Round Lake CUSD 116 teachers describe gains from three-day Apple iPad coaching cycle

Teachers at a Round Lake CUSD 116 meeting described a recent three-day coaching cycle led by Apple-affiliated specialists that they said improved classroom use of iPads and instructional practices.

Teachers said the professional learning opportunity focused on using iPads as instructional tools to help students access information, collaborate and develop skills across subject areas. One teacher characterized technology as “a great equalizer,” saying it gives students “access to information they could not retrieve otherwise.”

The coaching cycle involved three Alpha professional learning specialists over three days, presenters said. Staff described practical classroom uses: annotating historical maps directly on an iPad to mark landforms and cities; using interactive features with nonfiction texts to prompt student questions and interpretation; and adapting instructional approaches to address misconceptions in mathematics. One speaker described applying the coaching to special education lessons on surface area, saying the iPad helped students visualize which numbers to multiply.

“Apple has been an exceptionally strong partner for many years,” one teacher said, describing Apple’s role in providing coaching to district teachers. Multiple speakers said they adapted the coaching materials to fit their classroom needs and expected the training to yield lasting benefits for instruction.

No formal motions, votes or budget decisions were announced during the remarks excerpted in the meeting transcript. Funding sources, costs for the coaching cycle and a schedule for broader rollout across the district were not specified in the transcript.

District leaders and meeting materials were not named in the provided transcript excerpts; speakers were recorded only as individual staff members and teachers. The presenters emphasized teacher professional growth and practical classroom examples as the primary outcomes of the coaching cycle.