Find Fresh Ideas that Inspire -Learning with iPad and Mac in the Classroom

Vickie Bacon: Lead Professional Learning Specialist (UK&I) 

Educators are united by a shared belief in human potential, imagination, and creativity. Many I meet genuinely love what they do, yet still wrestle with big questions: How do students discover their true passions? Why does it matter? And what can we actually do about it in education?

Education is often described as the vehicle that carries us into the future—but that future can feel unfathomable. As creativity becomes as important as literacy, and “future skills” increasingly align with technology, educators face a new challenge: how do we develop the digital confidence and mastery needed to support learners navigating an ever-expanding curriculum of possibilities?

Apple Professional Learning offers a powerful answer. By supporting staff to focus on pedagogy, creativity, and purposeful use of technology, can help educators uncover talents, strengthen professional practice, and empower their learners to make meaningful choices. Apple Premium Education Partner, MCC Digital provides the expertise, structure, and tailored professional learning needed to turn this vision into reality.

Confident classrooms start with confident teachers. When staff are supported to develop digital skills in a safe, structured environment, they plan differently, teach more creatively, and open learning up to genuine choice. If educators haven’t experienced what’s possible, how do they begin to design learning that helps students discover what they love - or what they don’t?

As an educator myself and an Apple Professional Learning Specialist, I learned that impact in the classroom comes from creating ‘space’ to try. For me, that meant rethinking planning, actively taking new pathways, and using creativity deliberately.

When this mindset is embedded across a school, learners (students and colleagues) who might otherwise drift through the timetable begin to engage - because their strengths are finally revealed. This isn’t just about academic ability; it’s about enabling learners to operate in their most authentic state, where learning feels purposeful, motivating and is celebrated.

Apple values Education. iPad and Mac provide endless possibilities to support students to celebrate their talents and share their understand. Remarkably powerful applications such as iMovie, Keynote, Numbers and Pages work seamlessly alongside third party apps on iPad and Mac to provide a flexible workspace for meaningful learning. Inbuilt features such as capturing Video, Record Audio or MarkUp alongside Accessibility inspires students to deepen understanding and develop the critical skills that are essential today.

The skills used by learners are the very same digital skills that teachers can gain for their own digital toolkit to spark innovation in their own practice. For example, discovering that Freeform is perfect for creating exceptional learning experiences with multi modal pathways. Even exploring AR to allow students to safely enter an unfamiliar environment. Curiosity can be encouraged by introducing Swift Apple’s coding curriculum which will open up endless possibilities satisfying any blossoming entrepreneur.

Apple Professional Learning provides a scalable, pedagogy-first approach to developing this practice. Delivered by an Apple Professional Learning Specialist and supported by MCC Digital, whose professional development workshops meet staff where they are, building digital confidence, which translates directly into improved classroom practice. The result is consistent, high-quality teaching that values creativity alongside literacy and equips learners with the skills they need for the future.

School improvement depends on strong classroom practice, and strong classroom practice depends on confident staff. When teachers are supported to develop digital skills in a structured, low-risk environment, they plan more effectively, adapt teaching, and design learning that engages all pupils.

Look out for MCC Digital’s specially curated series of webinars for educators and start your own journey with using iPad and Mac confidently in the classroom, or look back at MCC Digitals previous webinars here: https://www.youtube.com/@wearemccdigital