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Apple chief executive Tim Cook believes the increasing presence of technology in the classroom is a “compliment to tradition teaching and not a substitute”, during a visit to a north London school.
The CEO was at Woodberry Down Community Primary School in Harringay, which is part of the New Wave Federation group of schools that have incorporated Apple’s iPad and related software into lesson plans.
The school is also a certified Apple Distinguished School, a marker the technology giant reserves for schools “that meet criteria for innovation, leadership, and educational excellence, and demonstrate Apple’s vision of exemplary learning environments”.
Students learn basic coding through Apple’s Swift Playgrounds software, while Cook also saw students working with the company’s GarageBand music app as part of their lessons.
“Technology has moved on considerably,” Cook said.
“It gets kids a lot more engaged because they’re living in a digital world. We’re all living in a digital world.
“This school has done an unbelievable job of integrating it.”
Cook said Apple was thrilled by the introduction of computer coding to the curriculum, suggesting that for future generations it would be a crucial tool for communication.
“We think coding should be required in every school because it’s as important as any kind of second language,” he said.
Pupils at Woodberry Down come from a diverse background, with 29 languages spoken by students from 39 different countries.
More than half (57%) of the pupils are considered to be “deprived” – with the number eligible for free school meals well above the national average of 16.5%.
The school’s executive headteacher Michelle Thomas, who oversees all three schools in the New Wave Federation, said the introduction of iPads and wider technology into the classroom had helped students in their ability to communicate as well as learn.
“In our federation, iPad gives our children ‘the power of choice’,” she said.
“We integrate technology into teaching and learning because it empowers children to collaborate, communicate, develop confidence, become a responsible global citizen, be creative and become critical thinkers.”
