The Fletcher School named Apple Distinguished School
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Fletcher School named Apple Distinguished School
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – March 21, 2018—The Fletcher School is pleased to announce that it has been recognized by Apple as a distinguished school for continuous innovation in learning, teaching, and the school environment for 2017-2019. The Fletcher School first received the Apple Distinguished School designation for 2015-2017 following its large-scale implementation of a one-to-one technology initiative in the fall of 2013. In an effort to demonstrate the continuing success of this program, a talented team of Fletcher faculty and staff applied for the Apple Distinguished School recognition once again for 2017-2019 by producing an iBook to describe the impact that iPad and Mac has had on student learning at the school. The Apple Distinguished School designation is reserved for programs that meet criteria for innovation, leadership, and educational excellence, and demonstrate a clear vision of exemplary learning environments.
“We know that children who learn differently learn in multi-modal and multi-sensory ways,” says Brent Betit, Head of School. “So [technology] becomes a powerful avenue to reach students through the sensory channels that work best for them as learners. It helps them master learning, it puts them in control of their own learning, and it gives them new ways to learn, new ways to bridge the gap between their potential and their performance.”
With a strong vision in place and expert school leadership, The Fletcher School has evolved from launching a large-scale technology initiative in 2013 to a truly transformative one-to-one program, which serves as a model for excellence in teaching and learning with educational technology. To-date, The Fletcher School has successfully rolled out and managed over 1100 devices, including iPad, MacBook, and Apple TV. Year-long professional development and student support now focus more deeply on incorporating technology into curricula, utilizing the SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition and TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) models, and a focus on the School’s cornerstone Orton-Gillingham and multisensory approach to further individualizing student learning. Moreover, adoption of a K-12 Digital Literacy and Citizenship Program and student portfolio tools infuse higher-level thinking and skills into the classroom; fresh perspectives are brought to curricular content through the introduction of Breakout EDU kits; and regular updates to apps, devices, and device management elevate our students’ learning experience.
The growth of this program has greatly impacted the School’s ability to further our students’ learning through enhanced multisensory instruction, diagnostic-prescriptive teaching, and use of the Orton-Gillingham approach. Moreover, the program’s success has helped students become concise communicators, discerning researchers, and persuasive leaders in the 21st century.
About The Fletcher School:
Founded in 1982, The Fletcher School is an independent, kindergarten-12th grade, college preparatory school serving approximately 270 students across the Charlotte region. The bright, talented, and often gifted students learn in small, structured classes with a 6:1 student-to-teacher ratio. Instruction is sequential, cumulative, and repetitious in order for students to achieve mastery and to mainstream into elementary, secondary, and post-secondary academic environments. The Rankin Institute, created in 2004 and operated through The Fletcher School, is a community resource providing education and resources to teachers, professionals, and parents beyond those directly involved with the academic programs at Fletcher. To learn more, visit www.thefletcherschool.org.
Press Contact:
Lindsey Mann Field
Director of Advancement
The Fletcher School
704-365-4658
lfield@thefletcherschool.org
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