Submitted by Melrose Public Schools.

School may be out for summer, but for Foreign Language teachers at Melrose High School, the learning is just beginning.

On June 14 and 15, Foreign Language teachers attended full days of professional development in anticipation of using the new iPad labs in the August. The iPad labs, and the change in instruction they will bring to Melrose High School, were made possible through the generous donation of an anonymous benefactor during the spring of 2012.

“The teachers have been experimenting with the iPads for the past several months, checking out our current resources and exploring others,” said Superintendent of Schools Joe Casey. “The June classes are a combination of technical skills, student-centered teaching practices, and collaborative design. The idea is to help the teachers use the new technology to its fullest potential.”

Just as the Melrose teachers have been in contact with other districts already utilizing iPads in their instruction, other schools have been reaching out to Melrose hoping to develop their own programs.

“The exciting part of this emerging technology is that the more we learn, the more we want to know,” said Kim Talbot, chair of the Foreign Language Department. “The MHS Foreign Language Department hopes our passion for collaboration and life-long learning transfers to our students—along with French, German, Latin, Italian, and Spanish!”

For more information regarding Melrose High School’s implementation of the iPad lab project, please contact Kim Talbot at Melrose High School.