Apple merchandise are already a central a part of our lives in so some ways. We use them to work, socialise, monitor our coronary heart charges, pay for issues and watch TV.

But do you know they’re additionally concerned in educating college lecturers? The shift to on-line studying following COVID-19 will not be just for college students. Teachers now additionally do loads of skilled growth on-line, typically through world expertise firms or “EdTechs”.

One acquainted sounding instance of that is Apple Teacher. This is a free skilled studying programme developed by Apple for varsity lecturers. Offered in 36 international locations together with Australia, Apple Teacher claims to “support and celebrate teachers using Apple products for teaching and learning”.

In my new analysis, I argue Apple Teacher helps Apple place itself as a worldwide schooling skilled. This transfer is basically flying underneath the radar.

What is Apple Teacher? Apple has bought expertise to colleges for the reason that early Nineteen Eighties, particularly within the United States. It has additionally had programmes geared at lecturers utilizing Apple expertise for the reason that mid-Nineteen Nineties. But the tech large now offers instructor skilled studying through Apple Teacher, which launched in 2016.

As of 2022, there are greater than 100 classes and tutorials freely obtainable on the Apple Teacher Learning Centre. The web site promotes a “self-paced journey” and a “great way for schools to offer free professional learning”. There are “skill-building tutorials, lesson ideas and inspiration to deepen student learning”.

This might be one thing so simple as the right way to take a selfie on an tour. Or it might be the right way to use coding or augmented actuality in a lesson. There are additionally particular helps for COVID-19 distant studying, with time-saving ideas and lesson concepts.

Teachers can full interactive quizzes on the right way to use Apple software program to earn “badges”. If they acquire six badges, they’re recognised as “Apple Teachers”.

Another key characteristic is the Apple Teacher Portfolio. Here, lecturers develop and share lesson plans that deliberately use Apple merchandise within the classroom. These embrace Keynote (which creates displays) and GarageBand (which creates music or podcasts). Completing all 9 lesson plans rewards lecturers with extra badges and provides them extra recognition.

Festivals, badges, followers Beyond rewarding particular person lecturers, Apple Teacher additionally presents studying on a bigger scale. Apple is in the midst of its third annual “Festival of Learning”. Between July 11 and 21, this world digital convention is working 90 classes on subjects equivalent to “creating your first app” and theatre design, all utilizing Apple merchandise.

As of July 2022, the Apple Education Twitter account (@AppleEDU) has multiple million followers. While not restricted to Apple Teacher members, it clearly demonstrates its important attain and enchantment.

Apple Teacher is normally accomplished by particular person lecturers on their very own initiative. However, faculties with greater than 75 p.c of their workers as Apple Teachers also can search recognition as an Apple Distinguished School. While the variety of Apple Teachers will not be publicly obtainable, there are presently 47 Apple Distinguished Schools in Australia out of 689 all over the world.

A rebranding for Apple While it’s maybe unsurprising that Apple promotes using its merchandise in faculties, COVID-19 has clearly launched a brand new sense of urgency and market alternative by way of the educating {and professional} growth facet of the equation.

In feedback made in 2021, one in every of Apple’s vice-presidents, Susan Prescott, mentioned the corporate needed to assist “build educators’ confidence in reimagining their lessons and [recognise] them for the great work they do every day”.

In my analysis, I argue Apple Teacher positions Apple as a worldwide skilled in schooling. Apple has a lot to realize financially from this growth. In 2021, the worldwide EdTech trade was valued at $85 billion (roughly Rs. 6,78,580 crore). By 2028, that is anticipated to blow up to $230 billion (roughly Rs. 18,36,159 crore).

By providing instructor studying and credentials and classroom curriculum guides, Apple is instantly difficult extra typical sources of education experience constructed over many years of expertise and analysis. This consists of the numerous data that lecturers already possess, in addition to universities, skilled our bodies and departments of schooling.

It is unclear what data or experience Apple makes use of to tell Apple Teacher. The firm normally cites no analysis in its publicly obtainable supplies. But because the world’s largest info expertise firm, Apple can use its model recognition to advertise its personal model of education data and educating qualification.

Apple’s fame for tech merchandise may also seemingly assist entice potential customers to Apple Teacher, whatever the studying offered. Given a big focus of Apple Teacher is encouraging lecturers to undertake Apple merchandise for classroom use, there are clear monetary motivations right here as effectively.

What subsequent Before COVID-19, lecturers had been already underneath extraordinary strain. In this context, it’s comprehensible that Apple Teacher – free, recognisable and internationally obtainable – may be enticing to overworked, under-appreciated lecturers in quest of help.

But, as lecturers themselves know, not all studying alternatives are equal.

We have already got many years of analysis that may help high quality instructor studying and classroom apply. We shouldn’t settle for a worldwide EdTech as the popular supply of options, particularly when these options contain selling their very own merchandise.

Education policymakers and faculty leaders want to ensure programmes like Apple Teacher usually are not the one alternative for skilled growth. They can do that by offering extra time for instructor skilled studying, or funding higher entry to high quality analysis behind paywalls.

Fostering shut ongoing connections between lecturers, skilled organisations and educational researchers may also permit for conversations between consultants with out the chance of product placement and promotion.

We can’t proceed to count on a lot of lecturers if we don’t help the important work they do. Ceding this area to profit-motivated EdTechs will solely make the issue worse.