"Hi, I'm a Mac... And I love being in the classroom!"

About two years ago, I ended an almost 20 year relationship.

I was surprised how abruptly it ended, but that was hardly my fault. One day, we were communicating, really connecting each other. The next day, I press her power button, and nothing… No reassuring orchestral chords, a flicker of the monitor, or the flash of indicator lights above the keyboard that started each day. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised considering our tumultuous history together, but in the end I had to walk away. Starring back at the lifeless screen, an abysmal void of digital nothingness, the inevitable had arrived.

So I made “the switch” and purchased a MacBook. Since then, I can say in all honesty that it’s probably one of the top ten decisions I’ve ever made in my entire life (so far). Mac’s dependability, ease of use, and quality of performance is vastly superior to a Windows’ unavoidable glitchiness, sluggish performance, and notorious “blue screen of death”. I can’t count how many times my PC laptop would freeze up or crash on me, yet the number of times my Mac has crashed or frozen up on me has numbered probably no more than 5 incidences. Most of those were due to my own short-sightedness; too many applications open or processes going on at once.

Sure, I miss some of the versatility of my old PC; being able to play a multitude of games on it, most namely. But I gave all that up in a heartbeat for the sheer reliable performance I get from my Mac. Like a Timex watch, it takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’, and starts up every time I press the power button! With programs like IMovie and GarageBand, I’ve been able to edit my own movies with professional effects or simply record a song with multiple tracks. Quite simply, my Mac does everything I ask it to in a hassle-free, user-friendly interface. It makes PCs seem like a ticking time bomb.

Likewise, when I think of using Mac’s in a classroom, I couldn’t recommend it enough .We tend to associate the word “quality” with education, so why should it not apply to the technology students use to express that learning? Considering the level of performance commonly associated with a Mac which I mentioned above, it makes sense for schools to invest in technology that is made to last. We’ve all heard in the news of school budget cuts threatening jobs and extracurricular programs alike. Tighter budgets means curtailed spending. True, Macs are not cheap (my particular MacBook retailed at $1400 two years ago), but does it make more sense for schools to purchase $500 Dell laptops every 2-3 years, after which point they will eventually degrade in quality and performance after extended use, or twice as much on Macs that could potentially last twice as long? The fact is, who wouldn’t want students to have access to technology and materials (uniforms, equipment, textbooks, desks, etc.) that will remain useful with quality intact through each successive school year.

But what can classrooms do once they have Macs? Apple has long been dedicated to education and informing teachers how they can extend their student’s learning through the use of Mac’s various applications in practical classroom settings. While the Apple website lists various selling points, I’ll speak from my own experience here.

After I shot my first short film, I used IMovie ’08 to compile the footage, edit, add effects, music, and export it into a finished product. All this might sound like rather tedious and complicated process, but believe me when I say that IMovie is so easy to use a 5 year old could do it. Using an uncomplicated “drag-and-drop” interface, anyone can use IMovie to create sharp looking clips and films for practically any project or occasion. Whether this is a class or individual project, newscast, digital storytelling, presentation or a simple demonstration, IMovie is well-suited to any level of experience – from beginners who need a more guided approach toward programs such as IMovie, to students who are fluent enough to use IMovie without assistance. IMovie accommodates a broad range of abilities. This website has an exhaustive list of suggestions and examples of IMovie uses in the classroom.

While I haven’t used GarageBand as extensively (just once), I’m familiar with its various uses including the ability to create and edit podcasts, interviews, or radio shows. I remember hearing about a 4^th grade classroom here in Lincoln who created a 1930s radio broadcast using GarageBand software while they studied the Great Depression. Again, like IMovie, GarageBand has a minimal learning curve, meaning it doesn’t take long before you’re familiar with it enough to use some of its more advanced features. Music teachers could use GarageBand to create recordings or even record multiple tracks. Think of choir rehearsal: A soprano section could easily record their part for the bass section to playback during sectionals. Just a suggestion, and there are many other lesson plans and ideas out there for how to incorporate Mac applications in the classroom. Again, the beauty of Mac applications is that they’re simple enough anyone can use, and designed to be user-friendly, clean, and sophisticated. By default, this lends a spirit of collaboration, creativity, innovation, and possibility to the technology-driven classroom.

I could go on and on explaining the many ways Macs can be used in the classroom, but it's best to see it in action. I found this GREAT video, which shows how Mac applications are integrated with one another for students to create a presentation about the Middle Ages using IMovie '09. Notice how they got to use their IPod Touches to do research and compile pictures they'd eventually use in the presentations.

Sorry, PC, but it just wasn’t meant to be.