The first Irish Apple Teacher Institute (ATI) was held in Alexandra College this week, August 23rd – 25th. Eighty primary and post-primary teachers from around Ireland took part in the ATI Digital Bootcamp, which focuses on creativity in the classroom using such applications as iPhoto, iWeb, iMovies, iTunes and Keynote.
The ATI was organised by Ciaran McCormack (IADT), Alison Gilliland (INTO), Jim Redmond and Erol Mustafov (Alexandra College ICT Department) and Keith Young and Beryl Furlong (TypeTec). Five Apple Distinguished Educators – including two College staff members, Ben Murray and Jim Redmond - worked as Apple Distinguished Educators (ADEs) at the ATI.
We were also very proud to have two fifth year students (Zoe Cras and Sadhbh Stapleton-Doyle) and one sixth year student (Yvanne Kennedy) working as classroom assistants to the ADEs. The girls performed brilliantly and Zoe also helped to complete a short film about the three-day event. The girls also received an iPod Nano for their troubles, along with the right to call Apple an ex-employer.
Highlights of the event included ADE Mark Pendelton’s Keynote session, in which he used GarageBand to teach Zulu; the first day showcase; and the closing screening event.
Thanks to everyone involved in what proved to be a vibrant, exciting, fun-filled and – of course – educational three days.
