Remote Learning Resources
The infrastructure and tools you need to plan and teach students remotely
With Michigan schools closed for the remainder of the year, Macro Connect wants to make sure you have the resources your teachers need to provide effective remote instruction and for your students to learn well at home.
This page will serve as a consolidated resource guide. Below, you will find a series of questions to ask yourself about your school’s remote learning preparedness as well as some of our top suggested solutions. This list consists of vendors that have stood out to us as strategic partners for remote reaching and learning. Please review each section and connect with our Client Solutions team if you need help putting any pieces in place.
Thank you to all of the educators working so hard to keep our children engaged!
Macro Connect has been a crucial thought partner to our leadership team in helping us build and execute a remote learning and work strategy. Within weeks we were able to deliver professional development, implement a cloud phone system, and roll out devices to our students.
Remote Learning Infrastructure
Getting Students Access to Devices
The current public health crisis has added even more pressure to get devices to students. If you’re not already a 1:1 district and are dealing with supply chain challenges, contact us for help with creative solutions like:
- Used Windows, Mac or Chromebook devices from refurb shops.
- Turn old workstations into Chromebooks with CloudReady.
- Our distributor network is vast, so we keep up-to-date on inventory availability across many channels.
If you need a quote on devices, reach out using the button below.
Neighborhood Wi-Fi & Hotspots
Due to limited inventory for hotspots and limited offerings from Internet Service Providers, we’re helping turn existing campus facilities into neighborhood Wi-Fi hot spots. Think “Drive In” Wi-Fi, for your school, neighborhood, or partner locations.
If you are struggling to meet increased technology demands due to remote learning needs, ask us about our remote and drive in IT support using the button below!
Protecting Your Data at Home
Cybercriminal activity is surging and your home network and devices are far more vulnerable than your campus connections. At a minimum, any staff handling sensitive or mission critical information should consider using the following:
- Virtual Private Network (VPN) to secure your network connection.
- Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) to prevent password theft.
- Remote back-up for data recovery in the case of ransomware or equipment failure.
If you are missing any of these, or need help setting them up, reach out using the button below.
Teaching, Learning & Productivity
Online Content Delivery & Professional Development
Entirely remote learning means new tools for lesson delivery and student engagement. Simplify administrative tasks like grading, reporting, and communication with popular learning management systems like:
- Google Classroom
- Schoology
Of course, professional development on these tools and communication with staff, students, and families are paramount. Get in touch for implementation or training support using the button below.
Filter Content & Keep Students On Task
Working and teaching remotely presents a whole new set of distractions but we have some great tools to help bridge the physical gap:
- ClassLink Lite – Remove the headache of managing multiple apps and logins at home with ClassLink’s Single Sign On tool. You also get access to Analytics to monitor application usage and login for your district in less than 2 hours!
- GoGuardian – Filter the content your students can access remotely and monitor their screens to ensure they are in the right spot at the right time!
Reach out at the button below to implement these tools for your students.
Professional Development & Training
Having the right tools doesn’t mean everyone knows how to use them effectively. That’s why we’re offering a wide array of virtual PD for work from home productivity. Training topics include:
- Google Classroom
- Zoom, Teams, GoToMeeting
- PowerSchool and LMS’s
- Cyber Security
- Many More!
Lesson & Business Planning
How to Keep Staff & Parents Connected
Physical separation can decrease visibility and communication with staff, and to home! We’ve found GoToConnect to bridge that gap by offering the ability to text, make phone calls, and video conference remotely, with zero hardware. If you’re interested in learning more, and want to take advantage of 90 days free, let us know using the contact tools below.
Getting a Plan in Place
With the demand to get a curriculum and learning continuity plan in place by April 28th, we understand time is of the essence. We also understand that you may not know where to start, or just need some finishing touches. If you sit in either camp, check out the resources below to help!
Budgeting & Funding
Providing your team and students with remote learning capabilities isn’t always free, but funding and resources are available. We can help you build a revised technology budget. Just reach out using the contact tools below.
Want to take a more holistic view of your budget? Our partners at EdOps specialize in K-12 finance. They’ve offered to set up complimentary budget reviews for districts looking to free up finances for remote learning initiatives. Set an appointment with EdOps here.