Members of the MBS Community Share Apple Vision Pro Experience at NJECC Meeting

Last Friday, four members of the MBS community — Chief Innovation Officer Darren Burns, Director of Technology Caitlin Skobo-Trought, Art & Design teacher Deanna Whelan, and junior Johannes Wabnitz Moch ’25 — shared Morristown Beard School’s experience with the Apple Vision Pro at the New Jersey Educational Computing Cooperative (NJECC) Meeting at Montclair State University. The meeting, which focused on “Innovation to Inspire — Innovative Tech Tools,” was attended by Apple executives as well as educators throughout New Jersey.

“The Apple Vision Pro will undoubtedly be transformative in spatial learning and interactive teaching methods,” said Darren Burns. “Morristown Beard School was one of the first schools in the country to implement the iPad 14 years ago, and today we continue to be at the forefront of educationally technology integration.”

Before MBS student Johannes Wabnitz Moch ’25 demonstrated several apps with the Apple Vision Pro including JigSpace, Insight Heart, and Sky Guide, Caitlin Skobo-Trought explained how Morristown Beard School has been using Apple products as innovative tools for self-directed learning.

“When we first purchased iPads, we field tested them by placing them directly in the hands of some of our students without detailed instructions or an agenda, but with an invitation to explore, experiment, and engage with the technology on their own,” said Ms. Skobo-Trought. “Again with the Apple Vision Pro, the first thing we did upon receiving this new device was to hand it over to our students. We watched as they began to excitedly explore its capabilities. Over the weeks since its release, and as more apps became available and use cases emerged, we have begun to see the potential of the Vision Pro in transforming and evolving educational experiences just as the iPad did.”

“At Morristown Beard School, we as educators know and have seen how important and beneficial it is to students to provide these tools with the freedom to explore," she continued.

In his presentation to the NJECC, Johannes Wabnitz Moch ’25 discussed how the Apple Vision Pro helps him focus by allowing him to drown out his surroundings, and how excited he is as a coder/programmer to experiment with programming for the Vision Pro.

On campus, Johannes has already demonstrated the Apple Vision Pro’s capabilities to several groups of students, including Dr. Elena Fiorica-Howell’s Experimental Biology Honors class, which saw firsthand how two innovative apps – CellWalk and Insight Heart — are offering immersive experiences for medical professionals and patients alike.

NJECC’s mission is to create opportunities for sharing ideas, collaboration, networking, and professional development that support New Jersey educators in creative innovative and transformative learning environments using technology. The NJECC has more than 100 member K-12 school districts throughout New Jersey.