California dreaming as iPad adopters educate Kiwi schools
New Zealand educators are getting the chance to learn from the first school in the world to implement iPad technology.
Later this month, five Monte Vista Christian School teachers will visit schools throughout New Zealand to share their experiences.
Hosted by Cyclone, this year’s conference will allow teachers to see aspects of Monte Vista Christian School’s journey and what they have discovered on the way, through a series of presentations and workshops on iPad use in the classroom.
Cyclone’s Graham Prentice says that the Monte Vista Christian School, the very first adopter of iPads in the classroom, use iPads extensively within the school and the local community, and love sharing their experiences with other teachers. They have had a 1:1 iPad programme running since 2011.
A number of New Zealand educators have had the opportunity to visit the Californian school, and to experience their hospitality. The school also held an inspiring one-day workshop in Auckland last year, Prentice says.
“The sessions are filled with real classroom situations and practical ideas. Above all, we get a glimpse of what the transformation to digital teaching and learning is all about,” he says.
The Monte Vista Christian School is an independent co-educational school in the Monterey Bay area of California, at the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The school caters for students from Grade 6 (Year 7) through to Grade 12 (Year 13).
The conference is part of the Australiasian leg of the Monte Vista Christian School’s speaking tour, and will be held over four days at schools in Queenstown, Christchurch, Dunedin and Auckland. Content is aimed at middle school and secondary levels.
For more information and to register, visit http://www.eventbrite.co.nz/o/cyclone-6625178875?s=25293275For further information on Monte Vista Christian School, visit www.mvcs.org, read their book at https://itunes.apple.com/nz/book/the-first-ipad-school/id726645782?mt=11 and find their iTunes U course at https://itunes.apple.com/nz/course/transforming-classroom-conference/id840370199
