Join the Apple Teacher Program & Earn Your Badge!

Did you catch the Apple Special Event on September 7, 2016? They announced the new iPhone 7, AirPods, and the new Apple Teacher Program! You can watch the keynote presentation here but read on to learn how you can become an Apple Teacher!

You can become an Apple Teacher for FREE just by creating or using an existing Apple ID account. And there is no application process required! Once logged in to the website (appleteacher.apple.com), you will have access to a variety of content, which I'm sure will grow over time. The Apple Teacher Programs is described as a place to...

"...help you build skills and stay inspired. You’ll discover new ways to enhance creativity and productivity by unlocking the magic of iPad, Mac, and built-in apps. You’ll get news and fresh ideas, featuring real stories, product tips, and great educational apps. And after completing online quizzes, you’ll receive an official Apple Teacher logo that you can share with the world."

Of course, for many, the incentive to participate is to earn that coveted official Apple Teacher logo! Once earned you can display it proudly on your website, blog, self-published eBooks, and presentation slides!

I’m an Apple Teacher. Apple recognizes me for demonstrating
 my skills using Apple products to enhance productivity and inspire
creativity in my classroom.

How do I Earn the official Apple Teacher Logo?

To earn the official Apple Teacher logo, you'll have to demonstrate your knowledge of the iPad or the Mac and the core Apple apps through a series of short online quizzes. You can choose to take either the iPad quizzes or the Mac quizzes. Passing all of the quizzes for one device will earn you the badge. If you're a little overzealous like me, challenge yourself by taking ALL of the quizzes!

Take these 8 quizzes for the iPad

Take these 8 quizzes for the Mac

Each quiz contains a set of 5 questions with a variety of question types (multiple choice, checkbox, drag & drop, & reorder). You have to answer at least 4 out of 5 questions correctly to pass. If you get at least 2 questions wrong, you will automatically fail the quiz. You can retake the quiz as many times as you like. You can also restart the quiz if you really want to get them all correct!

Earn a badge for each quiz you pass.

When you pass a quiz you'll earn a fancy gold star badge and it will be added to your profile. If you pass all 8 quizzes for a particular device (iPad or Mac) you will earn your official Apple Teacher logo!

This is what you are presented with when you pass all 8 quizzes.

Once you have earned all of your badges and have received your Apple Teacher logo, you will not be able to go back and retake the quizzes. That option seemingly disappears. So once you pass, you're done (for the year possibly).

The logo you receive also contains the year, which might suggest that you'll have to take new (updated?) quizzes in 2017 or there will be a different way to renew the following year. That is currently unknown and I'm only guessing.

Learning how to become an #AppleTeacher today! Tweet This!

What Else Does the Apple Teacher Program Offer?

When you are logged in to the Apple Teacher Learning Center you have access to a few resources currently. I assume and hope that the resources will only get better with time. But what you currently have available is really good quality stuff!

There is a News tab, but that is currently empty (as of the date this blog post was published). The Home tab has several resources.

• Learning Resources for Teacher - links you out the iBook Store for a collection of Apple Teacher starter guides for iPad and Mac.
• Everyone Can Code - links you out to Apple's "Everyone Can Code" resource page.
• It's Official. You're an Apple Teacher. - Provides you access to the downloadable logo and a PDF of logo use guidelines
• Inspiration for Teachers - links you out to the Apple Education website.

Most of these resources you can actually access with the Apple Teacher Program, but this new service creates a one-stop-shop for educators to easily access all this information. You are also provided an option to "favorite" specific resources and it will show you content that you've recently viewed.

What are you waiting for?!

Well...what are you waiting for?!? Head on over to the Apple Teacher Program and get started today! Earn yourself the official Apple Teacher logo for 2016 and check out all the great resources!