Since it's difficult to monitor or control laptop usage outside the classroom, you want to ensure students are informed and set up for success in terms of caring for these devices.
Consider giving families a guide along with their device and make the instructions short and to-the-point. It should inform students of the basics of using the hardware and software that come with their laptops. Your IT and media department can help organize the list.
A school laptop care and protection guide can also be provided in a PDF or public document to view online, and then shared with parents via email. Add download links to the guide on your school website or portal.
Making the investment in a case will help ensure a laptop safely arrives at its destination and survives long hours of use. By choosing a carefully sized and padded laptop case, you can eliminate sliding and slipping. The most effective cases often won't need the user to remove the laptop to operate it, meaning they provide better protection against damage from bumps, and accidental drops.
Rather than ask families to download updates and configure fixes themselves, you may benefit from using remote IT software to assist with managing and monitoring multiple computers. Installing a remote access tool also gives your tech department the reins to control laptops directly from abroad and initiate solutions.
Mark Zadvinskis
Author