I bet most of you have come across this news:
“Parents in Malaysia fret over academic progress amid prolonged school closure, online learning”
“With schools to close till Sept, education advocates urge govt to bridge internet access gap for students’ sake”
While we can’t predict when is the right time for schools to reopen without compromising on our children’s safety, it is best to adapt to the alternative way of schooling in the meantime. Online learning has been implemented by our education system for quite some time now. When it comes to online learning, online classes through video has more benefits than conducting classes virtually for reasons such as: –
- It creates a personal connection that might be missing from attending class face-to-face
- Communicates more effectively with clear facial expressions, body language and intonation
- Recording is more effective and easier form of communication as it can be referred back multiple times in the event important points have been missed by students
- Video classes are an innovative outlet as teachers can incorporate creative touches on their video easily with the built-in features.
Video calls can really create that personal connection between teachers and students. And they are more than just for direct instruction. Here are eight scenarios that you can start using Google Meet for:
- Giving instructions to students
When a teacher tries to explain a certain subject matter to students, it is important for teachers to be able to teach and demonstrate to the students directly. For this, a video call certainly is the best way to do it. During the call, teachers are advised to keep instructions as simple as possible for better understanding, encourage interaction with students, and to keep students engaged during online learning.
- Regular class check-ins
Though this is not our first Movement Control Order, isolation is always rough on kids. Their routine is off and they don’t get the normal social interaction with their peers or their teachers. In times like these, teachers can take the initiative to communicate more with their students by hosting a casual class check-in to let them share about their lives and just to reconnect with everyone.
- Make presentations
If you have assigned students to a group assignment, you can encourage the students by letting them share what they have been working on. Not only can it raise the students’ morale, but it can also help them to build public speaking skills and overcome shyness. The presentations can come in the form of short bursts (1-2 minutes for every student) and classmates & teachers can have a brief FAQ session after.
- Virtual field trips
This is a fun one. As a group activity with students, teachers can bring up Google Earth or Google Maps Street View and share your screen in Google Meet to take the students to another world! This is a creative activity to bring students out (virtually) and explore places around notwithstanding the lockdown situation. You can also let students share their screens and take their classmates on a trip.
- Escape rooms
Have your students been in an escape room – where they have to find the clues to break out from the room they are in? You can search for digital escape rooms and assign them to your students in groups. While the students are in the game, the group can share a video call and share their joy with others! Here is a list of similar escape room adventures for your students to explore.
- Teacher talks
Other than students, Google Meet is also a great tool to use among teachers to collaborate! (Admit it, you miss your colleagues sometimes.) You can have online meet-ups and share lesson planning ideas or talk about teaching strategies. It is also fun to just catch up with each other’s lives. Everyone will benefit from it!
- Parent check-in
Now that only virtual classes are available, it is necessary to keep parents in the loop about the performance of their child. Constantly updating the academic status of their child and partnering with them may be the biggest key to online learning success. Teachers can schedule an individual meeting with the parents to discuss the progression of their child in studies.
- Interactive slides
Tools like Peer Deck and Nearpod help you to create interactive slides. Simply start one of those presentations and share your screen and you may find your students are more engaged with your slides than before. Talk, teach and run the slide presentation live!
Interested in more articles like this? Read more here: Analyze Your Data with Google Workspace