Page 12 - aruba-today-20200929

A12 TECHNOLOGY
Tuesday 29 sepTember 2020

Q&A: How to handle technology issues with online school

it. Another option: Services
like Zoom let you remove
your own image from your
screen while keeping your
camera on. Zoom explains
how to do that online.
Kids frustrated by having
to sit in front of a computer
all day and missing their
friends may act out, sigh-
ing loudly or disobeying
the rules, Anderson said.
Instead of issuing punish-
ments, try to come up
with coping plans — offer
breaks and activities they
enjoy in return for partici-
pating in virtual school.
For older children and
teens, give them room to
do the activities they love
independently. "Remind
them what they're work-
ing toward and what they
can look forward to," An-
derson said. "Build up cop-
ing thoughts for kid to get
through the rougher part of
the day."
Q: How do I hide the con-
tents of my house from my
In this Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020 file photo, Kelly Mack works on her laptop to teach remotely from her early 1940s vintage camper/ kids' teachers and class-
trailer in her backyard at home in Evanston, Ill.
Associated Press mates?
A: Many video services let
By TALI ARBEL perfect solutions. time. Are there simple ways up tech-support phone you choose a virtual back-
AP Technology Writer It's possible to use smart- to fix that? lines or live chats to help ground -- the Rocky Moun-
NEW YORK (AP) — Across phones as hotspots for A: Talk to your internet ser- students and parents. Chi- tains, a field of flowers, the
the U.S., the pandemic has computers, but that's an vice provider. It may be cago Public Schools, for Death Star -- that obscures
forced students to attend imperfect solution at best. time to update your mo- example, has phone help everything but the person
virtual school to prevent Not all plans let you run hot- dem or router, and some available in English and on the screen. Sometimes
spread of the coronavirus. spots off your phone, and offer Wi-Fi extenders to Spanish and a website you can also just blur the
But the more we rely on if you can, you probably improve the network. ISPs where you can open a tick- actual background. Oth-
technology, the bigger the face data caps -- which can also try repositioning et for help. But there may erwise, situate your kids in
consequences when gad- makes it impractical for all- your existing equipment not be much schools can a neutral space you all feel
gets or internet service let day online school. to improve the range and do if there's an issue with comfortable showing to
us down. Some cable companies are strength of Wi-Fi connec- your own computer or the the world -- maybe some-
Technology being technol- offering low-cost service for tions. cable company. where they'll sit with their
ogy, all sorts of things can eligible families, although Other options include Q: My kids are anxious backs to a wall -- and have
go wrong. Your internet ser- those programs are typi- "mesh" style Wi-Fi networks about seeing themselves them wear headphones to
vice may be inadequate cally limited to areas the that let you position sev- on camera and get frus- limit both distracting noises
for all-day videoconfer- companies already serve, eral base stations around trated in constant video and the possibility that un-
encing or simply over- often provide only mini- a large house, giving you a meetings. What can I do? related family conversa-
stressed. Hardware and mum broadband speeds stronger signal most every- A: Keeping video cameras tions might broadcast into
software can be confusing, and frequently aren't avail- where. If necessary, it may on is one way teachers try the virtual classroom.q
can break, and sometimes able to former customers be time to pay up for high- to ensure kids are paying
just fails to work. There can who owe the cable com- er-speed service. attention and not beaming
be unanticipated conse- pany money. You can also try talking to out to play video games,
quences from turning on a Schools may provide inter- teachers and co-workers to but not all kids react well.
new video camera in your net hotspots or free internet reschedule calls to go eas- Discuss any anxieties with
home for school lessons. at home for families without ier on the network. Turning teachers to work out solu-
Here are answers to some good service. Get in touch off your own camera dur- tions -- for instance, your
common questions from with the district or talk to a ing video calls can help, kid might not need to keep
parents now forced to teacher about how to get too. Sometimes teachers their head in frame at all
manage their kids' virtual help from your schools. can record lessons and times. If a child definitely
educations. They may also be able to send them to kids to watch needs to be on screen,
Q: We don't have a com- send computers or tablets later if live streaming isn't practice being on video
puter/enough computers/ to kids, although there's a possible. calls with family members,
fast enough internet ser- shortage of education-style Q: Virtual-school programs said David Anderson, a
vice for online school. What computers at the moment. and computers can be clinical psychologist at the
do we do? Q: Our service slows way hard to figure out. Gadgets Child Mind Institute. Expo-
A: This affects millions of down when several people break. Then what? sure to the scary situation
people, and there are no do video calls at the same A: Some districts have set helps children get used to