09/03/2020
Helpful Hints for DCPS Students and Families -
How to Improve Your Google/Virtual Experience
Wow! What a rush in just five school days! Our students have learned new content, faculty and staff have learned new ways to teach, and we - in the DCPS technology departments - have learned the technological limitations of virtual education. The longevity limits of a computer before all the keys pop off, the processing limits of a core router, the distance limits of a house from a cell tower, and the bandwidth limits of a home wifi setup with multiple students in the home are all things we’ve learned in the last five school days.
However, we’ve also learned several actions we can all take to improve the overall computer experience and to avoid overwhelming our devices (and Google). Consider the following suggestions.
Restart your computer daily
Sit near the wifi router in the home
Turn off all other Internet streams (Spotify, Netflix, etc) in the home
Reduce the number of active Chrome extensions
Reduce the number of active Chrome tabs
Reduce the number of Windows
Reduce the number of additional Apps
Mute your mic when you enter a Meet
Mute your camera when you enter a Meet (biggest adjustment)
Leave the camera muted as much as possible (Students)
Reduce the length of a recording only the delivery of content
Reduce the minutes students are live in a Meet only to the essential learning time
School district technology leaders across the country are giving similar advice to their teachers and students. If we all take at least some of these actions, quality should improve.
Please continue to send all Tech Help questions to [email protected]
Thank you for your perseverance and patience!