Apple Distinguished Educators Program

Apple identifies K-12 teachers through higher education faculty and administrators with an expertise in educational technology and enlists them to participate in its Apple Distinguished Educators program. The ADE program promotes educational excellence and leadership with Apple products. It is built on a philosophy of using technology to teach and motivate students, extend their creativity and imagination, and prepare them for future opportunities.

Deputy CIO Susan Metros, TELR Director Steve Acker, and Assistant Professor Brian Stone from the Industrial, Interior, and Visual Communication Design Department, have been appointed by Apple to serve as Apple Distinguished Educators. “ADE is an international program that gives us tools to explore new technologies and opportunities,” says Metros. “It also enables us to interact with others in a broad spectrum of disciplines and bring back new knowledge to share with our colleagues.”

ADEs contribute two years of service during which they commit to different types of projects such as experiential lesson plans developed using multimedia tools and resources. They also participate in leadership seminars; speak at the local, regional, state or national level; and agree to mentor other educators in their uses of technology in education. TELR’s Teaching in a Digital World curriculum, an ADE project, has resulted in the workshop, “Lectures and Exercises as Digital Video: iMovie and QuickTime as Tools of the Trade,” which is offered through TELR’s Learning Technologies Institute.