Teachers often look around the room at the first day of school and think, "We're Going To Be Friends." Learning materials are critical in any learning setting but we also need to remember that all learning is social. Students' sense of isolation has been one reason why online courses tend to have higher student failure rates as compared to in-person courses. Asynchronous video can be a great way for students and teachers to say connected.

At the start of the year we commonly engage students in get-to-know-you, ice-breaker games or activities. Even if you already know your students, social games such as ice-breakers can still be helpful. In an in-person setting you naturally have opportunities to have casual, social interactions with students. In an online environment these types of interactions may need to be a little more intentional but can still be powerful.

Additionally, when you are having your students use a new tool it can be helpful for students to engage in a social activity that helps helps them to get to know the tool while also helping them to get to know each other a little better. For instance, after Mason closed it campus my students and I started using a new tool called EdConnect. We started with an easy, low-stakes activity where students posted a video showing what was going to help them to get through the pandemic. The following is how I launched the activity.

I've helped a lot of teachers create their first video for their students. Almost every time they go back to watch their video they get a look on their face similar to the meme below. They hear the "ums" and "ahs" or a grammar mistake and they want to delete the whole video and start over. That mindset will cause a lot of frustration and will actually not result in a better video. Students want you to speak like a human, not a robot.

When people first start recording videos, they frequently re-record and re-record until they get it "right." At the same time, and somewhat ironically, students find that little mistakes are actually humanizing. In fact, even interruptions aren't necessarily a bad thing. Just think of the wildly popular BBC interview that went "wrong" in all the right ways and became the most viewed video on their YouTube channel.

We certainly don't want to invite interruptions but they are bound to happen. The following image speaks volumes for how difficult it can be for teachers to balance their professional and personal lives. The personal is bound to seep into the professional and that's actually a good thing. In fact, students actually appreciate these short disruptions.

When recording videos, the background you show in your videos is another way that students can get to know you. While working from home, it can be difficult to find a place to work and record videos. For instance, in this CNN article you can see people working everywhere from the closet to the bathtub. However, even Jessica Fleming who was working in her walk-in closet still presented a professional background, "The best part? I've even hung a picture behind the desk so that my video conference calls don't look like I'm in my closet!"

Students will naturally look at your surroundings so why not welcome them into your environment. For instance, in the video below Chrissy McLaughlin, a teacher at Fairfax County Public Schools, used FlipGrid to create a video for her students while she was shopping.

When making videos, you should also consider what your students will be seeing when they watch your video. I went back to my the very first video I ever created for students and it was awful! You can see in the screenshot below that I was looking down at the webcam, the video was crooked, I was backlit, and there was so much glare on my glasses that you couldn't see my eyes. The screenshot on the right is the most recent video that I created--better, right?

So why was the video to the right so much better? I took a few minutes to prepare. Notice that I placed my computer on a stack of my daughters' games so I could look directly into the webcam and create a sense of eye contact. In the background, I also placed a photo of my family, souvenirs, and books that I like. Those little things can help students to get to know you a little better. I placed some lamps next to my computer so that I wasn't backlit. Often times you'll find the best lighting by sitting in front of a window.

In the following video I highlight some other ways to make a bad webcam video.