Exciting News for This School Year with iOS 9.3

Today Apple have released the first developer beta of iOS 9.3 for download, being a beta download this means that Apple may need to make some small changes, remove some bugs but this is very exciting news for educators and students.

With schools in Australia heading back in February Apple are making a great start with this update!

Apple iOS 9.3 includes new education features that will provide even more opportunities for students to learn and engage while using an iPad. It will also provide new ways for teachers to keep students on track and on task and stronger capabilities for admins and IT personnel to support learning.

Apple has put it quite simply:

The best classroom experience is about to get better

And it sure is, some key points to take note from iOS 9.3 beta:

Shared iPad:

With Shared iPad students can log onto a shared iPad and it will be as if it is set up just for them, with all their apps, books and documents ready to go! This will be very handy if more than one classroom also uses the same iPads for different things.

‘The devices may be shared, but the experience is personal’ Apple

Classroom app:

The Classroom app is like a personal teaching assistant right on iPad, the new Classroom app will help educators:

• See and manage what students are doing in class on their iPads

• Present student work directly to Apple TV (no internet connection required with AirPlay)

• Launch every student into the same app

This is cool, say the teacher wants to see how a student is going with a worksheet; all the teacher has to do is tap a screen to get a glance. This feature made me smile, no hiding kids LOL :)

I really like this feature, apple has seriously thought of everything- a teacher can launch a specific app, website, or page in a textbook on every iPad in the class. If the teacher wants to be sure the students stay focused- the teacher can lock the iPad to stay on the app, book, or website.

‘Meet your new teaching assistant’ Apple

Apple School Manager:

I have always wondered how schools manage to keep track and add new content to a large number of iPads. With the Apple School Manager this is made easy for administrators of any number of iPads by allowing them to control everything needed to deploy iPad in their school from a Mac or PC.

Apple School Manager offers a complete end-to-end solution for deploying iPads in the classroom - from purchasing apps and distributing devices, to managing Apple IDs and enrolment.

‘One login. One location. Everything you need to use iPad in schools’ Apple

Managed Apple IDs:

Schools will have more control over Apple IDs, by being able to create and assign bulk Apple ID’S. This will put teachers and admin in charge, giving schools the ability to create and control Apple IDs on behalf of students.

‘Easily create and manage student and teacher IDs’ Apple

As a parent I am happy to learn about Technology in Education and take my readers on the journey as I learn and discover new things. Our children are learning differently, technology is improving and changing quickly.

It’s an exciting time :)

If there are any topics you wish to be discussed in the Kidz B Kool Education in blog series, feel free to message from our contact tab

What do you think of iOS 9.3, what features do you like the most? Comment below

*The public beta will be released on Wednesday 13 January.