Franklin West Supervisory Union Named Apple Distinguished School System

[Franklin West SU]

Franklin West Supervisory Union is pleased to announce its recent recognition as a 2014-2016 Apple Distinguished School. The Apple Distinguished School designation is reserved for programs that meet criteria for innovation, leadership, and educational excellence, and demonstrate a clear vision of exemplary learning environments.  FWSU began implementing a 1:1 iPad program three years ago.  The program now includes all students in grades 5/6 through 12 across three member schools including Bellows Free Academy Fairfax, Fletcher Elementary School, and Georgia Elementary Middle School.

 “I’m excited for all of our schools to receive this recognition from Apple.  Over the past three years, FWSU has gained incredible momentum in realizing its four goals: student-centered learning, student leadership, community engagement, and flexible learning environments.  The 1:1 iPad implementation has developed unparalleled customized learning opportunities for our students,” states Superintendent Ned Kirsch.  “The selection of FWSU as an Apple Distinguished School highlights our rising success.  We are designing innovative and compelling learning environments that engage students in the digital age."

The FWSU Action Plan calls for a dramatic departure from the manner in which school has been provided for students over the last one hundred years.  It examines flexible learning environments by redefining the school day, promotes learning experiences that extend beyond the school classroom, and fosters creativity, innovation, and differentiated learning opportunities for all.  FWSU is fully immersed in its journey to make schools a destination where students embrace the “always on” learning styles of 21st Century and are engaged in answering authentic questions and solving problems in collaborative settings.

FWSU is public school system serving approximately 1,700 PreK-12 students in Vermont communities of Fairfax, Fletcher, and Georgia.

You can follow our progress on our blog Highlighting Learning in SU22 at www.fwsu-blog.org .     

[nhibbard]

What are the criteria and what did we do to meet the stated criteria?

Are there proven outcomes that tie to the iPads? ie Faster typing skills, faster reading rates, better comprehension vs traditional means? What oversite is there that these aren't being used to access Facebook and social networks all day?

I'm all for technology that has proven goals and process but I still haven't heard anything beyond "we need to do this so kids have access to technology". Are the students being taught about the technology in the iPads and how skills transfer to other technology?

[Watchman]

The following are the best practices that Apple uses as criteria for the Apple Distinguished School Award. In addition someone needs to fill out an application for the award and send it to the Apple Corporation and buy many Apple products. I encourage everyone to look closely at the criteria...(it took some time to gather this information. I hope it is clear.) I wonder how many people were involved in the process??

1. Visionary Leadership


Shared Leadership

School leaders take collective ownership of the initiative.


Individual Leadership

A credible and inspirational thought leader sets and articulates the vision.

Community Engagement

Broad community sponsorship supports the institution’s initiatives.

2. Innovative Learning and Teaching

Student Learning

Learning is a personal experience for every student.


Instructional Practices

Faculty are master learners who expertly guide their students through difficult and complex tasks.


Curriculum Design

Innovation and rigorous curriculum is redesigned to leverage technology

3. Ongoing Professional Learning

Relevant and Timely Professional Development

Faculty engage in a cycle of inquiry that promotes reflection, experimentation, and sharing.

4. Compelling Evidence of Success

Quantitative

Data is routinely collected and analyzed to inform progress and measure success.


Qualitative

Narrative, reflective, or anecdotal evidence is collected and shared.

5. Flexible Learning Environment

School Design and Facilities

Facilities and schedules are designed to maximize learning opportunities that technology provides.


Information Technology (IT)

Information Technology (IT) infrastructure supports innovation in teaching and learning.

[nhibbard]

Thanks for pulling that. It's an interesting list. I hope there are answers to how we met each of those goals. The Hour of Code program looks promising. I've done that a few years at home. At least the concepts are there. I hope we're learning some keyboarding skills too since those go a long way to coding.