As schools close and teachers and students are thrown into the world of remote learning overnight, confusion, frustration, and beacons of inspiration are EVERYWHERE. Teaching and learning remotely is amazing but it does come with some pitfalls. For example, one school district will not allow the teachers to video conference with students in their homes any more because interesting, and sometimes school inappropriate, things were happening in the background. As one teacher said, “There are things that can’t be unseen.”
The positive of video conferencing with students may outweigh these types of situations, however. Now, more than ever, it is extremely important to emotionally connect with students to reassure them, bring a sense of normalcy, and also keep teachers upbeat and positive. Edutopuia’s article outlines seven innovative ways to stay connected.
Whether a classroom is face to face or virtual it is important to establish behavior expectations for students (and family members too). Remember, this is new for everyone. Developing an easy home checklist for parents and guardians that includes tips about where computers are set up and school norms will be helpful. Check out our video IDL Etiquette for Students for ideas on how to prepare students for this new venue.
Model good video conferencing behavior yourself. Our tips are:
1. Be prepared ahead of time so you don’t have to leave the screen.
2. Plan the lesson flow just like you would in the classroom. Rely more on visual props and screen sharing to engage students.
3. Test the camera angle, microphone, and speakers ahead of time. The camera should be eye level--not looking down at your head or up your nose!
4. Try out your lighting. Situate the camera so there is not a lot of background light to put you in silhouette. Move lights around so you look as good as possible.
5. Select a quiet room. Make sure dogs, kids, music, and phones are as silenced as possible.
6. Set up schedules and expectations with family members ahead of time to minimize distractions.
7. Don’t eat, answer email, groom, or multi-task on camera. Remember that having a camera on you focuses the students directly on your behavior.
8. If your video conference application allows using a virtual background, DO IT! You can create a fun or professional background to have behind you and then you don’t have to clean the actual room! This can be taught to students too so that unwanted elements aren’t in their background.
The virtual connection possible today is a powerful tool to keep your students feeling connected but it is only as good as the person using it. Take some time to learn from the experts about the best ways to make this work and turn pitfalls into positives. Here are Ten Strategies for Teaching from ISTE and some Tips and Tricks from Zoom and 5 Tips from VideoScribe to help you really use the technology effectively.
As always, Inspired Classroom wants to help you make the most of remote teaching. We are here to help! Fill out the contact form or email us at: EducationTeam@inspiredclassroom.com