Locking down APS-issued iPads?

[Anonymous]

I'm going to reach to the school's IT person, but before I do figured someone here might know. Is there a way for the school to lock down or remove apps from a student's iPad? We got feedback from DS's teacher that he had spent minimal time in the math app that they recommend doing as daily homework. We've been trying to be hands off, reminding DS that he needs to do homework, but not peering over his shoulder. Turns out, because it's online and not paper and pencil, he's flipping over to another app and doodling or playing games or whatever but clearly not logging in sufficiently to the assigned site.

We will obviously be changing things up in our home, but also know this is a result of APS's insistence on using iPads rather than textbooks. He might daydream sitting there with a book and paper, but wouldn't have so many distractions literally in his hands. That self discipline is an executive functioning skill and needs some help apparently.

Anyway, does anyone know if the school will pull other apps or games off the iPad if you ask them to?

[Anonymous]

Nearly every app that you have on your APS ipad you can also download on a home ipad or access from your home computer. If the issue is just homework, I would just do homework on a home ipad where you can lock it down.

[Anonymous]

We had this issue with my early elementary kiddo. He downloaded so many apps his iPad stopped working. I flagged for his teacher who was able to get the school's IT department to fix the situation. They said he will still be able to download apps - there is no way to lock it - but they were at least able to restore it.

I did talk to him about appropriate use of school iPads (let's see if that sticks) and flagged the issue for his teacher, to have her help monitor what he's doing in class. It's a real challenge.

[Anonymous]

What grade level? You could request paper homework. My son gets it at ATS

[Anonymous]

We don't allow any non-school apps on the APS issued iPad. It doesn't prevent going down the google rathole, but at least there's no chance he's playing Roblox.

[Anonymous]

They already lock down those iPads enough. For example, they disallow YouTube so even when you’re trying to research something - and a lot of content our tutorials are on YouTube - it’s blocked. You can’t install any additional apps - only those on the school supplied list. You can’t even get the iPad to work on your home wifi if the school BPN is down. Sit with your kid when they need to do math and make sure they’re doing it.

[Anonymous]

They already lock down those iPads enough. For example, they disallow YouTube so even when you’re trying to research something - and a lot of content our tutorials are on YouTube - it’s blocked. You can’t install any additional apps - only those on the school supplied list. You can’t even get the iPad to work on your home wifi if the school BPN is down. Sit with your kid when they need to do math and make sure they’re doing it.

Maybe they can't access YouTube, but they can access plenty of other things, and download all types of games onto their iPads.

[Anonymous]

Guided access will let you lock your kid into one app in particular:
System preferences
accessiblity
guided access
choose 6 digit code
click home button 3 times and it will turn off
Let the teacher know the code, but not your kid

[Anonymous]

We also ran into this issue and got zero help from our school so we only use home iPads at home and school iPads at school. That has worked better for us. His teacher can see everything he is doing on his iPad at school on her own device and shuts things down pretty quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Guided access will let you lock your kid into one app in particular:
System preferences
accessiblity
guided access
choose 6 digit code
click home button 3 times and it will turn off
Let the teacher know the code, but not your kid

APS specifically tells parents not to put lock codes on their iPads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nearly every app that you have on your APS ipad you can also download on a home ipad or access from your home computer. If the issue is just homework, I would just do homework on a home ipad where you can lock it down.

If you have a personal ipad, I would suggest this as well. Your tech coordinator at school can wipe the ipad to start fresh, but it won't prevent your DC from downloading all the apps again. When DC is at school, I would let school handle whatever happens with ipad use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guided access will let you lock your kid into one app in particular:
System preferences
accessiblity
guided access
choose 6 digit code
click home button 3 times and it will turn off
Let the teacher know the code, but not your kid

APS specifically tells parents not to put lock codes on their iPads.

I would check with the teacher before doing this- they only use this for the kids that really need it- ie- ADD, etc.. If not, the teacher has 27 codes that they have to put into each ipad every time they need to switch apps- not sustainable.

[Anonymous]

Have him sit next to you while he works in the app every night. If he can't be trusted, he can't be trusted. What would you do if he had his text book open and wasn't doing his work? Shrug your shoulders? No, you would sit with him at the table every night while he did his work.

You can do other work next to him. Read, write emails, whatever. But nothing too important. Don't allow headphone use so you can hear what he is doing.

But yes, also talk to IT and the teacher about which apps he needs and delete the rest. Kids show each other all kinds of stuff on there. I've had to talk to my 2nd grader a few times about not googling things he should be (mainly, silly scary stuff from movies he's not allowed to watch) and that did help.

[Anonymous]

Yeah. Another vote for direct supervision. That’s what happens when middle schooler starts getting on sites he doesn’t belong on. iPad usage only at the kitchen table. Cures the issue for a while!