portfolio. Recordings and screencasts offer a valuable window into student understanding, which enables the teacher to maintain a detailed ongoing picture of a child’s progress. Students are empowered to review their digital artifacts, chart their own growth, and set goals for improvement. This fundamentally changes the relationship between a child and their work and leads to student ownership, motivation, and success.
4. Differentiation and Choice
Students are able to express their knowledge using a variety of tools and media. In addition, teachers are able to offer students digital material at their own level and offer audio or video support as needed. Teacher-authored texts, created with Pages, iBooks Author, and Book Creator, allow for “just-right” materials that support student curiosity and inquiry. Varied media promotes greater inclusion, differentiation, and individualized support to help all children succeed.
5. Student Empowerment, Student Leadership
Student voice and choice have long been central elements of all curricular areas, especially literature, writing, and content-area inquiry. Technology has extended, amplified, and transformed instructional practices and enabled us to reach new levels of dynamic teaching and learning. When students create authentic projects and resources for others, their voices and leadership shine and help the entire school community grow.
We’re pleased to be recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2019-25 for the thoughtful, innovative integration of technology in five key areas:
1. Creativity, Publishing, Audience
Students share their knowledge and ideas through a variety of authentic media and modalities. What’s more, digital work can easily be shared. Burley students create with real tools for a global audience and invest deeply in their work. This impacts achievement and gives students a strong sense of confidence in their ability to create, inform, persuade, enlighten, and inspire others.
2. Collaboration and Communication
When students connect with others about their learning, they gain new knowledge, express their point of view, consider the thoughts and feedback of others, and create with a stronger sense of audience. Their schoolwork takes on an increased sense of purpose and relevance, and students begin to see themselves as experts and teachers of others. Burley students use blogs, social networks, and class websites to reach a broad audience with their learning and creativity. Through these tools, they explore questions, consider different perspectives, and develop a sense of themselves as empowered, collaborative learners in a digital world.
3. Assessment and Reflection
1:1 devices make assessment and reflection an ongoing, embedded, and powerful part of the learning day. It’s simple for students to snap and share a photo of their work and send it to the teacher or archive it in an electronic portfolio. Recordings and screencasts offer a valuable window into student understanding, which enables the teacher to maintain a detailed ongoing picture of a child’s progress. Students are empowered to review their digital artifacts, chart their own growth, and set goals for improvement. This fundamentally changes the relationship between a child and their work and leads to student ownership, motivation, and success.
4. Differentiation and Choice
Students are able to express their knowledge using a variety of tools and media. In addition, teachers are able to offer students digital material at their own level and offer audio or video support as needed. Teacher-authored texts, created with Pages, iBooks Author, and Book Creator, allow for “just-right” materials that support student curiosity and inquiry. Varied media promotes greater inclusion, differentiation, and individualized support to help all children succeed.
5. Student Empowerment, Student Leadership
Student voice and choice have long been central elements of all curricular areas, especially literature, writing, and content-area inquiry. Technology has extended, amplified, and transformed instructional practices and enabled us to reach new levels of dynamic teaching and learning. When students create authentic projects and resources for others, their voices and leadership shine and help the entire school community grow.
