Students and educators from across the UAE participated in the two events, focused on inspiring the ‘Journey of Innovation’

Challenging future innovators

The Annual Digital Challenge took place at our Fry Campus on Wednesday, 30th October, with 112 students from eight different schools across the Emirates working together in teams to develop an idea for a new mobile app.

During the half-day session, students were guided through eight workshops focusing on a range of STEAM based disciplines, using the Apple native apps and iPad technology.  These workshops included Science, Art, Design Technology, Arabic, Computer Science, Music, Physical Education and Swimming. Students also took part in a Robotics breakout session, which included a real-world scenario based on the past 48 years of the UAE’s rich history, where students used coding activities to critically think and solve a range of challenges.

Students pitched their ideas to a panel of judges, who named the winning team for their ‘Return’ app idea, which allows donated clothing to be sent to areas of need, e.g. in a natural disaster. This would also reduce the amount of landfill and improve sustainability.

Commenting on the Annual Digital Challenge, our Principal, Gillian Hammond, said: “With the continuous drive towards a digital world, we need to prepare students for the future, and for careers that don’t even yet exist – it’s very exciting.  The focus of our Annual Digital Challenge is to inspire creativity, encourage collaboration, and challenge students to solve relevant problems their communities may face – and this year we achieved just that. This event serves as a platform that drives innovation and encourages digital entrepreneurs of the future, and we’re proud of all of this year’s participants and their truly innovative concepts.”

 

Driving digital knowledge in the classroom

For the second consecutive year, our Fry Campus hosted its Annual Digital Summit.  On Saturday, 2nd November, educators from across the UAE were invited to deliver talks and participate in comprehensive discussions on ‘how Apple Technology has enhanced the classroom experience, improved student engagement and reduced workload.’

Led by keynote speaker and Apple Distinguished Educator, Lars Levin, educators gave insight about their use of Apple technology in the classroom, its application within the educational field, and how it has transformed the learning environment for both students and educators.

Key take-aways from the 2019 Annual Digital Summit included: the obvious passion educators share in researching and developing new and exciting ways to practically utilise technology and facilitate learning; how technology must be embedded across the curriculum to really demonstrate impact; and that creativity has greatly increased amongst students and teachers through shared discovery and use of technology.

“With 100% of our teachers being Apple Teacher certified and some even being awarded Apple Distinguished Educator status from Apple, Repton Abu Dhabi has provided students with an educational experience that goes beyond the classroom. Our teachers play an extremely important role in educating students to successfully use technology as a tool to accelerate their learning through globally relevant, meaningful applications and we are delighted to share this best practice with other educators,” concludes Ms Hammond.