A new documentary available on Apple TV, *All of Us*, tells the story of a public elementary school that has taken a unique approach to how education works for students with very different needs. Both iPhones and iPads play a key role in enabling what has been described as a powerful example of how inclusive education can work for every child. Ruby Bridges Elementary School took a different view, and the evidence is that, far from being a distraction, inclusive learning benefits all students both academically and socially. Indeed, it worked so well that both the school principal and kindergarten teacher were named Principal and Teacher of the Year in 2025.
At Ruby Bridges, all students learn in the general classroom. Every child solves math problems, reads books, and sings along in music class. Teachers and specialists work closely together in the classroom, and the results speak for themselves. So, how do they do it? Ruby Bridges Elementary is a public school. There is no additional funding or staff beyond what the school already has. There is no magic fix. It is simply a group of educators who decided to stop separating children and trust the power of learning together.
Some of the students have severe communication difficulties, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) software running on iPads and iPhones has made a huge difference to their ability to interact with teachers and other students. A key discovery is that the AAC apps didn't just prove useful for students with communication challenges – but rather for everyone. Founding Principal Cathi Davis told me: All learners, including learners with advanced reading and language skills, or our learners at the start of their communication or language journey, show high levels of engagement when they can use the AAC tool to generate, expand or express ideas through AAC.
Source: 9to5Mac · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing