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We’ve come a long way since using
rocks to carve our thoughts.

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From the Greeks with their Papyrus; to the Pen and Paper of the now distant 20th century, each age has seen us develop new ways to impress our thoughts and ideas upon each other. So, with the digital revolution of the 21st century, it seems we have our new mode of expression. Our limits really do seem to be only imagination, as everyday items such as smartphones and tablets now rival things once only thought possible in Hollywood. The potential of the digital era remains an unknown venture, but recent trends have seen its uses being developed alongside our schools and education services, and with the release of Apple’s new iOS 9, we are once again given a glimpse of the possibilities and development at the forefront of the industry. One such company looking to accelerate our evolution from pens and paper, to touch screen technology is Aspire 2 Be – who are one of the UK’s leading ‘Ed Tech’ companies. They provide education and consultancy in a sector seeing huge increase and investment, due to the current demand for services and development.

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iOS 9 - So what’s new?

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Well you wouldn’t expect to hear that it is smaller, but in-fact it’s much smaller than the predecessor. It is currently 1.3GB; which is minute compared to iOS 8: which weighed in at an obese 4.58GB – this is largely due to there being now no need to unpack OS updates – Apple can stream and install its new software directly through internet connections, to your device.

This reduction in size, as well as it being a lot more fluid and efficient in the way it integrates and interchanges between different apps, has allowed for a marked increase in battery life, but this is something to be expected of all new apple products!

Tim Cook (Apple CEO) and one of the leading industry experts has recently been vocal about the need for companies in Silicon Valley to protect the information of their users, namely against being monetised and sold to third party sources. In response to the security threat of the modern era, and with the all new iWallet app; which will be able to store your bank details and be used as a mode to pay for your items, Apple have introduced a new ‘6 digit log-in code’ as standard as well as a new verification code procedure for new devices.

More improvements have been made to apple Maps. With updated transport information and ‘Near Me’ features, this also links with your car Wi-Fi and stereo for a more integrated G.P.S. service, begging the question as to the need of a separate satnav at all?

More improvements have been made to apple Maps. With updated transport information and ‘Near Me’ features, this also links with your car Wi-Fi and stereo for a more integrated G.P.S. service, begging the question as to the need of a separate satnav at all?

Read all about it, Read all about it, introducing the all new “APPLE NEWS” – A brand new feature which is a fully customisable and ‘intelligent’ news timeline application, allowing you to pick from various criteria and news outlets to create your very own news epicentre. There is also an indication of the possibility to publish directly to Apple News, which is something independent publishers and writers are excited about.

SIRI is now “40% faster and more accurate” – according to trustedreviews.com – But what’s more is that now Siri becomes your personal assistant, it can do the usual – such as set reminders and schedule tasks, but the search is greatly improved and now has a suggestion facility with pictures and video as part of its capabilities. What’s even spookier, but also ingenious, is that Siri can now automatically set reminders in your calendar based upon information in emails/notes/text that you have on your apple devices.

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iTeachers?

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"Our Student's Seem To Be More Engaged when using ipads in the Classroom"

Adrian Dinsmore | Hawthorn Primary

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So what are the benefits companies like Aspire 2 Be should be excited about, well the most exciting new feature of iOS 9 is the ‘Split Screen’ function, which as you’ve guessed, allows you to split the screen between two apps, and (based upon compatibility) alter the size of each screen according to necessity. This also allows for smart interfacing between your apps, such as taking a photo for an email without having to close you emails down, or taking notes whilst reading an article online. In schools and educational terms, we now have an interactive and digital ‘piece of slate’ which could be personalised and catered towards each individual student. It is also possible to resize and move video around the screen whilst running other apps, and although not confirmed, things such as Skype and facetime should be compatible, allowing for greater use of the video conferencing capabilities with minimum interference to productivity. The “Notes” app has seen some long overdue improvements, and now contains a sketchpad, which can house photos, links, text and checklists. Even the keyboard has been drastically overhauled; it can now split in two, is more intuitive and memories often used words and patterns to make your experience even more tailored. This technology has endless potential in educational cases of all nature, but possibly more so in terms of special education, for those who struggle with reading/writing as an example.

Picture futuristic classrooms where each child sits at a desk which is itself interactive, and is monitored on a digital system which assists teaching staff in the development of each student. A school where homework is air dropped to the teacher and classes from all over the world communicate to each other! This is the future that can be perceived with the advancements of digital touch technology. No more need forendless photocopying and overcrowded files and folders. All information can now be stored on the cloud, and all your icloud files are now easily accessible through apple’s new app, so they are safe, even if the device is damaged. Perfect for an educational system which often uses set worksheets and course syllabus’ which need little change from student to student, data can then be easily updated and reproduced if necessary. Think of all the paper we will save? Whats more, as we begin to realise the importance of this technology in our society, it seems all the more prudent to begin introducing it in an educational sense as much as possible. We should be teaching our young people to code and program, so that they may build upon the work laid down by the previous generations. Apple have apparently thought the same, and have introduced Swift 2 – an app, that builds other apps. It’s a sci-fi nightmare of robots building robots, but in reality it’s a way of ensuring that the massive advance in technology over the last 20 years doesn’t plateau, but in fact increases. Apple have made it possible by creating a product that has the potential to be used as the next big step in educational and human evolution. The more we use it, the more its potential is revealed and for companies such as Aspire 2 Be, the future is an exciting prospect, as the demand for a technologically up to date workforce is only going to increase.

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stuart

Stuart is the Creative Director and founding partner of The Design Bench.