The Apple Stem

I remember the night I was introduced to the first-generation iPad in Fall 2011. A colleague started using an iPad for math instruction and invited me to share the technology. Jim and I were graduate students in a teacher preparation program for Science and Mathematics at the time; He taught Mathematics while I taught Chemistry. That evening, we spent hours reviewing all the applications he could use, and I was hooked. A few weeks later, I purchased my own iPad and started using it for my Chemistry teaching. A few months later, Jim and I presented all our work using iPads at the National Science Teachers Associate Conference in San Antonio in a presentation called “My Pad, Your Pad! Why Pad? iPad!” Note: This is probably my favorite title for a conference presentation, but “a session for teachers who can’t tweet good” was a close second.

I was bought into Apple technology right away. I became my school’s technology coordinator and started leading more professional development sessions on using iPads in the classroom. I had something of an “iPhaD,” meaning that my experiences with this device led me to pursue a PhD in educational sciences, focusing on school technology leadership. I enrolled in the UK School Technology Leadership PhD Program in Fall 2013 and began learning about educational technology, research, and leadership. 

I have led several professional development sessions on using Apple products and other educational technologies; here are just a few of the titles: 

“STEM”umlating OER Applications

20 Technology Tools Every Teacher Should Know About

Horton Hears a 1:1 Initiative without Innovative Leadership

Going Paper Free

Effectively Using iPads in the Science Classroom

Student Assessment Using Interactive Technology Tools

Back to the Future…Of Course Design

While working towards completing my PhD, I also completed certifications as an Apple Teacher, Apple Learning Coach, and Apple Academy Specialist.

In the Fall of 2015, I left my chemistry instructor position and became an instructional media specialist, where I trained school faculty and staff on innovative technologies used for instruction. Over the years, I have had several other positions as an instructional technology coordinator and instructional designer. As an associate professor, I now work with faculty and students to help them grow in their enlightenment of technology and other information resources. For this reason, I believe in the benefits of Apple technologies, which help organize resources and send and receive information more efficiently. Thus, I think Apple products are the “Stem” to better understand and connect to the world around us and help us grow from sophomore to graduate levels of information literacy (i.e., The AppleSTEM).

Here are some of the goals I have in mind for The Apple Stem initiative: 

1. Help Apple users better understand the tools available from Apple. 
2. Reduce the learning curve for Apple integration into daily life. 
3. Showcase innovative and unique applications.
4. Highlight new developments that become available. 
5. Share resources from third parties as they are published. 
6. Synthesis research findings on the use of Apple products. 
7. Expound on content and/or topic-specific applications.
8. Connect users with Apple professional learners across the globe.
9. Simplify difficult applications for more straightforward implementation. 
10. Show how fun Apple products can be! 

If you want to connect more with understanding how to use Apple products in your work and daily lives, please subscribe and share this resource with your colleagues and friends. I also share short TikTok tutorials on simple tips and tricks for navigating Apple tools, so please connect with me on other social media platforms. 

I look forward to connecting with you. 

Dr. J. J. S. Marsh

Here is a link to The Apple Stem:

• Substack - https://open.substack.com/pub/theapplestem/p/what-is-the-apple-stem?r=40nf0k&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
• Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theapplestem?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc