Today, it’s not unusual for students to participate in a 1:1 technology program at their school. This might mean that every student receives a computer or an iPad as part of their enrollment; however, how do you ensure that they are learning to use their device as a tool that will help them excel in the classroom?
New Hampton School is proud to be recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for the 7th consecutive year. Taking the place of textbooks, you’ll find an iPad tucked into each New Hampton student’s backpack. And, every faculty member is equipped with an iPad that allows them to move throughout the classroom, assess student comprehension as the class progresses, and aid in collaboration in and out of class.
A Long-Standing Commitment to Technology
In 2010, New Hampton stood out as an innovative boarding school willing to pilot a comprehensive iPad program. After a successful two-year pilot, in 2012 New Hampton began a 1:1 iPad program for all students. That same year, Apple recognized New Hampton as being an Apple Distinguished School. Since 2012, New Hampton has retained the same Apple recognition. The ongoing recognition of New Hampton School as an Apple Distinguished School highlights the school’s successes in enhancing and extending teaching and learning with thoughtful and innovative implementations of technology.
What does it mean to be an Apple Distinguished School?
Apple defines Apple Distinguished Schools as “centers of innovation, leadership, and educational excellence that use Apple technology to inspire creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. They showcase innovative uses of technology in learning, teaching, and the school environment and have documented results of academic accomplishment.”
But, what does that mean in terms of everyday classes at New Hampton? Our teachers are technologically savvy as they incorporate dynamic, interactive assessments and activities into each class. New Hampton brings in specialists to train our educators, providing them with all of the tools necessary to utilize technology in the classroom. Students are also provided with training sessions on how to best utilize their iPads during Freshman Seminar. With the cost of the iPads included in tuition, each New Hampton student has the resources necessary to stay organized, to learn, and to succeed.
An Educator’s Perspective
“The iPad allows greater access to information for my students. It also enables students to have, at their fingertips, access to different modes of learning for skills and content. For example, in my history class, the iPad allows students to see history, to collaborate in real-time, and to take more ownership over their learning. The students in my IB history class just recently completed a 2-week project-based learning unit where they were able to choose a slave revolt and learn more about the revolt, as well as come up with an invention, manipulation, or innovation that would have allowed the revolt to be successful. Students used their iPads to collaborate, research, airdrop documents to each other and share a Notability document to serve as their project management log.”- Director of Strategic Initiatives and History Faculty, Jonathan Schwabb.
A Student’s Perspective
“Using an iPad helps keep me to stay organized in class. I use the app Notability all the time. I create a file for each subject and then I have folders within that to organize each worksheet. Being able to access all of my work on just one app is so nice and easy. I also love onCampus, our online portal, because It tells me what work I have due and what my grades are. Having the iPad just makes everything more accessible.”- Avery ‘23
Want to learn more about New Hampton’s iPad program? Watch the video below.
