As students and parents prepare for the upcoming school year, shopping lists are filled with school essentials like backpacks, pencils and notebooks. But in today’s digital age, one crucial item is often overlooked: high-speed Internet.
Reliable Internet access is no longer a luxury but a necessity for academic success. From accessing online textbooks and submitting assignments to participating in virtual classrooms and conducting research, a fast and stable Internet connection is vital to modern learning.
The New Classroom Experience
As digital learning continues to advance, it’s clear that lessons no longer need to take place inside the four walls of a classroom. But it still does happen in real time! From pre-recorded lectures to live virtual classrooms, students need to be able to access educational platforms without lag or skipping.
High-speed fiber Internet ensures that students can watch videos and stream without skipping or buffering. Synchronous upload and download speeds mean students can participate in live classes without interruption and engage in online discussions without missing a beat. With a slower, unreliable connection, they may miss out on crucial interactions and information, putting them at a significant disadvantage.
Students now engage with each other online as much as they do in person. Working on group projects and engaging in peer discussions is now done using digital platforms. Fast, reliable Internet with uploads as fast as downloads—which fiber Internet offers at all speeds—is crucial for using tools like Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams, allowing students to share ideas, work on documents simultaneously and maintain a sense of community, even when physically apart.
Brave New (Digital) World
Once a staple of the middle and high school experience, the use of lockers in schools has been on the decline for years as more school resources and assignments are digitized. Educational videos, virtual activities and research databases are integral parts of today’s curriculum.
Nationwide, by 2023, the average number of edtech tools accessed per school district in K-12 schools surpassed 2,500, a significant jump from the average of 895 per district seen during the 2018-19 school year. High-speed Internet enables students and teachers to quickly access these resources. Additionally, many assignments and projects now require online research, making fast and reliable Internet a critical part of completing homework effectively.
Students are often required to submit their work online through platforms like Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams. High-speed Internet enables students to upload assignments without delays or technical issues, meeting deadlines and avoiding penalties for late submissions. It also allows teachers to provide timely feedback, leading to a more dynamic and responsive learning environment.
21st Century Connections
Access to high-speed Internet service is, unfortunately, not something all families have, which can create significant disparities in educational opportunities. A fiber Internet connection that gives the best online classroom experience can be difficult to find.
That’s why here at Archtop Fiber, we are committed to bridging the digital divide and delivering the fastest, most reliable and environmentally friendly Internet service through our 100%-fiber network.
Our state-of-the-art network delivers the speeds and bandwidth needed for today’s learning environment. Check to see if our service is available in your area here. Here’s to a successful school year!