How To Fix Your Internet Connection At School

14 Tips For Helping Students With Limited Cyberspace Have Distance Learning

Mar 24, 2020

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Schoolboy sitting outdoors. Back view (vejaa/iStock)

Schools beyond the nation are endmost in an effort to end the spread of COVID-19 and in the scramble to provide at-domicile learning, a major trouble has risen to the forefront: millions of American students don't have reliable access to the internet.

According to recent federal information , approximately xiv percent of U.S. families with school-age children lack high-speed internet. Most of those families are low-income or live in rural areas. While there are plenty of all-time practice guides bachelor for online learning, strategies for bridging the digital split are scarce.

Nosotros asked the MindShift community to share how they're addressing the issue and what strategies, tips or activities might they have to do distance learning with students who only have access to cellphones and limited data or internet.

Here'due south what they shared, plus a few more tips nosotros've found that can even be implemented today. Comments have been edited for brevity, clarity and comprehension.

Phone call Regularly

During this time of distance learning, students may feel isolated or alone. Contacting them as often as yous tin — past email, comments on their work or phone — can make a huge difference, especially for those students without cyberspace access. When in doubtfulness over-communicate, but as well maintain boundaries to avoid burnout.

Seek Out Hotspots But Don't Rely On Them

Although local libraries may be airtight, their routers are probable still on. We regularly use our library's wifi from outside when it'south closed.
- Lisa Vreman

Additionally, more and more states are developing public Wi-Fi hotspots in the wake of the COVID-xix pandemic. A school district in southern Illinois has developed a creative approach by equipping several school buses with WiFi to serve equally hotspots throughout the community. Drivers park the passenger vehicle well-nigh local parks between 10 a.chiliad. and 1 p.thou. every Monday through Fri.

Hotspots tin can be particularly effective for downloading large files that students tin work on at home, only may not exist reliable or feasible for long periods.

Bank check-in via Google Forms

Some districts are partnering with local PBS stations to create remote-learning opportunities through T.V. programs. For case, KQED will begin dissemination a California state standards-aligned educational television schedule, created past PBS SoCal/KCET and the Los Angeles Unified School District. Other states using circulate stations include Maryland , Louisiana , New York , Arizona and more.

Apply Plain Text Instead of Attachments When Emailing

Helena Castillo suggests using evidently texts. Plain text is easier to access and requires less data (therefore, less money), and so consolidating lesson content into the email trunk using evidently text rather than attaching a .pdf is preferable. Whenever possible, electronic mail lesson content 2 to iii days in advance to give students and families as much fourth dimension equally possible to gain admission before the lesson.

Host Attainable Video Sessions But Don't Require Omnipresence

Video briefing calls can be an effective tool, but they crave a lot of information. Encourage kids who don't have the internet to call in for sound and be sure to draw what's happening on the screen then that students calling in can still experience included.

Share The Burden

Non every teacher will be able to postal service hardcopies of their materials. Means to work around this may exist electing designated individuals.

Schools can create a Google Drive. Teachers tin can submit lessons in that location and elect a person to print and mail activities to those with connectivity bug. We haven't implemented this, just an idea I plan to share with my commune.

-Lindsey Conway

Endeavor USBs or DVDs

In my flipped classroom, I would provide DVD discs for DVD players, PS4, XBox or provide USBs with my video lectures to students who identified specific IT needs. It worked for chronically absent students, educatee athletes, etc or to just salvage a family'due south data program. Everyone forgets a TV is a bang-up projector!

-Krystalynn Nasisaq Scott