Apple CEO Tim Cook recognized The Dunham School as a national leader in technology today at the much anticipated Apple Keynote event at Lane Tech College Prep in Chicago.

Dunham’s Director of Innovation and Technology Nikole Blanchard was one of only three educators invited to share their schools’ technology journeys on the national stage with Apple. The focus of Blanchard’s two-minute presentation was the value of professional learning and its impact on student learning.

The Dunham School launched its 1-to-1 technology initiative in 2009 in partnership with Apple, Inc.  Since that time, the school has received six consecutive Apple Distinguished School awards, given for “visionary leadership, exemplary learning environments, ongoing professional development and educational innovation.”  Dunham is the only school in the nation to hold six awards.  Blanchard was named  the state’s first Apple Distinguished Educator in 2015 and a Google Innovator in 2017.  

After Apple launched its Apple Teacher program in the fall 2016, Dunham, under Blanchard’s leadership, is believed to be the first school in the nation to have 100 percent of its faculty complete the program, discovering new ways to use technology in the classroom to make learning more student-centered than ever before. At Dunham, teachers and students have moved from consumers to producers of information, strengthening critical thinking and collaborative skills with a focus on preparing students for success in an unknown, rapidly changing future.

In addition, Dunham is committed to sharing its expertise with other schools in the Baton Rouge area  and across the country. Over the last five years, more than 1,500 educators have visited Dunham to learn about best practices in technology integration through individual visits and at Innovation Showcases that provide training and professional development for area teachers.

Watch the entire Apple Keynote event presentation at apple.com/apple-events/march-2018/  

Director of Innovation and Technology Nikole Blanchard shares The Dunham School’s technology story beginning at the 42:50 mark.