Just as many students and teachers around the country are preparing to start or already have started the new school year, Apple is set to announce a new education program that aims to ‘end America’s public schools’ digital divide’. The new plan will be unveiled tomorrow morning with ABC’s Good Morning America program airing an exclusive interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook discussing the company’s latest education initiative with Robin Roberts (seen wearing an Apple Watch in the promo shot).
Apple already participates in the White House’s ConnectED education program. Through the initiative, Apple has issued numerous grants that support education programs using technology at some 114 schools across 29 states. Apple detailed its involvement in the initiative last fall including how it uses Macs, iPads, and Apple TVs in chosen schools as part of a $100 million commitment to the classroom. Apple’s Lisa Jackson heads the company’s participation in ConnectED as part of her VP of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives role at the company.
In the promotional shots for the interview, Cook is seen chatting with ABC’s Roberts in a classroom using iMac computers suggesting a similar education program to the White House’s ConnectED initiative or an update on that effort as the topic. The interview with Tim Cook airs tomorrow on ABC’s Good Morning America program which starts at 7 am ET.
Update: Rather than introduce a completely ‘new plan’ as GMA had promoted, Tim Cook’s interview on the ABC focused on Apple’s existing effort at bringing technology to public schools through the long-announced ConnectED program. You can catch the interview here.
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I like it. Give that draconian Prussian system a good taste of 60’s born revolutionary thinking and modern design.
What’s the program? Apple has a bunch of iPads they need to get rid of?
How about iPad Pros with smart stylus and Force Touch for natural handwriting that could eliminate the need for numerous things. Like every textbook, paper, folders, pens, highlighters, and replace it all with one iPad Pro? I mean I don’t think this will happen for a long time due to the insanely slow trudge and resistance of change and innovation of most facets of life, and the expense, but the fact is, it would be revolutionary, and profoundly great.
I saw a local news report a while back about the failure of using Apple devices at various schools because the students would lose or steal the iPads and physically break the computers kept on the school grounds. The devices are so expensive that the school couldn’t quickly or easily replace them.