January 27, 2012 – Stillwater Central School District is pleased to announce that it has been named an Apple Distinguished Program for its implementation of the 1:1 iPad Program. Wexler will recognize the district's program at a Stillwater board meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 6:30 p.m. in the middle school/high school library media center.
The Apple Distinguished Program designation is reserved for programs that are recognized centers of educational excellence and leadership. Stillwater is one of only 49 recipients across the nation awarded the apple distinguished program in 2011-12.
The selection of Stillwater as an Apple Distinguished Program highlights its successes in enhancing and extending teaching and learning with thoughtful and innovative implementations of technology.
“The 1:1 iPad program in Stillwater is changing the classroom,” said Stillwater Technology Director Christopher Lynch. “The classroom tools are now a much closer reflection of the student mindset, and the digital age they live in.”
Classrooms are centers for creating, collaborating and sharing. Students’ work is published on the school network and shared with their peers. The potential to be "published" has created a boost in student personal interest and ownership for understanding the material. Absenteeism in classrooms using the 1:1 iPad program is down 30 percent, Lynch added.
The Stillwater 1:1 iPad Program was piloted beginning with one classroom during the 2010-11 school year, and has now grown to include every fifth- and sixth-grade student in the district.
Students are using the iPads throughout the day and in a range of subjects from math, to social studies, to English Language Arts. Daily use of the iPads varies depending on day, topic and goal of any given lesson. Administrators are monitoring the expansion of iPad use, ensuring that students are getting the most out of the tool.
“The success of this program has truly been a collaborative effort,” said Lynch. “Only the willingness and commitment of a dedicated network of Stillwater teachers and administrative staff has allowed Stillwater to address the needs of the digital age we live in.”
