Does remote learning feel more like detention? These online resources make studying fun

Learning or teaching from home is seeing a huge increase in popularity within the last decade. Online learning is helpful for unconventional students, such as those continuing their education later in life.

Check out the table below to see where you can find online resources. We’ll also show you how to:

• Get cheap or free internet
• Speed up your current internet
• Make an at-home study schedule
• Adjust to studying from home

Helpful resources for online students, teachers and parents

Look at this list of top online teaching and learning platforms for ages 2 to adult. Find the online learning sources best for you based on price, subject matter and age range.

Get cheap internet for online learning

One of the major obstacles to successful online teaching and learning is access to affordable internet. Luckily, there are a few ways to get cheap internet for your home, including modifying your current service, switching providers or finding student internet discounts.

Low-income internet is available for homes that meet income requirements. Check out the ISPs with special internet programs:

• Optimum Advantage Internet – Up to 50 Mbps for $14.99/mo. 
• Access from AT&T – Up to 100 Mbps for under $30/mo.*
• Cox Connect2Compete – Up to 100 Mbps for $9.95/mo.*
• Mediacom Xtream Connect – Up to 25 Mbps for $9.95/mo.*
• Spectrum Internet Assist – Varies
• Xfinity Internet Essentials – Up to 50 Mbps for $9.95/mo.*

Now that you know what resources are available to at-home students and what speeds those programs require, you can assess if you have the best home internet to support your household. 

Speed up your current internet

Before upgrading or shopping for internet, take stock of what you need to study or teach from home. Ask yourself questions such as, “how many people in your home will be using the internet at once?” and “what types of activities are you doing online?” to make sure that you are not paying for more internet speed than you need. 

If you already have internet access at your home, but it’s not as fast as you would like, there are a few tips and tricks that you can try before paying more for faster internet. 

• Make sure you are using the best web browser
• Try updating your modem and router
• If you need to stream lessons online, check out these tips for improving your streaming quality
• If your internet is just generally slow, try these tips for improving your Wi-Fi connection

What internet speed do you need?

You can test your current upload and download speeds to see what your internet connection can handle.

• Light internet use

  1 to 2 devices: 5 to 20 Mbps

  2 to 4 devices: 20 to 40 Mbps

  5 to 10 devices: 50 to 100 Mbps

• Moderate internet use

  1 to 2 devices: 5 to 20 Mbps

  2 to 4 devices: 20 to 40 Mbps

  5 to 10 devices: 75 to 200 Mbps

• High internet use

  1 to 2 devices: 100 to 200 Mbps

  2 to 4 devices: 200 to 300 Mbps

  5 to 10 devices: 400 to 500 Mbps

Make a remote learning schedule

It’s a good idea to make a schedule for the days you will be learning or teaching remotely. Even if you don’t end up strictly sticking to your schedule, it can serve as a reliable outline for your day. 

If you’re a parent of a student who is currently learning from home or a teacher in charge of getting your lesson plans online, you may have to log in at a certain time each day to interact with your classroom. The good news is the rest of your day’s schedule is up to you.

Remember, the most important actions to setting up yourself or your child for success with online learning is to promote:

1. Attendance: Make sure to log in before classes start. Give yourself time to sort out any technical issues if you are using a new technology that is not familiar to you.
2. Participation: Part of staying engaged with online learning is asking questions and engaging in lessons, just like if you were in the physical classroom.
3. Follow-through: Complete and turn in assignments on time, and allow time for studying when necessary. Need some more help staying organized? Check out these student-friendly apps to keep you on the right track.

How to successfully study and work from home

Much like working from home, learning or teaching from home can be a whole new experience, especially to those who are used to being in a conventional classroom for eight hours a day. So be prepared for possible apprehension on the part of children and teens. If you’re a student or a teacher with young children at home as well, here’s some advice from WFH parents that might help. 

And remember, the first few days, or weeks, may require some adjustment before you feel a sense of routine and normalcy, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re not getting the hang of it right away. 

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