Preparing to Teach During an Outbreak
For more than a decade, I’ve worked remotely with clients and co-workers around the globe. Thus I’m familiar with the technology and tools needed to hold meetings, give keynotes, run webinars, and anything else that involves me trying to share information with others through a computer.
Since making the career transition to teaching full time, I haven’t needed these skills as often. Now, my days are spent in classrooms teaching the fantastic students of Wheaton College. But, with the rising concerns around COVID-19 hitting all corners of the globe, it is time to make sure that no matter what you do for work that you are prepared for how to do that work from home.
I thought it might be helpful to my fellow educators (and others) to share some useful tips and equipment in case you suddenly find yourself having to teach remotely. Any advice or endorsements below reflects my personal/professional thoughts alone.
Talk To Your IT Department
As a former IT person, I can’t stress to you how vital it is that you talk to your information technology department to find out what tools you have at your disposal and that are approved for use at your organization. They will know what licenses they own and can help you get up and running on the preferred software(s).
If curious, we are using both Zoom and Google Hangouts Meet.
Learn The Software
No matter what group meeting software you use, it is vital that you set it up and begin testing it out now. Over the weekend, I set up my laptop as I would in class and went through the process of making sure that everything works as I need it to.
Be sure that you not only make sure that your slides are showing up and that your voice can be heard, but that the recording features are set up as you wish and that you know how to monitor for questions and other features you might need to use in your classes.
Upgrade Your Microphone
Your students need to hear what you are saying. Yes, the built-in microphone on your computer will work if that is your only option, but there are better ones out there that won’t cost too much.
My go-to recommendation for an inexpensive and portable option is the Blue Snowball iCE. At $50, it is one of the most affordable options that will give you much better sound. Yes, I use different microphones, but they cost more, and I also use them for podcasting and other adventures.
Create Slides of Your Lectures
You won’t have a whiteboard or chalkboard to use when teaching remotely, so I encourage you to create slides for your upcoming lectures. This will make it easier for your students who are following along on a variety of devices to take better notes since it may be harder for them to hear you than in a traditional classroom.
I’ve used Google Slides for years because it allows me to be sure that none of my students get confused by my penmanship or spelling mistakes. I would never want either of those things to get in the way of their learning. When teaching remotely, it is vital to have words on the screen that highlight the main points you are trying to get across.
If Using Video, Check Your Surroundings
Open up the camera on your computer, take a snapshot and look at your surroundings. Is there anything in the background that you should be removed? Is there enough light to see your face? How will the light change at the time you are teaching? If you have pets or family members, do you have a room that you can close the door for so that you are not disturbed?
These are all questions you need to think about before starting your first lecture. If you do not have a built-in camera, you can’t go wrong with any of the options from Logitech.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Next Monday, when classes start back up, I plan on teaching my class as if students were self-quarantining themselves. I hope to be back in my classroom with a room full of healthy students, but since I always teach from my laptop, hooking up my microphone, starting Zoom and making a recording of the class will only take a couple more clicks. That way, I know for sure that everything works.
You should run through a lecture to make sure you know how everything works and to become more comfortable with the new way of teaching. If you don’t know how to take questions or what it will be like if students have video cameras on, find a friend to test with. Try out any scenario you think might arise so that the first time you are going through, it is not with your students.
Start with those things, and you should be ok.
The key thing to remember is that things rarely go as planned, so plan for the unexpected. All of us are in this together, and if your school has to change to a virtual teaching model in the coming weeks everyone will need to have extra patience as educators, students, and staff all migrate to this new approach.
The technology is there to make this possible. Online education is different than the classroom, but it can be just as effective. To those who are scared by this, I encourage you to try it out. It isn’t as new as you might think, and every day thousands of people are learning online.
Stay safe out there and don’t forget to wash your hands.
