Carrying your Laptop Everywhere:
Studies have shown that, when appropriately used, laptops are excellent learning tools for kids, improving both focus and comprehension. Many schools across the nation have formally adopted laptops in the classroom. Numerous other students use their laptops daily to carry out their academic obligations. Whether educators utilize these tools to teach reading to young children or to aid high school students in getting ready for college, there is little doubt that these valuable resources require ongoing protection from harm.
The innovative ways that educators and educational systems use technology in their curricula continue to astound Higher Ground. We adore the creative ways kids use laptops to expand their academic horizons. These children can access limitless knowledge from all around the world in the comfort of their homes or classroom from elementary school through college. In addition to protecting laptops and Chromebooks, Higher Ground works to improve their usability, accessibility, and ease of use everywhere, at any time.
Steps to Protect School Laptops:
There are various ways that adults may properly prevent these products from being damaged, stolen, or abused, whether you are a faculty member supervising the usage of school-provided gadgets or a parent helping your child secure this valuable investment. Here are some guidelines for safeguarding computers and Chromebooks that parents, educators, and administrators can use:
Keep track of them:
Always check that each laptop or Chromebook that belongs to the school is appropriately assigned to students and has a unique code.
Purchase insurance plans: Even when you monitor laptop use in the classroom, accidents might still occur. A policy that protects you against software and hardware issues.
Restrict websites: All computers that belong to the school should only be used for academic work. Students should have user profiles that restrict the websites they can access. Additionally, you can stop them from installing or downloading things on the computer.
Maintain updated security software: Ensure all software is consistently updated after buying and insuring each device. This involves maintaining updated security software.
Purchase protective cases: Accessories for laptop protection are essential, and cases are the most critical safety equipment. Purchase tough laptop bags and cases. Their design should be strong enough to withstand pressure, pressure points, and drops without breaking. It would help if you had coatings on your cases to keep things like water, grime, and other things from harming the computers. Additionally, they have to include identification windows that make it simple to keep and monitor these gadgets.
Portable computers are excellent tools that can improve the educational process. Teachers, administrators, and parents must responsibly help pupils care for these gadgets. Because laptops and Chromebooks can be corrupted, stolen, or damaged in a matter of seconds, thorough security measures and adopting safe practices should be given supreme importance.
Steps to Protect School Computers:
How to Protect Your Laptop in Middle School:
Students use laptops more frequently as their grade level advances. Students will spend hours on these gadgets, whether working on presentations in class, researching and writing papers at home, or both, increasing the likelihood of damage. We advise middle school students to take some simple precautions to guard against typical laptop faults and damage:
Don’t carry the laptop by the screen: Only transport the laptop when it is securely closed. Never hold it by the screen or carry it when it is open.
Be gentle with the ports: The same caution you employ with the laptop should be used with the cords, cables, and other removable devices. Incorrectly inserting a USB device or yanking cords out of their ports can harm both the device and the computer.
Don’t visit at-risk websites: Nowadays, a lot of search engines will alert you if a website might contain viruses or malware. Use caution when using the internet and avoid providing critical information on unsecure websites.
Be aware of overheating: Laptops require airflow. They will become too hot if their vents are covered. Use your laptop on a surface that you can breathe whenever possible. Avoid letting it remain on when sitting on a bed, couch, or carpet. Buy middle school children’s laptop cases that are both strong and ventilated.
Please don’t leave it in the car: Extreme cold and hot conditions can harm the laptop. Keep it secure inside and out of the sun.
The transition to middle school is a significant one for students. Their domestic responsibilities grow in tandem with their academic commitments. Students might always use assistance with task management as these additional responsibilities can be challenging to balance. By reminding them of how laptops might be destroyed, you can help students reinforce their safe laptop behaviors.
Stressing the Ports and Cables:
A USB port or cable damage might still harm your computer, even though it’s not as risky as misusing the power adapter. Although it may seem apparent, if cables aren’t slid in properly, don’t force them into ports (I once knew someone who forced a USB cable into a FireWire port and broke both).
Similarly, be careful not to bend anything you leave plugged in. When using a laptop cross-legged, the flash drive in the USB port may bend, causing either the disc or the port, or both, to become damaged. And since modern laptops have so few USB ports, you don’t want to damage one of them.
Your cables work similarly. You’re more prone to break the internal connection if you frequently make severe bends back and forth; this could make the cable erratic or worthless. Avoid wrapping them too tightly when coiling them up to prevent chewing through the plastic from hungry children and pets. Fortunately, replacing a damaged cable is inexpensive compared to replacing your PC, but why spend money when you don’t have to?
Invest in an anti-theft bag:
Theft will likely be a problem anywhere you move your system. Always take extra care to protect your laptop’s security, whether traveling to the airport or a nearby cafe. One of the most innovative methods to protect your laptop from theft is to purchase a high-end anti-theft laptop bag or backpack.
Getting a regular bag is insufficient to secure your portable computer. Laptop bags and backpacks typically have several security measures because they are designed with protection. Additional features are hidden pockets, cut-resistant material, locking wires, and locks with anti-theft mechanisms.
Handle Your Laptop With Care:
It will help if you handle your laptop with caution when moving it. Never lift your laptop’s screen; always lift it by the base. Swinging your laptop by the screen can damage the hinges, harm the internal wires over time, and, finally, result in display problems.
Additionally, it’s a good idea always to hold your laptop in two hands. You don’t want to slip up and lose control of your computer, but mistakes can happen. Damage will almost definitely result from physical shock.
Additionally, you should avoid placing anything bulky on your laptop. They might eventually harm the screen if they continue to press down on it. It shouldn’t be subjected to excessive strain.
Like the above, you should never leave anything unattended on your laptop’s keyboard. If you put something on the laptop, say your vehicle keys, and then forget and close the lid, the screen may get scratched when the keys hit it.
Mismanaging Your Old Battery:
Your laptop’s first “eight hours of battery life” does not guarantee that it will remain that way indefinitely. Batteries lose their capacity with time; they may initially provide eight hours of use on a full charge, but after a few years, they may only provide six or seven.
There’s no escape from this deterioration, but if you routinely shut your laptop down to 0%, you can be degrading it more quickly than necessary. Follow our advice for improved battery management, and use Windows’ battery health report to monitor your battery’s history of charges.
The best action is to carry out shallow discharges and frequently recharge your battery to maintain its long-term health. Don’t worry too much about it; an occasional discharge won’t harm your battery if you need to work while flying. However, over time, it’s better to err on the side of frequently charging rather than using the battery completely. However, if your battery is enlarged, you should worry. (safely) replace the batteries if your battery is bulging to the point where it is pressing up against the case of your laptop and causing a space between the panels. Otherwise, an explosive failure may occur. (For more on that, see here.)
When replacing the battery, go with a reputable third-party retailer or manufacturer rather than a cheap counterfeit from eBay. Poor-quality batteries won’t keep a charge very well; at worst, they might even be deadly. The same rule applies to third-party chargers: only use those provided by the manufacturer or, in the case of laptops that use USB-C, a certified USB-PD charger (Opens in a new window).
Make sure you have laptop insurance:
Most people start to sweat just thinking about their laptops being lost or destroyed. Insurance is available for every brand of laptop for a good reason, irrespective of which one you choose to purchase. Given that humans produce laptops, anything odd can happen, putting the machine in danger and costing you a lot of money.
It is crucial to obtain laptop theft insurance because anything could cause your laptop to crash at any time or in any place. A laptop warranty offers several benefits, especially if you purchase so from a reliable laptop insurance company. The fact that most consumers only consider insurance when their laptop is stolen should also be kept in mind.
Keep Your Laptop Clean:
Laptops naturally get dirty over time from use. To get rid of this buildup and maintain your laptop as clean as possible, it’s a good idea to clean it frequently.
With a lint-free cloth, clean the screen and remove any noticeable dust. Depending on your laptop, dust may accumulate beneath the keys and eventually lead to issues; routinely wiping it will help.
Additionally, dust will amass within your computer over time. As was said above, this could trap heat within, which is a problem. Bring your laptop to an IT expert for cleaning if the fan is running loudly and it feels hot, but you’re uncomfortable taking off the cover and blowing out the dust.
