Even the most seasoned online teachers can experience challenges with both tech and behaviour. This section will help you prepare for, and combat, common issues that come up as we transition our classrooms to online environments.
Click on the link for tips from #ditchthattextbook on how to support students who have this issue.
We've all been in that situation where we're in the middle of a conversation on a device and the screen freezes, the audio drops or the tech gremlins get us in some way. This is annoying under normal circumstances but downright disruptive when we are teaching a class online. Here are some tips to minimise disruption to 'live' classes:
Consider using screen recording tools to replace the instruction you might otherwise have delivered.
Then, open your lesson 'live' to greet students and check-in and then direct them to these pre-recorded sections for further instruction. This has the added benefit of allowing students to watch, repeat and pace the video as they need.
Set a specific time at the end for students to check back in and perhaps complete an exit ticket so you can give a sense of closure, gauge their progress and see how your students are responding to the lessons.
Just like in regular classrooms, students can sometimes make poor choices online. In video calls, use the tools at your disposal to promote a smooth lesson.
If using Zoom, go to the website to change your settings. You can set it up so students will not be able to join the chat before you arrive - instead, they are 'held' in a waiting room. You can also enable or disable chat, mute everyone as they enter and nominate students to speak (which they can volunteer for by 'raising their hand' using the icons in the Zoom screen.