The Dual Language 7th/8th Grade Class at Chicago Heights School District 170's Washington-McKinley School recently visited the Apple Store in Orland Park to participate in a student invention exercise.
The class taught by Pablo DeLarosa joined educators at the store in using iPad Pros and the Apple Pencil to make inventions from ideas, blueprints, and sketches that the students brought them.
While working on the designs, the students were able to use Keynote in conjunction with other apps for drawing to create their final presentation. They concluded the activity by saving their projects on a flash drive bracelet that the Apple Store presented to each student along with a tee shirt commemorating the event.
DeLarosa hit upon the idea of visiting the Apple Store while perusing the Apple website and exploring the educational links. The goal of the activity was to engage students in high interest, high academic content endeavors.
"The experience was one that our students won't soon forget," DeLarosa said. "The opportunity to visit the Apple Store and to use cutting-edge computer technology to bring their ideas to life was an occurrence that may well affect their lives for years to come."
Seventh-graders Eric Barreto, Joanna Cortes, and Raul Rincon agreed with their teacher in praising the event.
"It was a great experience, and I was able to learn so much about new technology," Barreto said.
"It was fun to get to go to the Apple Store and to be able to work with classmates to bring our projects to life using the IPads," added Cortes.
Rincon also talked about the attitudes of the educators working at the Apple Store.
"It was fun meeting the educators at the Apple Store," he said. "They were very nice and fun to learn from and to work with."
Upon returning to school, the students presented their completed projects using SmartBoard technology.
"I'm so very proud to have been able to provide our students with this exceptional learning opportunity," DeLarosa stated.
"The memories of the experience, along with the souvenirs provided by the Apple Store will mean a lot to our students and their academic engagement."