Whether you are a parent or a teacher, chances are you are struggling with your own set of technology challenges from home. The struggle is only amplified when remote learning is incorporated into our daily lives. We are all learning quickly the pitfalls that occur without an IT support staff on speed dial. Although we can’t be there physically to help you day in and day out with issues that arise, these tips should help you set your kiddo up for success in this new remote learning environment.
Set up a filtered internet connection
If we had it our way, all districts would take advantage of our Content Filtering Service, but we realize that’s not attainable for every school. In many cases, it’s up to the family home’s browsing capabilities and limitations that can affect a child’s learning experience. Depending on your child’s computer type, we suggest Google Family Link, Apple’s Screen Time or Microsoft’s family controls to monitor and restrict your child’s access. Although most of our children are home with us during this time, we still aim to shelter them from all that the internet offers. With options like these, you’ll be able to decide when your child has access to the internet and what all they are able to access like websites and programming.
Have a conversation with your child
It’s never too late to discuss with your child on internet security and safety. Not only is this a life lesson, but it could disengage targeted attacks on children’s computers during this virtual learning school year. Unfortunately, people are aware of the vast number of students learning from home and are taking full advantage of targeting their cyberattacks to young children to seem like a game or a prize. Setting boundaries with your child on what they click and do not click or getting your permission before clicking anything suspicious could save you a giant headache from hackers.
Hide their classmates’ pictures
It will be hard enough to keep children’s, especially young, attention spans. If they can see every move their friends are making via a zoom call or any other similar platform, it could be highly distracting. Minimize the screens of their peers and maximize the teacher’s streaming screen. It may even be beneficial for your child to practice listening skills by minimizing all video options unless otherwise instructed by the teacher. This experience is a trial and error process for all of us. If you find yourself struggling with fundamental connectivity problems that we can help with to ease this process, contact us.