ADE Worldwide Institute 2018 in Austin, Texas was my first Worldwide Institute as an Apple Distinguished Educator. Going in to the institute, I knew that it would be different from my initial 2017 Academy, and was excited about the opportunity to connect with educators from around the world. The experience far surpassed my expectations.
Throughout the institute we got up close looks at Apple’s iOS apps, new initiatives and programs. It was amazing to hear about these concepts from the people who are directly involved in creating them, and be able to make connections with many of the teams during the expert labs. This experience was invaluable and, although I was already familiar with many of the apps and programs discussed, there were tons of new tricks and ideas I got from the experience.
Our breakout sessions, led by ADEs, were absolutely phenomenal and I am so glad that the kits are now available to all of us. These sessions were amazing and gave me great ideas for bringing these types of professional development to not only the staff at our district, but also the students in the district, as we work to improve everything from creating with Keynote to accessibility for all.
One of my favorite parts of Worldwide Institute was our Home Groups. My group consisted of educators from literally around the world….myself from the United States, two ADEs from Canada, one from the UK, one from Australia, one from New Zealand, and an Apple employee from India. This was truly a global experience and it was absolutely amazing to make connections with them, hear their perspectives, and have conversations about how very similar classrooms can be, even when they’re on opposite sides of the globe. I loved getting perspective from each and every member of my group, and enjoyed working on our video project together. I also gained valuable feedback on my ADE Project and am excited to bring it to life.
As always, everything from breakfast to evening sessions, to late nights working on projects, was meaningful. I spent time with ADEs I had met last year, and new ones from all over the world. We laughed and shared experiences as we worked to create projects that will undoubtedly make a difference in not only our individual classrooms, but classrooms around the world. I am so excited to continue this journey, and to return to school refreshed, empowered and ready to continue fighting the good fight; preparing our kids for futures with unlimited potential.
