5 Offline Tools to Help Online Learning
Virtual learning is new to almost all of us. It is also, at best, unpredictable. Even the best internet service might get overloaded as everyone in town starts school on the same day.
You can prepare for virtual learning challenges by having these offline tools handy.
Notebook - A plan ol’ paper and pen or pencil can be endlessly useful when virtual learning. There will be times that you are given important information and can’t bring up your note-taking document quickly enough. There will be times your teacher posts a diagram you want to copy but can’t really do it well on the computer. There will be times that the internet comes crashing down and you have one more idea you need to record before you forget it. It never hurts to have a notebook, piece of paper, or even a Post-it pad nearby.
Water Bottle - You need water to live. It makes you feel good. It can also destroy your computer. Keep yourself and your computer working optimally with a sealed water bottle in your work space.
Healthy Snacks - Are you the kind of person that wakes up early every morning to make sure there’s plenty of time to eat breakfast and get ready before school? No? Me neither. Keep some healthy snacks like peanut butter crackers or cereal bars at your work station for those days you start school and realize you never had breakfast.
Troubleshooting Instructions - I do not recommend figuring out how to troubleshoot your internet connection while your internet is out and your cell service is spotty. Have a set of troubleshooting steps printed out so you can use them without internet access. Steps can include turning the computer’s WiFi off and on, rebooting the computer, or resetting the router. (Important: Before resetting the router, make sure nobody else in the house is in the middle of a meeting.)
Assignment and Task List - If you haven’t done a lot of virtual work, you may not have ever had the experience of having your internet stop working an hour before your homework is due (the homework you didn’t start yet, because an hour is more than enough time to finish it). It’s frustrating. It’s a little easier when you remember that you wrote the page numbers of your assignment in your notebook. You can still do the assignment on time! Even if the internet doesn’t return in time to submit the assignment, you can still take pictures and text them to your teacher to show how responsible you are. Your entire task list doesn’t need to be on paper. I hate using paper - but my to-do list app periodically syncs with the cloud, so I can still see assignments and due dates offline.
While it is impossible to predict and prepare for all obstacles, we can at least make sure we have a few things under control.
What are your favorite offline tricks for online learning? Comment below or email robinsatty@stemsmartconsulting.com.