Dear Class of 2020 Students and Parents,
Mercy High School is pleased to announce that we will be implementing Apple Classroom for the 2017-18 school year starting with the 9th (Class of 2021) and 10th (Class of 2020) grade classes. Apple Classroom will allow our teachers to utilize various monitoring and instructional tools while using iPads in our classrooms.
In order to prepare student iPads for Apple Classroom, please be aware of the following:
- All current 9th graders (Class of 2020) will turn-in their iPads by July 1st.
- Your iPad will be reconfigured with a new mobile device management profile which will wipe out all apps and data that are currently on the device and place the device under the supervision of the school.
- You will not be able to restore your device from an iCloud backup.
- You will be able to restore app and book purchases from the App Store once your device is returned to you.
- If there are documents that you need to save you will have to save them to iCloud Drive (Pages, Keynote) or your Mercy Google drive prior to turning it in.
- Photos and videos can be backed up using the Google Photos app or by saving them to a computer or other device.
- Once your iPad is turned in you will be able to pick it up within 10 business days from the IT Office.
Click here to learn more about the tools Apple continues to develop specifically for their educational environments.
If you have any further questions please feel free to contact the Mercy IT Dept at 248-893-3590 or email Mr. James (tfjames@mhsmi.org) or Mr. Janusch (ccjanusch@mhsmi.org).
FACT SHEET
Please see below the answers to some frequently asked questions (FAQs) that we have received since Mercy High School announced the deployment of Apple Classroom next school year starting with the 9th and 10th grade class:
What is Apple Classroom and why is Mercy High School choosing to use it?
Apple Classroom is a powerful iPad app that helps teachers guide learning, share and receive work, and manage student devices. It is our belief that this will allow teachers to better deliver quality instruction and limit student distractions in the classroom.
Using the app teachers can:
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Monitor what students are doing on their iPads in class
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Share links and other content to the whole class
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Open up the same app or iBook on every iPad in the class
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Easily share student screens with the rest of the class
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Lock student iPads to one app to create a more secure testing environment or to focus student attention
What are the requirements for running Apple Classroom?
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Any iOS device running version 9.3 and above
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The Apple Classroom iOS app (teacher only)
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Student devices must be supervised (Read more about Apple device supervision here.)
Why do the iPads need to be supervised?
We are only supervising the devices because it is a requirement for using Apple Classroom. While the student iPads used at Mercy are not owned by the school, they are already currently configured with the school's Mobile Device Management (MDM) profiles. These profiles allow students to join the school's wireless network and provide access to discounted prepaid apps. Supervision of the devices will not change any of these features or add any further restrictions to a student's iPad.
Will teachers or other Mercy staff be able to monitor what I do on my device when I am not in class?
No, teachers can only use Apple Classroom when a class is actively in session.
"Classroom is an iPad app from Apple that helps teachers guide learning with iPad in the classroom. The app lets teachers launch specific apps on every student iPad in the class, share a website, create activity groups, and see students' screens using Screen View. Teachers can also share a student's screen with the class using AirPlay and Apple TV. To help students focus, teachers can lock devices to a single app or temporarily lock the screens of all devices in the classroom. While the Classroom app is designed to be a great tool for teachers, it is also designed to ensure best practices for transparency and student privacy. This means that student iPad devices can be managed only in class; the teacher cannot manage or view student devices outside the classroom. To ensure transparency when Screen View is active for a student's screen in class, a notification at the top of their screen indicates that it is being viewed. Schools can also choose to disable Screen View if they prefer that teachers not view student screens."
Why can't the iPad be restored from an iCloud or iTunes backup?
If the iPad is restored from a backup that has been taken prior to being placed under supervision, it will wipe out the MDM profile required for the deployment of Apple Classroom. Once the device is under supervision and apps are reloaded, iCloud/iTunes backups can resume and your iPad can be restored if necessary from those backups.
I didn't buy my iPad from the school, do I still have to participate?
Yes, all student iPads must be turned in for this deployment.
Will I still be able to load apps on my iPad that are not for school use?
Yes, there will not be any new restrictions put in place on student iPads.
Will this affect my use of iMessage or FaceTime, or will the school be able to monitor my use of these services?
The answer to both of these questions is, no. Although placing an iOS device under supervision does allow us to restrict these services, we have no plans to do so. There is no ability to monitor or intercept iMessage or FaceTime traffic even when a device is under supervision.
Why is this only being deployed to 9th and 10th graders?
This is just the first step in our deployment. We do plan on including juniors and seniors later in the 2017-18 school year.
What happens when I leave Mercy or I graduate?
Once you leave Mercy or graduate, your device will be released from supervision and you will be able to delete the MDM profiles that have been loaded.
What if I need more time to save my content?
We are extending the turn-in time to July 1st, 2017 to allow students ample time to save their content. The process will be completed within 10 business days of dropping off the device. You will be notified by email when the device is ready to pick up. Assistance with backing up your content will also be provided when you drop off your iPad, if needed.
Once I get my iPad back how do I reload my apps?
Once you get your iPad back you can then sign-in to the App store and reload all previously loaded apps from the purchased tab.
How do I save all of my photos and videos?
The easiest way to accomplish this is to use the Google Photos app. Simply load it on your iPad before you turn it in and sync all of your photos and videos using your Mercy google account. Once you get your iPad back you can then reload the Google Photos app and re-sync. An alternative to this would to be to save the content to a PC or Mac. If students need help backing up any of their content, they can come to Tech Office for assistance.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact the Mercy IT Dept at 248-893-3590 or email Mr. James (tfjames@mhsmi.org) or Mr. Janusch (ccjanusch@mhsmi.org).
