Online Smart Class in Kerala are going good. Google, Microsoft, Zoom – everything to start your online class/lecture is at your finger-tip, and that too @ Free of cost!!!
From my communication with a couple of hundred teachers from within the state, most of them were able to adapt quickly to the online teaching. Some initial glitches are always there, even for Techies! So, it is remarkable that teachers who regularly does wonders otherwise, have again marked their Flag! Superb!
By and large the assumption of Online Class is “limited” to a video conferencing. But that isn’t the actual objective of teaching. At present teachers connects to the students from Mobile Devices or Computers using SAAS (Software as a service) based conferencing, and gives auditory lecture, and at times with camera-captured annotations on chalk or marker boards; and using presentation mode – showing PPTs, PDFs, Word, Excel, etc
Some goes out to the extend of conducting exams, through Quiz Applications or Paper written (further student takes a snap and sends out).
All of these are really applaudable, considering the challenges thrown to humankind by Corona! I really admire the teaching fraternity about how they handled the situation – Marvelous job! I have seen teachers running around for cameras, white boards, computers… OMG! Hats Off! I can’t stop complimenting their hard work! And it was all silently done them!! All that the parents know is that their wards are engaged in learning! But behind the curtain, there was a lot of struggle that our teachers went through in these testing times!
Now, is probably the best time to look at the next leap. Having themselves proven that technology is ‘nothing’ – as against what once many didn’t agree, next bit of improvement will take “teaching-learning” to the next level!
Let us review, the working formula of a perfect teaching process (Our example topic is ‘photosynthesis’):
- Test the ‘present’ knowledge level of the topic (How much does the pupils know about our topic)
- Reinstate the topic from ‘our/pupil’ perspective (Eg: That the topic is the respiration system of plants, as how important respiration is to human being)
- Short and sweet emphasizing of the importance of learning this topic, as the topic has a direct effect on human kind in varied ways
- Spelling – let it be a strong and one-time activity, never get too late. Imagine your student knowing what the topic is, but ends up in spelling mistake! No, we don’t want that.
- A small video – helps the pupils to ‘see’ – which becomes an enabler of knowledge, when a time comes to ‘visualize’. Wow, a key method not to be missed out!
- Throw the Questions now! Yes, here is the best time to help the student build confidence on the topic. Make everyone a champion! NB: Not the core theory questions, but the generic ones but well covered
- Time for the core theory! Auditory explanation with the help of drawing (draw if the exercise also includes drawing activity), Charts, Presentation Slides, Worksheets, Models, Equipments as per the teachers intuition – in smaller portions though
- Prove the theoretical points with the first video
- Assessment time again, preferably pictorial or activity based
- Home work (with the same materials and voice – really? Is it possible? YES – we will see that shortly), with assessment – descriptive, MCQs and activity based
- Review & Recap before your next topic/next lesson
Please refer to “I know how to connect to the pupils using Google Meet / Microsoft Teams / Zoom. What is next?” – in order to progress from the simple conference method.