Apple's Classroom app goes live to bolster iPad in education

Following the release of iOS 9.3 on Monday, Apple pushed out its new Classroom app for teachers that promises to deliver a comprehensive toolset for deploying, managing and monitoring iPads in the classroom.

Announced in January as the next major step in Apple's education initiative, Classroom provides teachers with a powerful set of remote device management features that turns their iPad into a veritable teaching assistant.

Once configured, Classroom enables automatic connectivity with other iPads in a mass deployment ecosystem, or more specifically iPads assigned to the student body. In a scenario where iPads are shared, the app assigns students to the iPad they most recently used, while teachers can log individuals in to and out of borrowed hardware.

During class, educators are able to launch apps, websites or books remotely. There is also an option to lock all devices or device screens to refocus class attention. Teachers can even see what's on students' screens through a remote viewing feature called Screen View, either as a class or individually. Students are informed when their device is being monitored, Apple says.

Remote viewing works both ways, as teachers can use AirPlay to present a student's work on a television equipped with an Apple TV. Apple usually includes the set-top box as part of its educational package.

Finally, Classroom includes tools for resetting Managed Apple ID passwords and creating smart groups for projects.

Classroom is available as a free download from the iOS App Store.

5 Comments

john.b 2733 comments · 16 Years

About 8 years ago

I'd like to see a variation of this for home use. Clearly if they'd solved profiles on iPads for the classrooms, profiles on home iPads couldn't be that far behind.

FUN2020 4 comments · 8 Years

Apple Remote Desktop for iOS.
Please update ARD for connecting remotely outside WAN.

cash907censored 83 comments · 9 Years

john.b said:

I'd like to see a variation of this for home use. Clearly if they'd solved profiles on iPads for the classrooms, profiles on home iPads couldn't be that far behind.

Right? Explain to me why multiple user profiles aren't supported at home as well as the classroom. Would really be nice for when my wife wants to use the new Pro I ordered today for sketching and photo editing but doesn't have to complain about how I organize my apps and folders etc everytime she does so. Or when the kids want to play a game or watch a movie in the car, and I don't have to worry about them accessing anything they shouldn't be.

entropys 4303 comments · 13 Years

This would be excellent for business too.

nofeer 2327 comments · 22 Years

DOES THIS COMPETE WITH GOOGLE CLASSROOM

our school has a major investment in iPads

some schools in our district are switching to google classroom using chrome books great for assignments, agnostic can access from home browser so they don't have to take home (like that mess in LA) and move away from flash drives

HEY Apple GET WITH THE EDUCATION PROGRAMeach student should have unlimited storage pages, numbers, keynote etc etc free i hope learn sprout with apple and apple classroom can make a big statement

but schools soon will be making the decision for next school year

HOPE APPLE ISN'T LEFT AT THE WAYSIDE

when i heard about this i thought it was more than a management solution (much better than the past) and apple had much more to say---but no other announcement.

i'm going to look for apple or other school video's on how to set up, use etc to share with my principal

any of you have more info or can direct me to an apple solution in the classroom to sell to our school rather than chrome books and google classroom? ( i know google classroom will work on the iPad but don't like the potential for data mining from our children)

thanks for any insights :)