How Technology Can Help Your Distance Learning Efforts This Fall

Distance learning is going to be a brave new world for most families this fall.

Whether your kids have been back to school part time, or are fully learning remotely, this fall has been full of changes for teachers, kids, and parents alike. Distance learning is a new concept for most people, and it's been an adjustment all around.

Of course, all of us here at AV Design Consultants want to do anything we can to help make this transition easier, and it so happens there's a way we can do just that: Looking at how technology can help make your distance learning efforts this fall easier. So, we've put together some suggestions on ways you can use your favorite smart home tech to make learning easier on everyone involved. Let's take a look!

Music Lessons/Class 

While the arts may be one of the first things cut from school budgets, it's just as important as ever to give your kids a creative outlet -- and maybe even more important than ever if they don't get a chance to leave the house all day!

Though, unless you are a music instructor yourself, you probably don't have a dedicated area that your kids can use to follow along with the instructor digitally while also playing their own instrument. 

In cases like these, we recommend turning the living room into its own little studio. With a crisp, bright big screen TV, your kids won't have any problems seeing or following along with their teacher. You’ll also want to make sure you can cast to your TV -- this will give you a bigger picture, and it’s even better for interactive lessons like music class! Throw in a surround sound system, and the lesson will fill the room and surround your kids -- emulating that full-band experience in the only way possible right now. 

Group Projects 

Nobody liked them before, but they aren't going anywhere -- just because everything is distance based, doesn't mean that the dreaded group project is going away. You just have to be a little more creative in your solutions to help the transition go as easy as possible for your kids. 

Of course, software like Zoom is a must-have, but what else can you do to make conferencing easier on your kids? 

The good news is that there are smart video conference systems available -- so you can easily turn any room into a makeshift conference room. With such a smart video conferencing system, your kid will be able to see, talk, and easily collaborate with their fellow classmates from anywhere. It's the same type of solution businesses use, and it works just as great for letting kids work remotely from home. 

A Safety Net(work)

Any good working or learning from home set up is going to need a strong network infrastructure to support it: a reliable network with faster speed to accommodate the larger bandwidth of video conferencing going on. Especially if you have multiple children attending different classes, and you are also working and video conferencing from home, a strong network is a must have.

Of course, internet, network, and buffering problems are common, but they are also something you shouldn’t have to deal with! We can easily troubleshoot your current system -- or even help you get set up with a smart-home ready modern network that will even be able to handle everybody video chatting and teleconferencing at the same time! Give us a call at 479-365-2201 today to learn more!

An Office Space

Another important thing for you to set up for your children to help with their distance learning efforts is an "office" space of their own. With a dedicated learning space, they can get used to the routine of leaving their room -- or the living room -- and moving over to their own "work/study" space. 

You’ll also want a camera with two-way communication -- this will let you keep an eye on your kid and communicate with them whether you are in the room or not. It gives them the feeling of being left alone to do their thing, but also provides you the peace of mind that you can help keep them on track if need be. 

The more you can include in this space to differentiate it from the rest of the house, the better. Remove all video games and other distractions -- but make sure to keep either a monitor or TV in there; whatever you have set up for your children to use for their school day. 

Smart and Bright Solutions 

Last but not least, there are many more ways that your smart home and smart technology can help you help your kids succeed this semester. One great way to do this is with smart lights.  Smart lights can easily be used to help you keep your kids on track and on a schedule -- especially since they won't have the ever-ringing period bell anymore to guide them through each day. Take things even further by adding in circadian lighting -- with this focus on specific lighting hues, you’ll be able to increase your kids’ focus and attention. This will help them learn more and be more productive throughout their at-home school day!

You can easily set up your smart lights to turn on or off, change colors, or even adjust brightness on a schedule or routine, helping you give your kids a sense of normality, even in these really not-so-normal times. You can even change the shade of your lights from concentration-boosting colors to more active tones when it's recess time, further helping to break up the day while also helping cement routine. 

We're all adjusting to change this year, but with the right technology behind you, you'll be set to make sure the school year goes as smoothly as possible. Of course, no matter what your technology needs are, we're always here to help! Give us a call at 479-365-2201 and let's help bring your whole family into a tech-based future.