The COVID-19 epidemic has forced the issue of the necessity for remote learning onto schools across the country and opened eyes to how smoothly these systems work – or do not. School systems that had already made the investment in robust cloud systems and mobile device optimization were able to shift to workable homeschooling/remote education models much more easily than ones that had not. 

Unfortunately, achievement gaps in education are likely to only be greatly exacerbated by the long-term school closings of 2020. Affluent school systems were better prepared for this contingency. They had already provided their students with Chromebooks or iPads, had onboarded those devices and successfully connected them to their networks, and had trained staff and students to use them. Many school districts with tighter budgets or less foresight had to scramble and start from scratch. 

Remote Learning Is Crucial

Having the ability to provide remote learning when necessary is so important, especially during a lockdown. It provides normalcy for students and teachers and establishes a routine in a new and frustrating situation. Students can interact with their teachers and their classmates through email and video conferencing which helps keep them on track academically and socially. Parents can relay their concerns and get the assistance they need to tutor their children and encourage them to keep learning even with the unique obstacles we currently face.

The coronavirus emergency has fully revealed the need for schools and other organizations to be cloud-enabled. The technology and software exist to allow students to continue their work and remain academically successful as if they were in school. Conversely, schools using poorly set up networks, outdated equipment, or bad software are setting up their students to fail. Their frustration with the technology will cause them to give up on trying to access the material they are expected to learn, let alone try to learn it.  

When it comes to remote learning adoption, there are some barriers, including concerns about cost, privacy, security, and usability. With the right technology and training, however, these are easily overcome. When schools are cloud enabled, they are able to be flexible in how they operate and can ride external events like school closings for epidemics or prolonged bad weather. 

Moss works with schools all across Michigan, from Traverse City to Kalamazoo to Detroit, installing technology and creating systems that meet their learning needs whether on site or off. If your school needs assistance upgrading your system to better meet the needs of your students, contact us. We are ready to listen and help. We can design and build a system that your teachers, administrators, students, and parents will be able to use and love.