Apple Classroom is a classroom management and monitoring tool for use with a classroom full of Apple devices - iPad or Mac. It allows you as the teacher to see which devices are in the room, open (and lock) students in an app of your choosing, open a website or iBook for all students, and even monitor and display their device to the classroom.
Apple Classroom is great for sharing student work with the entire class without having to ask them to AirPlay and enter a code. If you need to make an announcement to the entire class, you can lock their screens temporarily. Or when you are taking a quiz in Canvas, you can lock them into the app so they cannot leave it to look at notes in other apps. It also can be used if you have a couple students in your class that tend to get off task or wander, you can monitor what they are doing or guide them to a specific app to help them stay on track. Additionally, if you are a Saber Online teacher, this can be a great way for you to monitor students during class.
Want to use Apple Classroom?
On a MacBook: Update to Sonoma. Click here to learn how.
On an iPad: Update to the latest available OS in the Settings app. Updated iPads work better.
How do I use Apple Classroom?
This video will walk you through all steps of using Apple Classroom.
- You and your students must be signed into your devices using your school-issued Apple ID. On an iPad, open the Settings app and tap the circle in the upper left to sign in. On a MacBook, open System Settings and click on the circle in upper left to sign in.
- Staff: use your K12 email address and password to sign in.
- Students: use your @shakopeeschools.org email and password to sign in.
- Students and staff should also ensure that Bluetooth is on for their device. Students within Bluetooth range (approximately the size of a classroom) of their teacher's device will automatically join their Apple Classroom class when the teacher opens it. If you click “Connect” in your Applce Classroom class, it will ask students outside of Bluetooth range to connect, which requires their consent.
- Open the Classroom app, which can be downloaded from Self Service. If your classes are rostered in Infinite Campus, you should see those classes automatically. If you need to create your own class, click here to learn how.
- Watch the video above to learn how to use the different controls within Apple Classroom.
Troubleshooting Tips
General Tips
- Are you and your students signed in with their managed Apple ID? Note no other Apple ID other than the one the district provides will work. The Apple ID must use the following format.
- Staff: username@shakopee.k12.mn.us
- Students: studentID@shakopeeschools.org
- Bluetooth must be enabled on teacher and student devices for in-person classes.
- Devices must be connected to the same wireless network (i.e. SabersWireless).
- Devices must be updated to the latest supported operating system version.
- iPad - 14.5 or higher.
- Mac - 11.3 or higher.
Class Roster Data
Class rosters are synced from Infinite Campus on a nightly basis. As long as a student is enrolled in your course, they should also show up in Apple Classroom. If students see classes from a previous year, have them sign out of their Apple ID in Settings and then back in.
Changing a Class Name
Sometimes the name provided by Infinite Campus isn't very friendly, especially when there are potentially dozens of other sections in the class list. Teachers have the ability to change class names to more easily identify them in Apple Classroom.
1. Go to Apple School Manager (https://school.apple.com) and sign in with your managed Apple ID - username@shakopee.k12.mn.us
2. Click Classes in the sidebar and then search for the class name you'd like to change.
3. Click Edit. Under the Class Name field enter a new name. Save. The new class name will be reflected in Apple Classroom app. Use the following format: Teacher Last Name + School Year (Smith 2022-2023).
Online (Remote) Classes
New to Apple Classroom is the ability to conduct remote or hybrid courses. Teachers can use all the same functionality of Apple Classroom, but when in a distance learning setting. Functionality is the same compared to in person classes.
To start a remote session, tap into a class, tap the three dot icon in the top right hand corner, and then tap Connect. A push notification will show up on student iPads who have not already connected - either remotely or in person - asking them to join the class. Unlike in-person classes, remote classes require the student to consent to joining since the teacher can control their iPad. Students will only receive the notification if they are signed into their managed Apple ID on their iPad. See here for directions on signing into an Apple ID - https://techtools.shakopeeschools.org/117025-apple/sign-into-an-apple-id
