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Classroom – Feature Overview


This is Apple's application for teachers allowing them to manage a class of students using iPads. The application is available on the iTunes App Store and the Volume Purchase Program (VPP) App Store. Apple has a video about the application in the "Meet your new teaching assistant" section at this link: http://www.apple.com/education/products/


Main features:

  • Show, for each device, what the student is doing (which app is in the foreground)
  • Lock student devices (eyes up front)
  • Start application or Safari on a given web page on student devices (either in single app mode or not)
  • Observe (without interaction) student devices
  • Pre-assign shared iPad to student to ease login
  • Display student iPad screen on Apple TVs
  • Logout users
  • Change user passwords (with Managed Apple IDs)

Note: The Classroom app should only be installed on teacher iPads. Do not install it on a student device; it will only produce an error when launching…
Apple School Manager (ASM)
ASM can be thought of as a "Super Device Enrollment Program (DEP)" account, including VPP, DEP, Student Information System (SIS) data management, and Apple ID management. Existing customers will have to upgrade their DEP account to ASM. Customers are encouraged to read and follow this Apple knowledgebase article to prepare their setup for conversion: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206590.
ASM is only mandatory to create and manage Apple IDs. Which means that the only features requiring ASM are:

  • Shared iPad support
  • Reset student password

Everything else - Classroom included - works without an ASM account.


How FileWave supports Apple Classroom
FileWave helps with deploying the Classroom app to devices. After deployment, the app has to be configured, which requires:

  • Client SSL certificates for each device
  • A specific profile ("education payload") that will configure both the Classroom app and Shared iPad devices

As per Apple's documentation, the Classroom Payload is sent to iOS devices using the MDM Device Channel, whilst on macOS, this profile is sent to devices using the MDM User channel

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Again, per Apple's documentation, the design of MDM is such, that only one local user (the use who instals the payload or first logs into a freshly ADE setup device) is a Managed User.  All other local users are not MDM managed.  MDM User Channel payloads will not impact these other local users.

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Any directory users logged into macOS devices are considered Managed Users.  Federated Authentication can assist with streamlining an IdP with Apple Classroom,  providing the link between directory users and Apple Classroom.


FileWave will do all of this for you:

  • Get information from your SIS provider
  • Helps you associating devices and persons (1:1 context) or carts and classes (shared context)
  • Support for both 1:1 and Shared iPad models
  • Automatically generates and deploys the education payload, specific for each device
  • Provide a way to import "place holders" for devices that you have not yet physically deployed, so you can prepare workflows for apps / payloads in advance


Unique FileWave benefits:

  • Seamless integration with your usual FileWave deployment workflow

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