Online Classroom is a new virtual room where different teachers and learners come together, interact, share and exchange their thoughts and ideas.
Online classrooms are way apart from traditional and physical classrooms. The latter has control over the students whereas the former with least control. Online classrooms do not serve the purpose of teaching if not conducted in the way it should be. There are lots of challenges faced by teachers before the class, during the class and after the class.
The challenges faced by teachers in online classrooms are:
Lack of Discipline among the students
Lack of Punctuality among the students
Misbehavior of students
Network breakdown during the ongoing class
Lack of respect for teachers
Background noise
Lost the touch of chalk
Parents interference during the ongoing class
And many more…….
On one hand it's a learning experience for teachers whereas on the other hand it's a fun experience for students.
As it is rightly said that,
Learning is a Scientific process wherein we are experimenting new techniques and technologies of learning on our pupils.
Learning is a Psychological process wherein we analyse the application of scientific methods on our pupils.
Learning is a Philosophical process wherein we try to evaluate the philosophies of renowned philosophers and their understanding about learning on our pupils.
Learning is a skill wherein we get the Hands-on experience of doing the things rightly.
The addition of all this leads to change in ourselves and our surroundings. The introduction of online classes has been a boon to many students.
Features of Online Classroom:
Whiteboards and pens/ stylus
E- Textbooks
Slides or PowerPoint presentations
Screen Sharing
Raise the hands to answer
Ask Doubts On chat
E- Notes/ Assignments
Online Fees payment
Connect with multiple teachers at one time
Online Examination
Though Online classrooms have so many good features, it still lacks interest and interaction. The reason behind this could be many, it can be physical, environmental or social. But how do we as a teacher overcome it and make it interesting as our Physical Classrooms?
Here are the different ways to make your online Classrooms interactive and interesting:
1. Strong Connectivity:
The major problem creator of every online classroom is Network breakdown or slow speed of wifi or data network, which leads to a lag or blurred video or disturbed audio. This is the prime important factor that we should resolve first before entering and commencing our online classroom. Strong Connectivity with clear video and audio induces great interest in students to learn further and concentrate well on each and every point being discussed in the online class.
2. Positioned Camera:
Camera should be well mounted on a proper support at the level of your face and at the level of the blackboard or whiteboard. Use a proper tripod stand to mount it or make a DIY stand so that you and the board are well focused in the camera. Never hold your mobile phones or laptop in your hand while conducting the lecture. A shaky camera gives a bad signal of an unprepared Classroom.
3. Cheerful Assembly:
Start your online classroom or class, with a cheerful smile on your face everyday because it is you and your ever smiling faces which gives enough energy for a student to get into Classroom and carry on without fear. Appreciate students and have a simple assembly before the class begins. This activity of conducting assembly boost the morale of students by giving positive vibes for the beginning of a fresh new day and induces classroom discipline in a student.
4. Enthusiastic Action Words:
Enter and begin your classroom with enthusiastic words to boost the interest of students. Never discourage a student from joining late on the link for the online classroom. Even if the child is late, try admitting the student in the online classroom, but make the student understand the importance of the time and the amount of content taught in that time when they enter in late. Always follow online classroom protocol. Do's and Don'ts of an online classroom should be given in advance to a student and even to the parents. If we are enthusiastic and exciting enough to conduct an online classroom then half the race is won.
5. Smart Presentation:
Engaging, simplistic and beautiful presentations should always be shared on the screen so that the students are completely engrossed in the classroom and no distractions will pull them away. Before the class, a day prior teacher should be ready with a well structured lesson plan and the Teaching Aids that would be used for the conduction of an online classroom. The online Classroom should always be ignited with engaging slides or videos. There are many online free tools to make videos and slides Presentation.
Refer to my previous blog:
Just Google it. The List of Free Google Tools for Interactive Online Classroom
One can make simple but informative videos and presentations using these tools and take your online Classroom to a different level.
6. Dragging Expressions:
In an online classroom, the teacher's facial expression, body coordination and movements and the way of teaching should always drag a student more inside the Classroom. Avoid carrying your personal stress and tensions inside the online classroom as it is a major barrier and obstacle for fine and tuned communication between a teacher and a student. As the natural tendency of human behaviour goes, we try to put all our frustrations and anger on our students, which ultimately demoralises them from giving good feedback in the online classroom. Try to keep a distance between our personal and professional life.
7. Active Activities:
The 30 or 40 minutes of an online classroom should be well planned so that the teacher gets enough time to conduct different kinds of activities based on the lesson taught. Activities are highly engaging and leave a great impression on the student. Through activities the retention of a particular concept or laws or theories becomes easy to remember and analyse. Activities should always end with a new learning message for every student.
8. Boosting Recapitulation:
The Final 5 minutes of the online classroom should always be devoted to conduct revision or Recapitulation of the important points taught during the lesson. Teachers can ask different types of easy,medium and difficult to boost the level of all types of learners in the online classroom. The Recapitulation should not only focus on knowledge based or factual questions but questions related to understanding, application and skill based should also be asked to leave a lasting impression of achievement of success over a particular topic on the students.
9. Encouraging Reinforcement:
No learner is the same. Some are fast learners, many are good learners and few are slow learners. No student should be judged in the online classroom based on the level of their answers given in the online classroom. Instead every student should be encouraged well for better performance in the next class. Every next class should start with the background information of the previous class conducted. Otherwise the student can never be open to the teacher even though he has not understood the lesson.
10. Lenient Homework:
No student should be burdened with multiple homework assignments. Homework or take away work should be a few 1 or 2 questions which should be engaging for a student. Homework should be a fun activity and a revision for students wherein they enjoy doing it alone without parents interference and learn new things from it.
These simple things if we as teachers try to focus on, surely we can make our online classrooms lively.
So teachers get going and win the hearts and smiles of all your students and make the world a better exciting place for them to live in.
" Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important."
-Bill Gates
By Shobha Joy Gaddam
(Academician & Educator)
completely agree.. super
ReplyDeleteReal fact 👍
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