“Mom! Something’s wrong with the WiFi,” is a phrase that is uttered almost daily at my house. We live “in the woods” and our internet is what my youngest calls “wacky.”
During the 2020-2021 school year, I was one of nine teachers at my school who taught classes virtually. At the beginning of the year, each grade level was given identical schedules that outlined the times to conduct Google Meets. During our morning Google Meets, many teachers in the school building were having students complete assignments using their chromebooks, which were obviously connected to the wireless network (WiFi). We found out the hard way that our network infrastructure was not capable of handling this. We would begin our meets only to be “kicked off” or unable to join at all. Both teachers and parents were frustrated.
“With the proliferation of internet-dependent devices in classrooms and offices, reliable high-speed network connections are becoming critical to schools”(Frazier & Hearrington, 2017, p. 124). Therefore, our technology department was immediately made aware of the situation and worked quickly to solve the problem we were facing. The first solution suggested was that the remote teachers stop using laptops and begin to use desktop computers that were on a wired connection. The problem with that was the desktops we had access to were old and slow. Our school had purchased new laptops and chromebooks instead of updating desktops. Also, the first grade teachers were teaching from rooms in the building that didn’t have access points to plug into. Frazier and Hearrington (2017) note the importance of having network access points that are strategically placed throughout the building so that there is not a lack of coverage. The access points in our building are strategically placed, but some of us were literally teaching from storage rooms.
My Virtual Classroom
Since this did not solve the problem, a county technology coordinator was sent to our school. He was able to find creative ways to wire us to the internet. My connection was through a phone that was connected to the internet. After his creativity, we were able to use our new laptops on a wired connection. Being on a wired connection gave us a more stable connection and also higher capacity and connection speeds.
It is important that the technology coordinator ensures that the network infrastructure meets the needs of its users. Some factors to consider when determining connectivity is the number of connections, the types of services that will be provided, and the budget that is available (Frazier & Hearrington, 2017). When the network does not meet the needs of the users, users become frustrated and it can ultimately affect student learning. Participants in a study conducted by Demuyakor (2021) identified poor Wi-Fi connections and unreliable internet service as two factors that were challenges of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn the basics on how WiFi works, watch the video below.
Because of our technology coordinators, the remote teachers and learners at my school were able to have a successful learning and teaching experience. I am very thankful for the technology coordinators in my school system.
Resources
Demuyakor, J. (2021). COVID-19 pandemic and higher education: Leveraging on digital technologies and mobile applications for online learning in Ghana. Shanlax International Journal of Education, 9(3), 26–38.Frazier, M., & Hearrington, D. (2017). The technology coordinator’s handbook (3rd ed.). International Society for Technology in Education.
Giphy. Screaming Mother’s Day. https://giphy.com/gifs/studiosoriginals-mothers-day-XD0AlDoAUOFdfT2naH
Life Noggin. (2016). How does WiFi work? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=METB1o4UAT8
Vinikas, I. (2021, January 25). Virtual classroom: What it is and how it works. Kultura. https://corp.kaltura.com/blog/what-is-a-virtual-classroom/
Vinikas, I. (2021, January 25). Virtual classroom: What it is and how it works. Kultura. https://corp.kaltura.com/blog/what-is-a-virtual-classroom/
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ReplyDeleteDana, that is so awesome have you guys got creative to be able to deliver the online instruction that was so valuable last year. I have to say we have similar experiences with out school wifi, being that our school building was literally built in a "hole" (at the bottom of a hill) and holds service with a very non-reliable internet provider! But, we make the best of it that we can and I spent many days last year working off my personal hotspot since I was the only 4th and 5th grade virtual teacher! As Fraizer and Hearrington discuss, it is critical that a network be appropriately designed for that location (2017, p. 123). I can remember the year we got additional access points so each classroom had one, and it was a game changer for us all! Due to the pandemic and also the amount of adults working from home, technical teams are seeing an increase in usage and having to protect against security threats. I hope that our schools are indeed planning for long term usages on the network (English).
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experiences!
Katie
References:
English, J. (n.d.) Build a strong network to support remote workers. Tech Target. https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/ehandbook/Maintaining-network-infrastructure-in-a-pandemic-and-beyond
Fraizer, M. & Hearrington, D. (2017) The technology coordinator's handbook. International Society for Technology in Education. 3rd edition.
Frazier & Hearrington (2017) argue, " for most schools, high-speed network and internet access is considered a standard utility in the same way that water and electricity are expected services" (p. 124). In the technology driven world we live in, it is more of a shock to not have internet. For schools, students and teachers alike rely on this for project based learning, streaming educational videos, testing, using academic based programs to reinforce skills for students, and so much more. According to Public Policy (2017), internet provides "better access to a much wider range of information and resources and new skills for the digital age". Students are even completing homework at school or on buses with mobile hotspots if they do not have access at home. It is critical for schools to have functioning and reliable services. When used correctly with reliable internet access, technology can transform the learning process and give students better opportunities. Thank you for sharing your insight.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Frazier, M. & Hearrington, D. (2017) The technology coordinator's handbook. International Society for Technology in Education. 3rd edition.
Public Society. (2017). Internet Access and Education: Key considerations for policy makers. Internet Society. https://www.internetsociety.org/resources/doc/2017/internet-access-and-education/
My family and I moved back to rural Bibb County last year. I did not think I would have internet problems because my relatives had internet nearby. I learned after building and moving that my new home is too far off the road to receive a connection. Our family has lived off of an AT&T hotspot for a year that is "Wacky".
ReplyDeleteIn the schools, I am thankful that we were mostly prepared with our infrastructure. When I was hired in 2016, one of the very first things I did was install unified wifi in every school. We also expanded our internet connection with Alabama Super Computer. We had a few classrooms with issues, but overall we came through pretty well.