Students at Bromley School in Christchurch, New Zealand, used Keynote loaded onto an iPad to create a Samoan language prototype app for kids.
Learning Samoan
Bromley School gives every teacher and middle school student their own iPad. There’s an Apple TV in every classroom and Macs to learn programming. One group of students set out to learn Gagana Sāmoa, the language of the Samoan Islands after the local Samoan language teacher transferred to a high school.
Upon learning there were no replacement teachers, the group, calling themselves the Digi Navigators, turned to technology for a solution with the help of a teacher.
The Digi Navigators created their app prototype in Keynote, the powerful presentation tool that comes included with most Apple devices, because it allowed them to combine text, drawings, audio recordings, animations, and hyperlinks in one place — all essential elements of their dream app.
Once the app neared its final stages the group was invited to pitch it at a local event in September 2020. The event’s goal is to provide more opportunities for kids in technology, and five Digi Navigators presented the app in front of 50 local tech experts, investors, and teachers. They also received feedback from a local angel investor that has promised to provide continued support and mentorship to grow their idea.