Air Drop?

[Koldov]

Although we have a few iPads in school they've never really been used as anything more than glorified web browsers and a few selected apps.

 

Obviously we're not using them to their full potential, but we've never really had any direction... usual story of just being purchased because they were cool/shiny without having any plan for how to use them effectively.

 

Now we've had a teacher joined who has experience of using them in their previous school (unfortunately their previous school was abroad and was full Apple eco-system, with 1-1 iPads and parents that funded most of it, so I think coming to a UK LEA maintained Primary is a bit of a culture shock) and they're asking for various apps and for a lot of the restrictions to be lifted (currently Airdrop is the their latest bugbear).

 

The iPads are quite locked down in Cisco Meraki SM, because they are general use tablets not set up in ASM as any type of classroom device, not 1-1 or set up as shared, so I think the actual reality of it is going to be more complicated than they think (as from my research so far I think settings for restrictions like "Contacts Only" or "Everyone for 10 Minutes," will be difficult to manage).

 

I think the main current request is for the students to be able to Airdrop evidence (possibly just photos) to the teacher's laptop, or maybe for the teachers to be ale to do it themselves, but as they're Windows laptops I don't know how that is going to work without having to resort to even more 3rd  party apps\websites and opening up other restrictions... why they can't use the cable we supplied I have no idea, but apparently it's a barrier to effective T&L\waste of teacher time\I.T. blocking issue.

 

Probably my fault for not knowing how to manage it, as I don't really know any of the potential pitfalls (cyberbullying/safeguarding risks) of allowing things like Airdrop and the avenues it would leave open for potential abuse...  and I'll be honest it's making me a little nervous. I don't want to allow it and have classes full of students Airdropping stuff to each other obviously... but I guess the alternative is to use an app to allow them to drop hundreds of pointless random photos to the server, which is just more for me to manage!

 

 

 

Do you allow it at your school and how do you restrict/manage it?

 

 

[psydii]

First things first. This is a people thing not a tech thing.

(the tech/skills bit will be easy if the people thing is in order)

 

You need to be seen to be open and excited by this teacher’s ideas, and you need to be seen to be thinking about how this change will have a positive outcome to students.

 

you also  need to be seen to be cautious. Does the teacher have a track record of delivery. Do they have the support of slt? How dos this alter the safeguarding position? (I suspect you’ve locked down too hard and there is plenty of room to relax, but it needs to be considered and documented that it was considered and reviewed, no problem if the project has slt buy-in)

 

Here’s what I might do:

 

Sit down with the teacher, let them tell you how it can be.

Be excited about their story and positive about making better use of the technology you already have to improve the outcomes for the kids.

 

Explain that the set up here is quite different (particularly in that you have shared devices à la 2011  rather than 1:1 or even modern shared iPad/school manager). 

 

“Confess” that you don’t know what you don’t know, and while you can read up and reach out to your own network (that’s this place),  it might be helpful to bring onboard a partner who could guide you both through the journey from where you are to where this teacher wishes you to be. 

 

Maybe he also has a network he can draw on for mentoring and support, but maybe it needs to be paid for.

 

If they have the ear of the head or other powerful slt, work that angle. If your relationship with the levers of power is stronger, make the approach.

 

SLT buy-in is crucial, and you need to be in front of that and seen as a forwarding thinking flexible keystone of these developments.

 

Unless of course the teacher is trying to fly under the radar until they are able to demonstrate success, in which case their ambition is completely dependant on you… so again by talking with them you can reach a mutually beneficial arrangement, and when they take over the world you’ll beat their side. But if they are a loon, made sure you’ve insulated yourself!

[DavR]

@psydii is right that there is a certain amount of management and careful working to be done around how you achieve what the new teacher has requested.

 

However, on a purely practical note, we achieved similar to what your teacher was asking for using an app called Feem. It has an iOS app, and a Windows app. To collect files from the class, the teacher opens their app on the Windows device. The students then open the iOS app and send their files to the teacher. This can only be done whilst the relevant apps are opened by both parties, reducing the risk safeguarding concern.

 

It can be a bit fiddly, but it does what we need it to do. No Air Drop, no cables. The main restriction is that it does need to be on the same VLAN, I don't think it crosses LANs nicely.