Kestrell

Posted to the Tech Juggernaut blog at
https://ttjtech.net/2020/08/13/attention-students-important-information-regarding-upcoming-changes-to-the-itunes-u-learning-management-system/

Apple has announced that they are sun setting their iTunes U offering next year. This means that the app will no longer be available or supported for use after spring 2021, and those who have previously used iTunes U will need to find an alternative solution for their learning management system (LMS). The exact reason for this decision was not disclosed to the public, but we know for certain that Apple maintains an intense focus on, and an incredible passion for, revolutionizing education. Already, they have great offerings for school districts, such as Apple School Manager, Apple Schoolwork, and the Apple Classroom app, the latter of which is available for local, in-person classes. They have stated that they plan to continue support for these products and continue to enhance said products going forward.
What Will TTJ Use Now?
The Tech Juggernaut has elected to use Google Classroom for all future TTJ courses. This change will happen effective immediately. Students who plan to enroll in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 courses will be using Google Classroom - not iTunes U, for all their class content.

Why Google? Why Not Apple Schoolwork?
At the present time, Apple Schoolwork is only available to accredited educational institutions. While TTJ is made up of certified instructors, we are neither an accredited K-12 district nor a college or university, and are therefore not eligible to use the Schoolwork app at this time. We are fiercely interested in what Apple will offer going forward and certainly do plan to consider it if we should be given such an opportunity, but in the interim, in order to provide an uninterrupted experience for all our students, we needed a solution that was available to us immediately.
Furthermore, we feel that Google Classroom, perhaps more than any other third-party LMS app, provides a powerful yet extremely simple user interface with the right combination of functionality and ease of use for even those students who are completely new to Voiceover and iOS. Finally, if new students are not yet comfortable using their iOS devices, they will be able to access Google Classroom on other platforms, such as Chrome OS and Windows, until they become more confident in using Voiceover and iOS/iPad OS.

For more info, including how to save materials from former classes, go to the blog post listed above.

by Jon Porter
https://www.theverge.com/21302891/ios-14-accessibility-improvements-disabilities-hearing-blindness-motor-control

Excerpts:
Apple’s new operating systems — like iOS 14 and tvOS 14, which are due to be released later this year — include numerous features that should make them easier to use by people with disabilities. Apple announced the new features as part of its Worldwide Developers Conference this week, and
Forbes
https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenaquino/2020/06/24/heres-an-overview-of-whats-new-in-accessibility-from-apple-in-2020/#568ac6f22cb7
and CNET
https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-packs-new-accessibility-features-ios-14-airpod-pro-audio-tweaks-back-tap/
have rounded many of them up.
These improvements range from new features like sound recognition to improvements to Apple’s existing accessibility features like its VoiceOver screen reader. It’s a substantial list that should make Apple’s products easier to use by those with hearing, sight, motor disabilities, or others.
Sound recognition
https://www.theverge.com/21300261/ios-14-update-smoke-alarm-sound-detection-accessbility
in iOS 14, for example, will let you tell your phone to constantly listen out for 14 different sounds, including doorbells, sirens, smoke detector alarms, or a crying baby. It’s a feature that could be helpful for people who are hard of hearing or deaf by making them aware of critical sounds earlier than they might have done otherwise. (Apple warns against relying on the feature in “high-risk or emergency situations,” however.)

....There’s a trend running throughout many of these features, which is although they’re designed to make devices easier to use for people with disabilities, they can also have benefits for everyone else. People with disabilities should always be the focus when designing accessibility features, but their benefits can be much wider-ranging.

Next up, FaceTime, which will now be able to
detect when someone is using sign language,
https://www.apple.com/ios/ios-14-preview/features/#main:~:text=Sign%20language%20prominence,prominent%20in%20a%20Group%20FaceTime%20call.
and automatically make that person the focus, making their signing easier to see....