The Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education and the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma have been recognized as Apple Distinguished Programs for the 2013 – 2015 academic years.

The Apple Distinguished Program designation is reserved for programs that meet criteria for innovation, leadership and educational excellence and demonstrate Apple’s vision of exemplary learning environments.

The selection of the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education and the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication highlights their successes as innovative and compelling learning environments that engage students and provide tangible evidence of academic accomplishment.

“The incorporation of technology in the classroom changed how students learn and has taught them a new way to engage their own with students when they enter the teaching profession,” said Dean Gregg Garn. “It’s also influenced the way faculty interact with students. Faculty members have integrated iPads into their teaching and lesson plans, allowing for more time in the classroom and laboratory for discussion, student engagement and hands-on experiences.”

Below are examples of how iPads are integrated into the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education curriculum.
• The Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education embarked on a one-to-one iPad initiative where students who were enrolled in the undergraduate teacher education program each received an iPad at the beginning of their first semester in the college.
• Upon successful completion of the degree program, the students keep the device and the digital content they created to use in their teaching careers.
• Faculty also received iPads and learned to incorporate the device into their teaching and lesson plans to further enhance what they are already doing.
• The students will use the devices to enhance productivity, create lesson plans and more. The devices already are beginning to play an active role in K-12 education.
• In addition, faculty are also conducting two research projects over the next few semesters, gauging the impact of the device on students not only as learners but as future educators.

The Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education is home to more than 623 undergraduate students and over 717 graduate students, studying in fields as diverse as teacher education, educational and community psychology, adult and higher education and educational policy studies among others. Students in the college maintain one of the highest collective grade point averages on campus. By the time they graduate from the teacher education program, students will have up to 800 hours of actual classroom time before finishing the program, allowing for a solid grounding in the day-to-day exercise of leading a real-world classroom.

The selection of Gaylord College highlights its successes in enhancing and extending teaching and learning with thoughtful and innovative implementations of technology, which empower students and faculty to become master storytellers. Gaylord College was in the inaugural group of university programs to be awarded this designation in 2010. This is the third time for Gaylord College to receive this designation.

“We are honored to be named an Apple Distinguished Program for the third year in a row,” said Dean Joe Foote. “Our partnership with Apple has given us access to some of their most innovative thinkers and has inspired us to even more creative uses of technology.”

Below are just a few of the ways Apple technologies are integrated into every program in the Gaylord College.
• Mac computers and software are available for all students to use in two open labs and classrooms featuring more than 400 Macintosh computers equipped with current versions of iLife, iWork, Final Cut Pro, as well as the complete Adobe Creative Suite and MS Office. Labs are refreshed frequently, ensuring top of the line workstations are always available.
• Students use Mac computers equipped with Apple’s Final Cut Pro video editing software freeing them for the creative process necessary to garner more than a dozen professional Telly awards as well as dozens of student awards for news and video production. Faculty and students used Final Cut Pro and tapped into the processing power of a new 128 terabyte RAID server installed last year to collaborate on video productions both on campus and with remote team members at another university.
• Gaylord College is a leader on the OU campus in developing and publishing learning resources in iTunes U. In 2013, faculty members published four custom iBooks for use in the classroom in the Mass Communication Law, Advertising Copy and Layout, Advanced Copy and Layout and British Media Study Abroad courses. A Centennial history of the journalism college was also published to the iBooks bookstore.
• The college maintains a series of software training videos called PaceSetter.
• The college conducts an annual five-week grant workshop teaching new media practices to students from Southeast Asia. The curriculum teaches the students the mechanics of newsgathering, reporting and producing multimedia presentations while incorporating social media skills, all on a suite of iPads.

The Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication is an emerging leader in journalism and mass communication education with more than 1,200 students offering bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in the fields of journalism, professional writing, strategic communication, video production and broadcasting. The college celebrated 100 years of journalism education in 2013.

Comments

2 Responses to “JEANNINE RAINBOLT COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND GAYLORD COLLEGE OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION NAMED APPLE DISTINGUISHED PROGRAMS”

  1. Bill Cossaboon on January 30th, 2014 5:46 pm

    As an 72 OU grad, a degree from the educ. dept. and presently an administrator in a private school for special education students, I’m very proud of what you are doing with technology

  2. fran9524 on January 31st, 2014 7:52 am

    Thank you! We are very excited about all of the great things happening here at the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education!

Leave a Reply




Skip to toolbar