Apple distinguished educator, Mike Lang honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy by a civic duty project

To honor the memory and the legacy of Dr.Martin Luther King, Apple distinguished educator, Mike Lang took King’s civil rights message to his students. A technology instructor at Laura Dearing Elementary School in Clark County School District, Las Vegas, USA, Lang created a three parts project for his young students to “instill a sense of civic duty in them”, using Apple technology like iPad and Keynote app.

“My hope for all my students is that they see and consider themselves as citizens of the world who are responsible for helping others be successful,” Lang says. This month, Lang initiated a three-part project with his kindergarten and first grade students to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and instill a sense of civic duty in them. “That’s the ultimate goal: We want people who are going to be informed, passionate, patriotic in the true sense of that word, and who are going to be empathetic.”

Mike Lang, Apple distinguished educator takes Dr.Martin Luther King’s message to his young students

Using the iPad, Lang’s civil duty project firstly focused on developing a sense of value in his kindergarten and first graders, researching and analyze on life and work of Dr.King, and synthesis how they can play a unifying role in their community. The published feature details Lang’s three-steps project,

1. Students will use iPad to capture and edit images of themselves, their family, and their neighborhoods, and then craft their stories about why they matter using the PBS KIDS ScratchJr coding app on iPad.

2. Next, the students will research Dr. King’s life and legacy using Brad Meltzer’s book “I Am Martin Luther King Jr.,” and compare and contrast themselves to him by creating double exposure portraits of themselves with the civil rights leader.

3. Finally, in the “I’m a Dreamer, Too” segment of the project, Lang will ask them how they can be of service to each other and their neighbors. The students will complete interactive workbooks in Keynote for each part of the project, and he will compile their thoughts into a collated book of their ideas, which they will have the opportunity to share with community organizers and legislators in Las Vegas later this semester.

Cupertino tech company has established itself as not only a tech giant but also a responsible community builder. It actively runs and invests in various educational projects for students and entrepreneurs, especially in Black and Brown communities to provide them with learning opportunities for growth and success using its technology and guidance.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Apple’s Community Education Initiative 2020 equipped teachers for remote learning using the iPad in the US. It also partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of Atlantic City to revamp the after-school development program in Atlantic City in New Jersey. Apple distinguished educator Mike Lang is part of the company’s efforts in uplifting communities using innovative ideas and tools.