Planning Essentials - Getting you Started with your Education Vision.

We work side by side with educators to equip them with technology and knowledge to deliver the best education to their students. As an AAES ( Apple Authorised Education Specialist ) we currently manage thousands of iOS devices, hundreds of macOS machines and many tvOS devices so schools, colleges and universities can focus on teaching and learning, not technical hassle.

As with the education space, there are trends in technology. iPad emerged in 2010 and quickly made its way into classrooms. You know iPad can do more for your class, but what? Years ago, educators thought “is there an app for that?”. In 2019, it’s more about thinking “iPad can make this idea work.”.

We’ve all heard the classic uses for iPad since its debut: from class camera to “it’s great for research”. They’ve come a long way since. iPad is the teaching assistant you wish you had or the hook your pupils will talk about for weeks. “Remember when the planets were spinning above us in augmented reality on the iPads?” You can create moments like this with iPad. It’s all about the how.

I hear "but that’s science!" Yes, you’re right, it sounds more realistic to jazz up a science lesson compared to tomorrow’s recap on fronted adverbials. iPad can liven up all areas of the curriculum. The initial vision for iPad was for it to be used by everyone, everywhere, for anything. Why limit it’s usage within education? Differentiation is at the core of teaching practice all over the world; teachers will scour the internet for the latest creative way to differentiate just about anything. However, iPad is at your fingertips. It’s impactful, effective, accessible and exciting to students and educators alike.

Imagine you’re teaching direct speech and the class keep mispunctuating it. Punctuating written speech on a worksheet is tried and trusted and with iPad, you can show children how to record speech using the Voice Memos app from Apple. Now they can hear the spoken words they’re punctuating; then they add on the adverbial phrases. Genius.

Think about your SEN child who struggles with age-related reading; now they’re able to access this lesson. Need to extend your high-flyers? Record a clip yourself dictating the speech with its punctuation: Is it punctuated correctly? Why? How do you know? You’re able to show challenge, engagement, reasoning and accessibility all with iPad.

Challenge your more-able students to show reflex angles in real life. To make this lesson less abstract you can use the Camera app, then annotate a photo with Markup. All groups in your class, regardless of their barriers to learning or ability, can take photos and Markup the classroom door to show obtuse and acute angles. All with iPad.

Vision is at the forefront of ideas like these. You might be in need of a helping hand in order to make them a reality. We can offer Planning Essentials to map out the path ahead with our team. By the end of a free half-day, collaborative workshop with SLT, you’ll have a tailored plan ready to support the start of your journey with Apple technology in your school.

To get you in the mindset, let’s go through a typical Planning Essentials session, which would be made more bespoke to you:

It starts with a brief KRCS introduction about the trainers, the company and why you’re in good hands. You’ll find out what your Planning Essentials session entails and get a glimpse into Apple’s ideology surrounding successful iPad usage in schools.

We ease you in with an icebreaker to get everyone in the iPad mindset. It’s a great chance to get any initial worries, thoughts or questions out of the way. In the past we’ve had “What if the iPads are a distraction?” or “Won’t updating them and loading new apps be tough?”. If any of these resonate with you, don’t worry. By the end of Planning Essentials, these questions will be answered and you’ll know how to deal with them.

Next, you’ll explore a range of conversations had by educators worldwide, which you’ll also want to think about on a new journey with Apple. When you put these conversations into your own school-context it’s then that you’ll start to create your vision with KRCS at your side, helping you make sense of technical terms and modern deployment examples.

As the Planning Essentials session closes, you’ll have assigned responsibility for each step of your action plan and be left with a physical roadmap of the journey ahead, ready to go on display in your school.

Most importantly, you’ll know where KRCS fits in. We’re here to support you with technical, pedagogical and hardware aspects of your teaching and learning journey with iPad and Mac.

If you’re just looking for inspiration before starting a journey like this, CPD is the way forward to light a fire within your colleagues. Our APLS (Apple Professional Learning Specialist) Chris Smith, has over 25 years experience in the education sector. As an Apple Distinguished Educator and Apple Teacher, he has a vast amount of knowledge on how to use Apple products to improve the lives of teachers and students alike. This isn’t just APL training, this is Chris Smith training. APLS tutors can deliver training where you work and fit it in around your school’s schedule.

After all this, you’ve got an idea of where to start but you just want to know more. If that’s the case, send our education team an e-mail at edsales@krcs.co.uk. We can also talk to you in-person to truly understand your ideas and get the ball rolling.

Many educational institutions across the UK have already taken this step; we support them with technical aspects of teaching and learning with iPad and Mac. That’s thousands of iOS devices, hundreds of macOS machines and many tvOS devices. We can do the same for you, so get in touch and we look forward to speaking to you soon!

By Phil Sparrow, an Education Development Manager at KRCS. Follow Phil on Twitter.

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Email us at education@krcs.co.uk

Give us a call on 0115 985 1797