6 tips for using LanSchool Air to strengthen remote learning

Schools have been closed for weeks due to Coronavirus, but many teachers are still trying to find the best way to ensure their students are learning remotely. For students who have devices at home, teachers can provide online instruction that’s more comparable to what students are used to in the classroom.

At LanSchool, we’re committed to helping you protect students and staff while minimizing disruption to instruction. Used in conjunction with other edtech, LanSchool Air is a powerful tool for facilitating K-12 distance learning and ensuring students are continuing to meet their learning goals during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

How to use LanSchool Air for distance learning

Here’s how one school we work with recommends using LanSchool Air with 1:1 Chromebooks while students are at home: 

• Set scheduled times for the class to meet online.
• Use a web meeting tool like Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom to stream live audio/video. To help, Lenovo put together a Distance Learning Toolkit with suggestions on how to get started using distance learning tools seamlessly. 
• Ask students to log in to their Chromebooks using their school-managed G Suite accounts (if applicable). As long as your admin has signed up using a Google Admin account and imported the student data, the LanSchool Air app will automatically be deployed to students’ Chromebooks upon login.
• Log in to LanSchool Air and hit “Start Class.” You’ll be able to see all of your students’ live screens and interact with them to help guide learning. 

We recognize that not all schools are structuring their distance learning plans the same way, so our team is working to help support you no matter your device environment. If your students are using Windows or Mac devices, you can use these complimentary LanSchool Air licenses with them too. Learn more about how to implement LanSchool Air here.

Tips for making the most of LanSchool Air’s features

Once you’ve set up LanSchool Air, you’ll have access to a number of features that can help you facilitate successful distance learning with your class.

1. You’ll be able to monitor the screens of student devices that are online and have the LanSchool Air student client installed. Use this feature to guide students through content and to easily determine when to step in to help. 
2. Consider using Web Limiting with an allow list to keep students away from websites that are not relevant to the lesson. Remember to make allowances for other remote learning sites you may be using like Google Meet, Google Classroom, or other tools.
3. Use Push Website to quickly get all students on the same page. Enter any URL, and LanSchool Air will open a new browser tab for the student and take them right to that site.
4. Encourage students to use the Raise Hand and Chat features of LanSchool Air to let you know when they need help. Or use these features to add a bit of collaborative fun to break up the session.
5. To help conserve internet bandwidth, switch your class view to “List View.” This way you can stay engaged with the entire class and view individual student screens only when necessary.
6. If a student is appearing as “Offline,” ask them to click on the LanSchool Air icon on their device and click on the status icon. If the icon is yellow or red, it will include an error message that will help your technical staff troubleshoot the issue.
   

Tips for setup and configuration

As with any technology, setup and configuration can make a big difference in your experience using LanSchool Air. Here are a few tips for setting up the software to work seamlessly across student devices:

1. Configure LanSchool Air to allow student devices to connect from outside the school’s network. As a Site Admin, navigate to Settings > IP Access Filtering and set to Disabled.
2. For students using Chromebooks, confirm that both the LanSchool Air App and Extension are assigned to the correct organizational units in Google Admin and set to Force-Install. Complete instructions for configuring the Chromebook client are available here.
3. For students using personal Chromebook devices at home, make sure they are logging into the Chromebook using their school-managed G Suite account.
4. For students using school-managed Windows or Mac devices, make sure the LanSchool Air client has been successfully deployed and provisioned on the devices. IT Admins can deploy the client MSI or PKG using standard application deployment tools like SCCM, JAMF, or even Active Directory Group Policy. Complete instructions are available here.
5. For students using Windows or Mac devices that do not have the LanSchool Air client installed, teachers can use the in-class “Add Device” button to generate a URL that students can use to download the client and install it. Students will need permission to install software on the device. Complete instructions are available here. If it’s installed on a student’s personal device, the student should uninstall the client when class is over.

We are grateful for your dedication to your students during this crisis and are committed to supporting you however we can. Please reach out to our Customer Support team for help getting started with remote e-learning or making the most of your complimentary LanSchool Air licenses. Together, we will work to ensure students continue to receive the personalized and collaborative instruction they need to be successful.