LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, NJ — Linden Public Schools showcased its leadership in educational technology last month by 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 at School No. 8, showcasing how cutting-edge digital tools are transforming classrooms into hubs of creativity, engagement, and independent learning.

𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐬𝐚𝐰 & 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

The Feb. 19 visit spotlighted Linden Public Schools’ strategic use of Seesaw and Apple technology to enhance student learning and teacher effectiveness. Seesaw, a versatile digital learning platform, empowers students to document their learning using photos, videos, drawings, and voice recordings, creating personalized digital portfolios that allow them to express their understanding in creative and meaningful ways.

This innovative platform is seamlessly integrated with Apple iPads, enabling interactive, personalized learning experiences that engage students at every level.

“Linden is truly a model for how to effectively integrate technology in education,” said Phil Terra, Regional Partnership Manager for Seesaw Learning, during a kick-off session before the classroom visits. “It’s inspiring to see how teachers engage students in a nontraditional way, allowing them to reflect in their own voice through multimodal tools.”

Linden Public Schools began its partnership with Seesaw in 2018, and its impact became even more profound during the COVID-19 lockdown when digital learning tools became essential for student engagement.

According to Joseph Scaldino, Supervisor of Instructional Technology and Career Technical Education (CTE), the district leveraged Seesaw and Apple technology to transform teaching and learning across all K-5 classrooms.

“We really started using Seesaw to the fullest during COVID-19 in 2020,” said Scaldino. “We needed a platform to house student work, teacher content, and instructional materials. Seesaw integrated perfectly with our iPads, and the collaboration between Seesaw and Apple has been seamless ever since.”

Today, 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐏𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭-𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐡 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞, supporting students in general education, special education, and multilingual classrooms. This transformative approach not only enhances student engagement but also equips teachers with innovative tools to differentiate instruction and track student progress.

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

School No. 8 became a live demonstration site as educators from Hillside, Englewood, and other districts visited classrooms to observe interactive lessons powered by Seesaw and Apple technology. Guided by the School No. 8 Tiger Tech Team, visitors were given an up-close look at how technology is seamlessly integrated into daily learning experiences.

𝐊𝐢𝐦 𝐊𝐞𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐬, 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐍𝐨. 𝟖 𝐚𝐧𝐝 School No. 10 led the site visit, showcasing how the Seesaw-iPad combination fuels creativity, engagement, and self-directed learning among kindergarten through fifth-grade students.

“My heart is so happy to see students working independently with these tools, truly owning their learning experiences,” said Kefalas. “Watching our strategies come to life in the classroom was like seeing a dream in motion.”

Visitors were particularly impressed by the level of independence displayed by kindergarten students, who demonstrated exceptional confidence and competence using iPads and Seesaw to document their learning and express themselves through multimodal tools.

“The highlight for me was seeing the independence in kindergarten,” observed Cindy Quinones, Preschool Instructional Coach for Englewood Public School District. “They were managing devices, working on their own, and recording their progress—it was truly inspiring.”

𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

The Seesaw and Apple Site Visit was championed by visionary leaders dedicated to educational innovation and student success.

Superintendent Atiya Y. Perkins opened the event by emphasizing the district’s commitment to creating dynamic learning environments that engage students and inspire creativity.

“The innovation that comes through this platform requires forward-thinking vision and empowers our students to be who they are in today's world of technology,” said Superintendent Perkins. “I am incredibly proud of how we are using Apple and Seesaw to create dynamic learning environments where creativity and engagement flourish.”

Perkins also highlighted the district’s pursuit of becoming an Apple Distinguished District, reflecting its commitment to forward-thinking education and global citizenship.

“We are on the brink of becoming an Apple Distinguished District,” Perkins noted. “This achievement reflects our dedication to empowering students to be curators of their work and preparing them for success in the digital age.”

𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬

Amidst the celebration of digital innovation, Dr. Marlene Berghammer, President of the Board of Education, presented a bold vision addressing a pressing educational challenge—teacher shortages. Speaking at the kick-off of the site visit, she highlighted the untapped potential of technology to bridge gaps in teacher availability.

“We have an opportunity to manage the teacher shortage through our Apple products, through our technology,” said Berghammer. “Imagine a trained teacher delivering lessons virtually to students across multiple schools. We could be the first... to make sure that every one of our students, every day, is taught by a qualified teacher.”

Her innovative approach suggests using virtual learning environments to connect students with high-quality educators, regardless of location. Berghammer’s vision of leveraging Apple technology to create interconnected classrooms received enthusiastic support from the visiting educators, positioning Linden as a trailblazer in educational equity and technological advancement.

𝐀 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: 𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Among the visitors was 𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐫𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫, who praised Linden’s forward-thinking approach to digital learning and recognized the potential of integrating Apple products into his own district.

“Seeing it in action in the students' hands is always positive. But then it gives me reason to understand that it's sustainable,” said Glover, noting Linden's decade-long investment in the technology. “That says that they've invested in it, and it's been used successfully throughout that period of time.”

Glover also emphasized the importance of strategic investments in educational technology: “We're very intentional about what we bring in. That's why it's important to see it in action so we know if we're spending our money right.”

Glover’s observations highlighted the impact of long-term strategic planning and investment in technology to enhance educational experiences, reflecting the collaborative spirit among regional educational leaders.

𝐃𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥-𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

Throughout the day, visitors observed real-time, interactive lessons in K-5 classrooms, including special education settings. Educators witnessed firsthand how Seesaw’s multimodal platform enables students to document their learning using photos, videos, drawings, and voice recordings, promoting creativity and self-expression.

Seesaw proved especially valuable for multilingual learners, who used the platform’s tools to work at their own pace and demonstrate their knowledge in unique ways.

“What I really liked was how they’re using the MLL tools incorporated with Seesaw,” observed Theresa Manziano, K-6 Instructional Coach from Englewood. “It allows every student to work independently at their level while also tracking their growth.”

Acknowledging Key Contributors and Visitors

The site visit was attended by an impressive lineup of district leaders, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠:

• 𝐃𝐫. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝

• 𝐃𝐫. 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐫, 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

• 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐡 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐨, 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲

• 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐧, 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲

• 𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐊𝐨𝐳𝐢𝐨𝐥, 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐍𝐨. 𝟖

• 𝐌𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐤𝐨𝐬𝐳, 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬

𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚, 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢, 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐅𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞.

𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐔𝐩: 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡
Following the success of the Seesaw and Apple Site Visit, Linden Public Schools is preparing for its next technology showcase.

On March 13, 2025, School No. 10 will host an Apple Distinguished Schools Site Visit, inviting educators to experience how Apple technology is transforming teaching and learning.

“We are committed to leading the way in digital learning,” said Kefalas. “Our drive for innovation and student success motivates us to keep exploring new ways to engage our learners.”

With a relentless focus on innovation, accessibility, and student achievement, Linden Public Schools continues to set the standard for technology-integrated education, ensuring that students are prepared to thrive in the digital age.