Apple Education Event: The most important announcements

Apple held an education-focused event in Chicago, introducing updates to its iPad lineup, some software updates, and more.

Here are the highlights from the event.

iPad

Apple introduced a new low-cost iPad with Pencil support. The 9.7-inch tablet is powered by an A10 Fusion chip, and will cost $329 for most customers, while schools can get their hands on them for $299.

iPad (6th generation): Everything you need to know

iWork updates

Apple will be updating its suite of iWork productivity apps with support for Apple Pencil through the apps' new Smart Annotation features. The ability to create digital books is also being folded into Pages, rather than bringing iBooks Author to iOS.

Apple unveils new 'game-changing' versions of iWork apps

Shared iPad

This new feature allows teachers the ability to create new Apple IDs for all of their students at once, meaning that the students won't have to create IDs themselves. Shared iPad lets students use these Apple IDs with any iPad connected to their school's system, so iPads can more easily be shared in a classroom without the students having to carry them around.

Shared iPad: Everything you need to know!

Schoolwork

Schoolwork is a new education app that features curricula for more personalized learning. Through this app, Apple has also introduced its Everyone Can Create curriculum, which focuses on helping students use digital tools (particularly the new iPad with Apple Pencil support) to express themselves through artistic endeavors.

Apple encourages creativity in the classroom with Everyone Can Create

Swift Playgrounds AR

Swift Playgrounds, Apple's app for teaching anyone how to code in the Swift programming language, is getting a boost with support for augmented reality through Apple's ARKit framework, letting students put Byte's world in the real world.

Swift Playgrounds getting a huge boost with AR

Joseph Keller

Joseph Keller is the former Editor in Chief of iMore. An Apple user for almost 20 years, he spends his time learning the ins and outs of iOS and macOS, always finding ways of getting the most out of his iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac.