In this episode of THE Journal Insider podcast, editor Kristal Kuykendall visits with several K–12 educators, instructional coaches, and education technology specialists who participated in the Apple Learning Coach pilot program last year before it was launched publicly this past March. Apple Learning Coach has just opened up applications for its fourth cohort, and any U.S. educator with the capacity to coach K–12 teachers can apply through Nov. 16, 2022, or learn more at Apple.co/alc-apply.

This episode’s guests share deep insights and inspiring stories about how the Apple Learning Coach program has been a change agent at their schools: from helping spark new enthusiasm among students and teachers, and improving the frameworks of existing teacher coaching programs, to building technology-powered instruction that dramatically increases student engagement, creation, and collaboration.

Maranda Ralph and Jessica Keller from Berkeley County School District in West Virginia start off this episode sharing how they, as coaches and technology integration specialists, benefitted from Apple Learning Coach and the evidence of its impact they’ve seen as the coaching methods and the iPad apps they learned about during the ALC program have trickled down into classrooms and throughout their district’s teaching staff.

Next you’ll hear the director of educational technology at the Los Lunas, New Mexico, school district, Bill Hays, explain how his participation in the ALC pilot program led to the creation of a student film festival that has been a huge hit with students and the community.

THE Journal Insider podcast explores current ed tech trends and issues impacting K–12 educators, IT professionals, instructional technologists, education leaders, and ed tech providers. Listen in as THE Journal Editor Kristal Kuykendall chats with ed tech experts, educators, and industry leaders about how they are 'meeting the moment' in the U.S. public education system. Find all podcast episodes as well as K–12 ed tech news updated daily at THEJournal.com.

Resource links:

• Overview of the Apple Learning Coach program

• Apple’s Everyone Can Create guides for K–12 classrooms

• Apple resources for K–12 educators: Apple.com/education/k12/

• Apple Learning Coach details and program application

Music by LemonMusicStudio from Pixabay

Duration: 30 minutes