Jamf Teacher is one of the key tools that we offer to empower educators, as an application that teachers can use to prepare lessons as well as manage student access, safelist apps, send messages and more. Used in conjunction with Jamf School or Jamf Pro, this app allows teachers to tailor the classroom experience to the unique needs of each subject and student group instead of having to rely on purely IT-driven, one-size-fits-all management scenarios.
The Jamf Teacher app has evolved beyond simple management tools to place a wide range of capabilities at teachers’ fingertips, including features that specifically support remote learning models.
The new features discussed here will be available beginning Jan. 9, 2024.
Navigation enhancements for increased usability
In the latest release of Jamf Teacher, the user interface has been updated to make it even easier for teachers to use the technology to develop student access and outcomes.
Let's take a look at what has changed and how it helps.
The first thing to notice is that the quick access controls to the most used functions are now prominent titles. There is also a tweak to terminology, as "App lock" and "Web lock" are now called "Allowed apps" and "Allowed websites".
Allowed apps: Define the exact apps you want students to use on their iPad and remove those that you don't want used.
Allowed websites: Provide students the specific websites used for their learning. There is no need to share QR codes or links as the websites are automatically added to student devices in Safari favorites.
Restrictions: Place restrictions on device functionality such as access to the camera or spellcheck and AutoCorrect.
This subtle change speaks to the focus we have on the value of the Jamf Teacher app as a tool to enable learning, rather than restrict it.
The restrictions tab remains to focus specifically on limiting access to device functionality as a device control, rather than a teaching and learning focus.
Image of settings in action with timer on:
Jamf Teacher allows you to maintain contact with student device settings and also shows the time left on the settings. You can see exactly what students do or do not have access to, and can easily add apps or websites without needing to reset the settings. This lets student devices stay in a consistent state and not disrupt learning
Changes to menu bar
The top menu bar now contains some of the one-off tools that you can use in the classroom.
Top menu bar:
Remote lessons: Create a remote lesson using Zoom or FaceTime with your class. Send out the link for students to simply join on their device.
Attention: Create a custom message to send to a student device while also locking it to focus attention on what you want them to do next. This is a great tool to bring the attention of the class back to the teacher. It can also be used to alert students who are working away from the classroom to return to class.
Lessons launch: Automate device management by using the settings mentioned in Allowed apps, Allowed websites and restrictions, all in one place. Simply create a lesson structure with apps, websites and device functionality, and then launch it at the start of the lesson to get devices exactly where you want them, in just three steps.
More: Access to messages, Bluetooth controls and app installation (where apps are already part of the deployment).
Jamf Teacher works alongside Apple Classroom. Use Jamf Teacher to set up your student devices and Apple Classroom to help manage lessons in action.
Accessibility and communications improvements
In addition to the navigation enhancements, we have also updated accessibility features including Voice Over, which takes advantage of Apple’s built-in screen reader to allow teachers to hear auditory descriptions of on-screen text and elements.
Another feature, Dynamic Type, lets teachers change the font size of text on the screen, a useful way to accommodate visually impaired or dyslexic readers.
Delve deeper into Jamf Teacher’s potential
To learn more about these latest enhancements as well as past updates that we’ve put out for Jamf Teacher, you can consult our full release history.
Not using Jamf Teacher yet in your school or district? Check out our deployment guide for Jamf School and Jamf Pro so you can offload classroom device management functionality from IT and put more power in the hands of your teachers.
You may be interested in an opportunity to test-drive Jamf Teacher before deploying it across your entire device fleet. You can do just that with Jamf Educator, an online, simulation-based environment for users to learn, try and apply the workflows in the Jamf Teacher app. It’s completely free and is also a great online professional development tool for educators and school administrators.
Do you have feedback that could help us to further enhance the usefulness and usability of Jamf Teacher or our other products? Use ideas.jamf.com to submit a feature request or suggest an improvement.
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