Internet on the Fritz

  If you've read my blog for the past few weeks, you know the school and the village are having internet problems due to relay tower covered in ice a couple feet thick.  Just the other night, the internet company sent a couple techs out to set up a military grade satellite dish they are loaning us but the internet is still limited.

Since it is the state testing time of year, the first priority is to get students tested.  The whole schedule got thrown out due to the internet going in and out.  When testing is going on, teachers can only use the internet to take roll.

If I want a video from Youtube, Khan Academy, Edpuzzle or other website, I have to come in before  or stay after to download it so it can be used in my class.  I cannot stream it during school or the tests get kicked off. 

I have been wanting to have my students work problems out on Google slides but that won't happen right now.  I love posting assignments on Google Classroom but again, I can't as long as our bandwidth is so limited we even have to limit the number of students tested.

My students ask when will be able to play Kahoot again but that will be another week or two because we have MAP testing to see how much growth our students have made since Christmas.  They love playing Jeopardy but that is not possible for the moment unless I find a Smart version.

I realize there are better pieces of equipment to use than Smart boards and presentations but I can use the Smart board equipment already installed in my classroom without using bandwidth except to download predone activity.  I can use it to show the video's I'd normally have students watch on their own devices. 

What I do have are several math apps for students to use which allow them to practice certain skills since they work well off line but I have a few apps that will not work without the internet.  I almost feel crippled without access to all my usual internet based materials.

 The routers and such are about 8 years old so they are not very efficient.  The school is hoping to put in new routers and other equipment to make the internet more efficient and easier to use. We are hoping this will allow everyone to use the internet in class for education.  We may not be able to stream videos but we should be able to have students work together on Google slides to produce a PDF explaining the similarities between regular fractions and algebraic fractions or a slide show on exponential functions, common logs, natural logs and e.

I hope next year is better so I can do more with technology to help my students develop a deeper understanding and learn skills they can use in the future.  Let me know what you think.