Written by Joyce Reyes-Aguila
Some students have around six weeks left before the prescribed reopening of basic education classes in the Philippines. The Department of Education has designated August 24, 2020 as the official start of the school year amid the unprecedented circumstances the coronavirus pandemic has brought upon us all.
And since no face-to-face classroom activities will be allowed for now, students will be learning from home virtually and through the help of their parents, caretakers, and distance-learning experts. Like the experience of some employees who had to figure out how to be able to work from home during the sudden announcement of the extreme community quarantine last March 15, some homes are now faced with the challenge of setting up learning nooks or spaces for their young ones.
Before the pandemic, students had access to internet shops and printing services outside their homes. But in the current normal, it will likely be imperative for parents to purchase a laptop for each child and ensure that their home printer can handle multiple school requirements.
As with any investment, think long-term. Your scholar might need that laptop for four, even five years. Consider the durability of your purchase to avoid having machines serviced or, worse, need a replacement. Assess how your child uses a gadget for entertainment, gaming, and school purposes, and factor in durability considerations. Offerings like the HP Pavillion x360 Convertible PC provide four different configurations for users through a 360-degree hinge. This way, a student has access to a laptop, a tablet, a screen with rest through the Reverse feature, and a tent configuration that comes handy when multi-tasking.
The HP Pavillion x360 Convertible laptop has a 14-inch touch screen, audio speakers by Danish audio expert Bang & Olufsen, and 10 hours of battery life with high-definition WiFi streaming. Students will also have access to an SD card reader, HDMI, and two types of USB ports in the 19.7mm-thin and 1.59kg-light unit. Up to an 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor is offered for processing capability, and SDRAM of either 12GB or 512GB can be had. The brand also offers an array of laptop computers for home and business use, depending on specific requirements and price range.
To print workbooks, projects, and other school requirements, models in the HP Smart Tank series can be paired with their laptops. Each unit is designed for high-volume and low-cost printing, according to the company's Philippine website. Any gadget with an HP Smart App can have access to printing services for models with mobile printing features.
The HP Smart Tank Printer has several models, including the HP Smart Tank 500 All-in-One for basic printing, A4 flatbed scanning, and copying; the HP Smart Tank 515 Wireless All-in-one which offers mobile printing through the app and a one-inch LCD screen for printing, scanning, and copying; and the HP Smart Tank 615 Wireless All-in-One which includes fax machine features, and 2.2-inch mono touch screen. The 615 has a 35-page automatic document feeder. All models can print up to 8,000 colored pages or 6,000 black pages.
We bet you are getting creative in your homeschooling corner ideas to keep your kids engaged and inspired to learn. Identify a space in your home that is well-lit and ventilated, and away from distractions like the television. Have a command center of sorts where the printer, basic school supplies, and a board of reminders and notes can be placed. Assign a sheet of paper where your children can list down what they need so you can easily grab it on your next supply run. A calendar of school activities will be good to have so everyone can keep track of project deadlines and exam schedules. Find a seat in your home that will encourage good posture and provide just enough comfort to engage a student for a few hours a day, too.
No matter how small or big a homeschool space is, it is a great way to form habits in young minds! Discuss with your kids how they can keep the space organized, how they should maximize the use of resources, and how they should keep their learning nook spic and span.