MMS iPad Update
Upcoming Change to Management
We continue to be excited and amazed at much of the work happening in classrooms at Midway Middle School. iPads play a large role in the innovative work we see with our students. In the past, students at the Middle School have had access to the Apple App Store on their iPads. Starting the first week of November, we will be moving to a model where students can only access apps that are in a district “App Catalog," curated and selected by the district. This change is now made possible because of new features Apple just released under iOS 9, their newest operating system. We are excited to give our students the opportunity to focus their learning while still seeing innovative things happening in the classroom.
Dates to Know
- October 23: Students are notified of this change via KMTV.
- October 23/26: Students are given instructions in 7th Grade History or 8th Grade Panther Pathway/AVID classes.
- October 26-30 Students are saving things on their iPads.
- November 2: The Apple APP store will disappear for all students.
- November 3: 7th graders erase and set up their iPad in History.
- November 4: 8th graders erase and set up their iPad in Panther Pathway/AVID.
- November 5-finished: Absent students will be set up with this process.
How will students get apps?
- MMS students will soon only be able to get apps through the App Catalog.
- The Apple App Store will no longer appear on the student iPads.
Why is this change possible now?
- Midway uses Airwatch to manage student devices.
- iOS 9 gives Airwatch new possibilities for app access for students.
What do the students have to do to be prepared for this?
- Update their iPad to iOS 9.
- Be logged into their MIDWAY google drive account.
- Be sure any items students want saved are in their Midway Google Drive account.
- Students will get this info in 7th History and 8th Panther Pathway/AVID.
- Students will have to be proactive to get help from tech office if they want to be sure their items will be saved.
Will teachers still be assigning students projects on the iPad?
- Teachers will not be assigning iPad projects starting October 26.
- Students will still be able to use email, Edmodo, Google Drive, and Safari during this time period.
- This is to give students time to back up their current work.
How does a student save things on their iPad?
- Because students will be erasing their iPads to jumpstart this change, they will need to know how to save current items on their iPad.
- Reference the link below for detailed information on how a student saves things on their iPad.
Which apps will be available to students in the App Catalog?
- Click on the link below to see a working list of apps that will appear in the App Catalog as options for students.
