Distance Learning and The Ways We as a Technology Leader Think It Can Be Improved

Distance Learning and The Ways We as a Technology Leader Think It Can Be Improved

For many of us back to school has arrived, although it’s in a way that is drastically different than we’re used to. Technology is making it possible for schools and colleges across the country to teach children and adults from their homes as the global pandemic continues to .

Primary schools and colleges have some of the same hurdles and v some that are drastically different, but this article will be mostly aimed at parents finding themselves in the position of navigating virtual learning with their children.

The success of distance learning is intricately tied to both having access to the technology required and being instructed on how to use it properly.

Access to the technology needed has been woefully inadequate thus far for many schools. Chromebooks, often the computer of choice for schools both for their ease or use and because they’re inexpensive, have been in high demand and production has not been able to keep up.

However, if you’re a parent waiting on a Chromebook from your school and you have access to other technology such as a laptop you no longer use, know that it will work just fine for distance learning. The device of choice does not HAVE to be a Chromebook and forgoing receiving a device in a time when many schools don’t have adequate stock may help free one up for a family who will otherwise not have access to a computer.

If you have the means to purchase a new device for your student(s) the following minimum specifications are what we’re recommending.

  • 250 GB hard drive or higher
  • 4 GB RAM or higher
  • 2.0 GHz Intel or AMD processor
  • Windows 10 or MAC OS 10.10 or later
  • Microsoft Edge, Firefox 48 or later
  • Safari 11 or later
  • Anti-virus program (updated regularly)
  • Computer microphone and speakers
  • Web Camera

Once you have your device it’s time to begin preparing it for the distance learning school year ahead. Every state and district will have their own suite of software and websites they’re recommending and using to conduct classes. One constant we’ve seen so far is in the continued use of Zoom as the meeting software du jour.

We’ve written a few times on the safety of Zoom (you can view those articles here & ), general good password hygiene is still at the forefront of operating all the accounts you may have to juggle during a distance learning situation.

I think we’ll find it’s up to schools and local governments to close the divide on distance learning, making it as accessible as possible across the board and providing the flexibility needed for families.

"Teachers in two separate surveys estimated that only about 60% of their students were regularly participating or engaging in distance learning. (Individual district reports of daily “attendance” varied widely, as districts defined the term so differently.)

Two-thirds to three-quarters of teachers said their students were less engaged during remote instruction than before the pandemic, and that engagement declined even further over the course of the semester.

A survey of teenagers in late March found that most were in contact with their teachers less than daily, with a quarter saying they were in contact less than once a week." –  Chalkbeat.

Engagement will be a challenging hurdle for most schools and it’s one technology can address if tackled in the right way. As this quote illustrates attendance is a sore point and many parents are finding it difficult to impossible to juggle both work and the complexities that come with distance learning. Improvements in the technologies used to deliver the educational experience to students as well as flexible options for parents is crucial for beginning to solve this dilemma.

We all have a desire for a time when we can get back to normal and kids can get back to school, but by not preparing ahead of time for a lasting remote learning situation many districts are left cobbling together different technologies in the hope of providing a cohesive learning experience.

We need educational programs that are custom tailored to a remote learning situation, and these may not resemble the traditional in school paradigm we’re so used to as much as we want it to.

Moving forward it will be imperative that we find the right ratio of both serving the educational needs of the children in our country during this immensely difficult time and allowing for grace when things do not go as we plan.

Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.

This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/valleytechlogic.

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