Chicago, US, March 27, 2018 — While the tech press feigns excitement over the modest upgrade to the latest low-cost (ho ho) iPad. The real news is in the unveiling of the Everyone Can Create app and features that make the tablet more a part of the creative classroom.
Everyone Can Create is a new, free curriculum for schools. It helps make drawing, music, filmmaking, or photography part of any subject (assuming the teacher is into the technology). If schools buy into the concept, then it can help with all these projects and drive creativity.
Schools can buy the new A10-powered tablet for $299, so it remains far from a low-cost solution, with the now-compatible Pencil an extra $89. Anyone else can buy the new iPad for $329, which is pretty feeble as most retailers have current models at $300 and the improvements in the latest model are negligible for most. Also, if the iPad was really designed for any class I’ve visited, a cheap plastic snot-proof and easily replaceable screen, and germ-destroying coating would be essential parts of any design.
“Creativity sparks a deeper level of engagement in students, and we’re excited to help teachers bring out that creativity in the classroom,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “When you combine the power of iPad, the creativity of Apple Pencil, over a million iPad apps in the App Store, the rich curriculum in Everyone Can Code and Everyone Can Create, and unique Classroom and Schoolwork apps that support students and help schools manage technology in the classroom, we believe we can amplify learning and creativity in a way that only Apple can.”
Apple Announces Schoolwork for Mac and iPad
Apple also announced Schoolwork, allowing teachers to create assignments, monitor student progress, and so on. Will schools really ditch their current methods for this? That’s an interesting question that only time will tell on. Either way, it looks like Apple’s new play for education will see plenty more schools arguing over budget, utility, and lock-in, with the usual amount of press fuss when any school goes iPad, Chromebook, or plain old Windows.
Everyone Can Create is a follow up to Apple’s Everyone Can Code initiative, while Schoolwork goes alongside the Classroom features, all of which rounds out Apple’s offering, but is it really going to shake up the market. Perhaps the best marketing angle is that any kid can now demand an iPad going “but it’s for school, mom!” Like we used to when we needed a computer for endless game playing back in the day!
Photo credit: Apple
Source: Apple press release
Editorial notice: Quotes have been provided as part of a public press release.
