Top 5 Tech Needs for Virtual Schooling & Work

My full-time job is working as an IT Help Desk Team Lead. As you may have guessed, we have had an increase in calls for people who are working from home. In fact, our team is now working remotely. Working from home and the kids now having the option or mandate to do schooling from home can be a challenge. I personally have had to work and try to monitor our now 6-month-old son! So, believe me, I UNDERSTAND! LOL!

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However, as a techie, I just wanted to offer some honest tips to help with virtual schooling and work. You may be a household with a mixed situation of adult(s) working from home, small child not even in school yet, and another (or a few) who are school age but are now are mandated to attend school virtually. Here is what I believe are at least the top 5 tech needs:

1. Reliable computer equipment. Please do not try to give your child an old ‘hand me down’ laptop and/or tablet from 5 or so years ago. Unless you have the expertise to refurbish and/or upgrade, just consider buying some new equipment. I suggest considering all who will be at home to ensure you have everyone covered when necessary. For example, check out the new Kindles for kids. I have noticed the one with the blue protective case is just a Kindle 8 while the one with the pink protective case is a Kindle 10. However, I do not believe there is the much of a difference beside the amount of memory. I suggest these because they are preloaded with a lot of teaching apps that may be suggested by teachers. Also, consider a portable charger for these devices. In case you may need to run errands or anything. That way they stay charged on the go. Plus, portable chargers are capable of charging more than just a tablet. For the older children who needs the laptop, consider getting a nice Lenovo laptop. I personally use one and have not experienced any significant issues. I just used it to attend a certification course and everything worked as it should from the microphone, camera, etc. Plus, I find that Lenovo is not too expensive, and they are striving to keep up with offering affordable options for digital security.
   
2. Internet security software. I remember talking with parents who did not want  internet because they either could not afford the internet service itself or they did not want to buy the necessary security software for accessing the internet. The truth is: Internet is a necessity in majority of households. 10 years ago, it was not (maybe longer). Most major companies, e.g. Norton, McAfee, etc., offers protecting more than one device. When antivirus and security software was first created, it was certainly not a bargain because it did only protect that specific device. You had to purchase multiple copies; per say. Nowadays, most of them will cover anywhere from 5 to 10 devices including your mobile phone and tablets. However, if you just want to keep things simple for now, consider visiting the Damsel in Defense website. Sure, they offer personal protection items for the family BUT they also offer a service called Digital Defense. You can get internet security protection in a variety of categories and it is reasonably priced.
   
3. Overall Stable Internet Service Provider (ISP). I know every ISP has their downfalls. The best tip when it comes to finding a stable ISP is to know where you live. Not just the specific city or state. Recognize your surroundings. If you live close to open fields, power lines, large trees, the bottom floor of an apartment building, near train tracks, etc. All these hold the potential for interference when it comes to establishing and maintaining an internet connection. For example, if you live hear a ton of trees and power lines, have an ISP service via satellite may not be the best option. If more than two or three people are accessing the internet at the same time, it could slow your connection speed or disconnect someone. You want to ensure you research and ask your ISPs how to best setup your home. For example, if you aren’t able to afford the best package that offers enough bandwidth and/or connection speeds, then know you’ll need to setup a rule that only a certain amount of people can stream and/or access the internet during the day while an adult is working from home.
   
4. Know Which, How, and When to Contact Reliable Tech Support. Recognize that one tech support will not be able to fix ALL your technical issues. If you are having issues with your ISP, contacting your work tech support will not fix your ISP issue. You may be able to discover it is an issue with your ISP but as a fellow tech support associate, please understand it is not the responsibility of one tech support area to fix all tech issues. When you contact the tech support team, just know the basics. If you know a lot about computers, awesome (and there is no need to tell the tech support associate that you know a lot about computers). If you do not, it is ok. Just know the basics, e.g. what a mouse is, a monitor, keyboard, the router and/or modem, etc. Be prepared to provide information to confirm you are. It is for your safety more than anything. Lastly, knowing when to contact tech support is important because it can help make solving your issue(s) for efficient. Try not to wait until 10 minutes before your Zoom meeting/class. If you start to notice slowness as the time approaches, it may be a promising idea to contact tech support. If you notice you are disconnecting more than usual in a single day, contact tech support. Try not to wait until the next day.
   
5. Patience. I know this is not a “technical” concept but when it comes to all that is happening in the world, patience is a necessity! Even for technical purposes. For example, if you experience a power outage, do not get overwhelmed. Most companies and schools recognize the possible issues of having a virtual environment. The best thing to do is notify someone, e.g. the teacher, your boss, etc. and chill. Light some candles and do something together as a family if nothing else. Truthfully, patience is often the best necessity to have. It helps to keep us focused on what really matters in life.
   

Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

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Question: To the parents with kids at home for virtual schooling: How are you all managing? Or plan to manage once school starts back? How has the back to school shopping been like? I would love to read your comments below.