[ipad] Limited iPad Restrictions

[twizz]

Hi everyone

 

My head recently decided it was a great idea to purchase 30 iPad2s for the school. We have them in two charge & sync trolleys 15 in each. I am currently having fantasies where all 30 iPads fly out of our 3rd story window!!

 

I have set them up very basically for classroom use using Configurator which was FAR harder than it should have been and I'm still not sure it's working correctly, whole other issue! I haven't even tried getting apps onto them using Configurator yet; I am NOT looking forward to this!

 

Anyway, I have set them up very basically just so they can be tested in the classroom browsing the Internet. I have restricted all I can that Configurator allows. These iPads are being used by various classes in a secondary school by different students each time so I have disabled changes to mail and Facebook accounts and so on. The head's idea is that teachers will book them out for their lessons rather than booking a computer suite.

 

I can't be the only person in the world to come across this problem: the students in our school are smart and cheeky. With all the restrictions in place, the iPads are coming back with alarms set and the backgrounds all changed to silly things. There doesn't seem to be any way on earth I can stop changes to backgrounds or disable alarms. Is this right or am I missing something? It is extremely frustrating. I had a brief look at Meraki but as far as I can see the control over restrictions is exactly the same.

 

Are there any better management systems that allow more in depth control and restrictions or are we stuck with this?

 

Thanks all

[mavhc]

You can restore them to a default config every time using itunes, wipe the entire thing. How to Setup iPads for Classroom Use with Apple Configurator - For Dummies

[Abaddon]

You can restore them to a default config every time using itunes, wipe the entire thing. How to Setup iPads for Classroom Use with Apple Configurator - For Dummies

 

Configurator does this when you plug them in anyway.. unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way to "properly" lock down these PERSONAL devices. Funny that. But, yes - I have 5 boxes of 10 iPads, and we have the same issues as you, day in and day out...

[twizz]

I was expecting that answer but nice to dream! Welcome to Apple

 

Yes I have been having to plug them in and refresh them every time they come come back and it is a pain in the a***. If when they begin to be widely used, they are booked out period 1 and period 2 I'm not going to have time to get them back and refreshed in-between but there we go. There's also not enough room in our broom cupboard office so we have 15 stored in the main block and 15 in a computer room so every time there are booked out I have to set off with my Macbook for a round-the-school tour to refresh them. Sorry, no-one can help with this I'm just venting now! I will just continue to do this and go back to quietly loathing Apple and the head for the decision to bring them into the school.

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

I was expecting that answer but nice to dream! Welcome to Apple

 

Yes I have been having to plug them in and refresh them every time they come come back and it is a pain in the a***. If when they begin to be widely used, they are booked out period 1 and period 2 I'm not going to have time to get them back and refreshed in-between but there we go. There's also not enough room in our broom cupboard office so we have 15 stored in the main block and 15 in a computer room so every time there are booked out I have to set off with my Macbook for a round-the-school tour to refresh them. Sorry, no-one can help with this I'm just venting now! I will just continue to do this and go back to quietly loathing Apple and the head for the decision to bring them into the school.