The following lists some of the new features I have found through various sources that would be good for the classroom iPad. Many of the features improve the accessibility of the iPad for some disabilities.
Speak Screen
When Speak Screen is turned on, using a two-finger swipe from the top of the screen (or using Hey, Siri, see next item), will start a screen reader that will read back everything readable on that screen, like unlocked text and some buttons, while highlighting each word as read. You can pause, change speed, go back, using the buttons on the Speak Screen control panel. Helpful for struggling readers or those with vision problems. On/off switch in Accessibility Settings/Speech.
Hey Siri!
When your iPad is plugged into power,
you can summon Siri with your voice (like OK, Google) without holding the home
button, then use Siri to open apps. It can also be used to activate Speak
Screen (above) instead of using swipe, just say Hey Siri, then Speak Screen.
Safari Reader
 |
| Before Safari Reader applied After Safari Reader applied |
Safari Reader reduces
the visual clutter on a web page by removing distractions. It strips away ads,
buttons, and navigation bars, allowing you to focus on just the content in an article. Just tap the horizontal lines to the left of the URL. Text size can be changed as well. Safari
Reader also works
in conjunction with
Speak Screen.
Word Prediction
Word prediction is now integrated into iOS 8. Words appear at the top of the keyboard. It suggests words and phrases based not just on to whom you’re writing, but also in what app you’re writing. Easy for switch users to scan to and select.
Dictation
Dictation lets you speak to type. Tap the microphone button on the keyboard, say what you want to write, and your iOS device converts your words (and numbers and characters) into text now with real time feedback, so you can see errors in transposition immediately.
New Search Engines
Safari lets you change the default search provider for the first time. DuckDuckGo (which doesn’t track your browsing), Yahoo and Bing as alternatives to Google search, which you can find in the Safari section of the Settings app.
Recover
Deleted Photos
Photos that are deleted will be saved in a separate folder for 30
days. Nice way to recover
accidentally deleted photos!
Photo Timer
Tap
the timer icon that appears by the on-screen shutter button to choose between a
three second and a ten second delay.
Change photo exposure
This may be useful in low lit classrooms. When taking a picture, tap the screen and a sunlight icon appears next to the focus frame—slide this up or down with your finger to change the exposure level and the amount of light let into your shot.
Shoot Time lapse video
Open
the Camera app and use the slider to select Time Lapse. It captures one frame
of video every second. Time lapse videos could be used to shoot the class working on a project, or to see a class pet's movements.
Alternative Keyboard Apps
iOS8 allows installation of third-party keyboard apps. You can pick up Swype for $0.99, or SwiftKey
for free, both of which learn how you type. More to come too.
Guided Access Enhancement
With iOS 8, you can now set time limits on how long an app is locked and lock
the iPad when time is up.
Font
Adjustments
When you activate Larger Dynamic Type, the text inside a range of apps in iOS 8 including Calendar, Contacts, Mail, Messages, Music, Notes and Settings, and even some third party apps, is converted to a larger, easier‑to‑read size.
Invert Colors and Grayscale
If a higher contrast
or a lack of color helps you better see what’s on your display, iOS lets you
invert the colors or enable grayscale onscreen. Once you set your filter, the
settings apply system wide, even to video, so you get the same view no matter
what you’re seeing.
Zoom
The zoom options in iOS 8 have been greatly expanded to give the user more
control.
Gliding Cursor Speed for Switch Users
The speed of the gliding cursor has been greatly reduced at the lowest setting.
In iOS 8 it takes approximately 15-seconds for the gliding cursor to get from
one side of the screen to the other versus just 5-seconds in iOS 7. This slower
speed will help individuals who are unable to react as quickly as other users.
See what's using your battery
In
the Settings/General/Usage. Tap on
the Battery Usage entry and you can see exactly which apps are taking
up all of your precious battery power.
Quick Web search using Spotlight
Swipe
down on the home screen to access Spotlight, type out a few words and you'll
notice that Web links now appear alongside results from apps. You can change options in Settings/Spotlight.
Change Sharing Options
You can rearrange the sharing options by dragging them where you wish. You can also disable some sharing options, such as Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, by tapping on the More option.