How do schools manage iPads in school as far as adding apps and keeping them in synch with apps etc. My school is just starting with them and have asked the question...or rather they said heres an iPad what do we do! I assume we have to have itunes on a PC but can all the iPads be set to sync with the same copy of iTunes and what about setting up iTunes as it normally asks for payment details even if you only want to download free items from it. Any answers or hints welcome.
Think I read some where that the new OSX server has some management tools for iPhone IOS devices similar to Blackberry so have a look. It might encompass iPads too.
We have about 50 iPads in school mostly used by staff.
They are all linked to the same iTunes account and are updated from a computer in my office, when creating the iTunes account you do get the option not to add any payment details we have done this and fund the account using gift vouchers.
I'm the only one with access to the iTunes account staff use the 'Tell A Friend" link in the app store to let me know of any apps they want downloading, I download them and sync the device either via the computer or over wifi. The iTunes account is linked to the bursars email address so she gets copies of the iTunes receipts so there is a paper trail for all the money we spend.
All the devices are locked down using the iPhone Configuration Utility and out policy states that members of staff are not permitted to syncing the device to a personal iTunes account and that only educational apps are installed and for what it's worth they are all tracked via Find My iPhone tool.
It works well here, staff did complain about not having SkyGo, Angry Birds amongst other things on the devices but soon got use to the fact that they are a teaching tool and not a toy for them.
busby (31st January 2012), nawbus (8th November 2011), speckytecky (9th November 2011)
Interesting point. You wouldn't mind them using the BBC iPlayer (except for it being Flash-based, of course) so why not SkyGo too?Originally Posted by AngryITGuy
We don't even allow iPlayer at the moment, but that might be changing soon.
With regards to the likes of SkyGo it highly likely that access to such an app would only end up being abused.
That sounds great. Can you push out individual apps to specific iPads or does every app bought / downloaded have to go every iPad?
Also, if you want an app to go to 50 iPads, do you have to buy the app 50 times?
Cheers
The best way to manage iPads in schools... Dont buy them!
The same could be said of an Internet connection - staff could use it to access a wealth of teaching resources or they could spend the day on Facebook, checking email, etc. It comes down to trust and the staff members' professionalism.
Do you have the option in itunes to purchase 50 copies of the same app then? Or how do you go about this?
Steve
The BBC iplayer app isn't flash based and works a treat on the iPad
Shakoor (8th February 2012)
Unfortunately you can't push out individual apps to specify iPads, thought the iCloud based service would do that but it's either all the apps or none of them!
At the moment we manage it manually, downloading the app then syncing the required devices.
As far as I am aware there isn't any way of purchasing multiple copies of an App, if you try and purchase on you have already bought you just get the option to download it, meaning at the moment we buy the app once and install it on how ever many devices require it.
Does that mean you trust the staff in your school completely?
Yes the same can be said for an internet connection which is why most schools have a web filter in place, and your right it does come down to the professionalism and management of staff but what you have to realise is each school is different and will choose manage staff in their own way.
Just cos we don't allow SkyGo and Angry Birds on our school iPads doesn't mean other schools should do the same, we chose to manage it this way initially to keep the focus on the iPads for teaching purposes, more than likely in the future we will become more lenient with regards to the apps.
Last edited by AngryITGuy; 8th November 2011 at 05:11 PM.
We do have a web filter in place, however staff access is not heavily impeded (in the Secondary School anyway, the Primary teachers are more restricted because of projector use). I totally agree with not installing Angry Birds as that is purely recreational, however I would install iPlayer, SkyGo, etc and YouTube then leave it to the staff members' professional to not misuse these (using logs, remote viewing, etc to ensure that it is being used responsibly and then pass any concerns to SLT to handle).
As you say, however, this is what I would do in this school and I don't mean to suggest that you're wrong to take the line you have, I just wanted to raise the point that it isn't always as simple as saying "this is a teaching tool" or "this is a recreational tool", as there are things which people could legitimately want but also abuse - it is evident you've gone down that line of thinking already, though.
No, but I do believe in giving them the tools they need. For example, staff have largely unfiltered Internet access so they can access all the sites they need for lesson preparation and teaching, plus their own personal interests, BUT they do not have administrative rights on their computers as they don't need them in order to do their jobs (it is my job to manage software installs, ensure licence compliance, software compatibility etc, and to understand the technical aspects and implications of this in a way that one would not expect of a teacher).
That works here, but I do acknowledge that it might not be appropriate or desirable in other schools.
That was my initial reaction as the online educational activities site they bought in to is flash based! but hey, what do I know! Anyway thanks for the replies. They also bought kindles but hey why have a library as well, but they still went ahead.
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