mercer77

Any idea if this is being considered two years on? Our school is just starting to use the communication log and this makes a simple task often difficult, particularly if you've typed your log, then realise that the parent has a different name to the child and you don't know what it is as you have to go back out of the window to find out what it is, then start again. Alternatively, the communicatee could just be non-required field. As long as the record is linked to the student it often doesn't particularly matter who you've spoken to.

Arthur did post the link to this above, there's a page there from an app developer that does explain it all quite clearly: https://support.assistiveware.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=50 It's still a shoddy system though and really unclear so schools will inevitably be inadvertently breaking the rules.

Ah thanks for that, I finally understand! Single users can sync to as many devices as they like, establishments with multiple users must buy individual licenses. They're completely relying on the honesty of schools though, expecting them to buy multiple codes and then file them away basically unused while you sync your multiple devices to one account. Are they going to do audits of schools to ensure that they have their licenses? The more I get my head around ipads, the more I realise that the software is quite unsuited to an educational setting. Apple are obviously keen to push their products to education, I think they really need to think about an educational version of iOS properly suited to schools, with decent teacher controls and more suitable syncing options. Mind you, with the way that schools are snapping up their products, why should it bother them?!

Brilliant post, lots of useful info, but just to clarify the above point: How do you buy one app multiple times for each ipad using one itunes account? Once it's purchased for that email address it will just say purchased, so you can't buy it again! Also, where have you found the info stating that you have to buy one copy of each app for each device? I can't seem to find a definitive answer either way, but everything I've read suggests you can buy an app using one itunes account and put it on multiple devices synced to that account. This is a useful link, Apple have a site where educational establishments can buy apps in bulk (tax free, with bulk discounts!) then "gift" them to users own itunes account. Apple - Education - Volume Purchase Program

I work in a special school and we have bought Ipads recently and are now working out exactly how to use them within the school (slightly cart before horse I know...). I've recently been using Ipod touches which I bought to teach an entry level unit on mobile devices so I've been getting my head around the issues. A question - It's easy to buy an app in one iTunes account, and sync it to multiple devices. Apple seem to actively encourage that in the way itunes works, and there doesn't seem to be a limit to the number of devices - I've synced 10 ipod touches to one account fine. Is this legal however? I cannot find anything to suggest it's not, but we obviously don't want to be breaking any copyright rules. An important point - Ipads are designed as personal devices, and cannot be used with different logins. Schools need to make a decision about whether they are teacher devices (to access email, plan, plug into a projector to show pupils content etc) or pupil devices (for pupils to use educational apps). I cannot see any way for an Ipad to do both at the moment. I imagine Apple will be addressing this in the future (home users have similar issues in giving their ipads to their children, and then finding that their children are replying to their emails!). There are some basic restrictions you can put on an ipad, but as far as I can tell they're completely inadequate to enable both staff/pupil use.

Brilliant, thanks for the replies! The trouble is that the printer is also shared by other classes and teachers and pausing it would stop them printing too, so I need to control it by the single computer. I'll have a go with papercuts - looks good!

I teach autistic children, some of whom have an obsession with printing certain pictures, which I let them do as a reward once they have finished their work. I need a simple way to control their printing. I have used a program called printlock (first post so I can't link, but first fine on google) which simply pops up a password dialogue box when something is sent to print. This is perfect when it works, but is unreliable and now has stopped working entirely, and the developer is now ignoring my emails! This might be a rather newbie question, but does anyone have a simple solution? Thanks! Neil