Lyford schools receive Apple Distinguished recognition

LYFORD — There’s one device for every student.

And now there’s one Apple Distinguished recognition for each public school in Lyford.

“The schools have never gotten this distinction,” said Mark Pinon, instructional technology specialist for the Lyford Consolidated Independent School District. The district’s elementary, middle school, and high school all achieved the recognition.

“This is the first time and we were very excited and we were honored that every school in the district achieved the Apple Distinguished designation.”

Apple Distinguished School are centers of leadership and educational excellence that demonstrate Apple’s vision for learning with technology, says the Apple website.

“We believe they are some of the most innovative schools in the world,” the website continues.

Apple Distinguished Schools must have at least one digital device in the hands of each student, and that is something Lyford has implemented for ten years, Pinon said.

“The district chose Apple devices, not so much for branding but for the purpose and the efficiency of Apple devices,” Pinon said. “We applied for Apple Distinguished schools, it’s a program that supports school leaders.”

Each school has to tell its own story about how it is using the devices — iPads, Macs, etc. — how those devices are contributing to student success, and how the school is using innovative ways to accomplish that.

“We applied last year and we received the designation this year,” Pinon said.

Apple Distinguished Schools has three topics which school must answer to in its application: inspire, imagine, and impact.

“Apple wants to know how schools are leading, learning and thriving in today’s tech world,” Pinon said in reference to the topic inspire.

“The second one would be imagine, what is the school doing to empower learners to discover new possibilities,” Pinon said. “The last one is impact, how are we as a school district committed to leaving the world better than we found it.”

Only 700 schools achieve this designation each year. In what way did Lyford stand out?

“I think it’s the way that our core beliefs as a district align with Apple as far as inspiring the students to lead, learn and thrive not only as a student but beyond. Lyford doesn’t just see that their job as an educator ends once a student graduates but what we do as a whole community of educators to make sure that those students succeed after they have graduated and into college.”