The content of this post originally appeared on my other site, PracticalEdTech.com and subscribers to my newsletter received a copy of this poster in high resolution PDF format.
Many issues users have with their computers and with web tools can be resolved with simple fixes, such as running updates and restarting. But if you don’t know that these simple things can fix your problem, you can’t try them and go straight to calling the computer help desk. To help you solve your own technical problems in the classroom, I’ve put together a short list of simple solutions.
The following list is not meant to be exhaustive. It is simply intended to solve common problems and their solutions. If you are someone called upon to help solve technical problems in the classroom, please feel free to forward this article to your staff.
1. Run updates. If you see updates available for your computer, run them. This will probably mean restarting your computer, which can be annoying, but it’s not as annoying as having a malfunctioning computer. Also, using an outdated computer and software can make it more vulnerable to security breaches.
2. Turn it off, count to ten, turn it on. Even if your computer is up to date, restarting it can resolve issues. This is especially true when it comes to issues related to connecting to things like printers and projectors.
3. Cookies! Have you enabled cookies? Many websites (web applications) require cookies in order to provide you with the best possible experience and/or full functionality. Likewise, you may need to clear cookies in order to clear the information stored in your browser for a particular site. Here is a short video on how to do this.
4. Close some background tabs and apps. If your computer is running slower than you would like, the problem could be that too many unnecessary things are running in the background. If you’re not sure what’s running in the background on a Windows computer, press CTRL+ALT+Del to open Task Manager. On a Mac open activity monitor to see what is running in the background.
5. Enable pop-ups. It’s not uncommon for web apps to use a pop-up window for account logins and for additional features like audio recording (WeVideo is one web app that comes to mind as an example). If the pop-up is blocked, you won’t be able to log in or see these additional features.
6. Are you on the right network? Many schools have different networks for students and staff. There may be different permissions granted to staff and students on these networks. Plus, cast your screen to a wireless projector and screencasting from your computer to your students’ computers usually requires you all to be on the same network.