Kids iPad Conference: adapting to a changing learning landscape
On Thursday 9 May, Orana Catholic Primary School in Willetton hosted the inaugural Kids iPad Conference for Year 6 students.
The conference focused on the ‘Everyone Can Create’ Curriculum, which is designed to unleash kids’ creativity throughout their school day by teaching students to develop and communicate ideas through drawings, music, videos and photos on their iPads.
Students at the host school were joined by students from Yidarra Catholic Primary School, Bateman and Queen of Apostles School, Riverton, coming together to animate, sketch, construct and play. As well as fostering the students’ aptitude for learning technologies, the conference also sought to give insight into how students can protect themselves in a digital age. Guest speakers included Paul Coghlan from Marketforce and Dr Edwards Simons the Director of Governance, Strategy and Digital Technology at the Catholic Education Office of Western Australia, amongst others.
Encouraged to work together to solve problems, students took the opportunity to showcase their talents and abilities, demonstrating how thinking creatively can lead to innovative solutions. When asked what they thought creativity was, students were quick to respond with enthusiasm: ‘creativity is being fearless’, ‘it is never settling for the first thought’, ‘thinking of new things and creating magic’. This healthy mindset towards challenge shows kids are willing to approach problems with curiosity and tenacity.
As an Apple Distinguished School, AvÐÔ°® Christi College sent representatives to the conference, which was also attended by delegates from Apple who were there to speak to the future of digital creativity in the classroom. Representatives from the College included: Mr Frank Italiano, Vice Principal; Mr Jean-Paul Papineau, Deputy Principal Middle School; Mr Jamie Clark, Director of Digital Integration; and Mrs Alexandra Carcione, Registrar. As guests, the College staff were able to witness the up and coming talents of students from the next generation, many of whom are due to commence at the College in 2020.
The teaching and learning landscape is ever-changing, and as an Apple Distinguished School we are proud to be at the forefront of integrating digital technology in the classroom. We congratulate our neighbouring primary schools on their ongoing efforts to engage students in creative ways through apps and a technology-enriched environment. It was an affirming experience to see these young students embracing these possibilities, and we are excited for them to further develop their skills and create great work in AvÐÔ°® classrooms and beyond!
