Teachers Most Favorited Apps

 

References:

Educatorstechnology. (January 04, 2018). Teachers' most favorite apps. [online image]. Educatorstechnology. https://www.educatorstechnology.com/2018/01/teachers-most-favourited-apps.html?m=1

softwares besides zoom to give your classes

 During the health emergency, we all had to find a way to communicate in a somewhat different way, and video conferencing applications became indispensable, especially for schools and companies. We all got to know zoom, and those who already knew it, got to know it better, thus starting its popularity to teach in most of the campuses. 

Now, I'm not saying that Zoom has a bad function or that I don't like it, because the reality is that I find it very useful and I use it to take and give classes, but I think it's not a bad idea to have knowledge about some alternatives that could get us out of trouble.

Here are the 3 best alternatives that I know for video conferences, and therefore, to teach classes:

💻Microsoft Teams: 

Microsoft Teams works in the most common devices (cell phones, computers) and in the main operating systems. It allows screen sharing, instant messaging, and file transfer during calls. 

 It can show four screens simultaneously and accepts up to 250 people per meeting. In the paid version, team whiteboards can be used and meetings can be recorded.

📱Cisco Webex Meetings: 

The program does not need to be installed: guests receive a link to participate in the meeting in their browser by email. The web application is compatible with common browsers. It allows screen sharing and the possibility of recording calls.

 Meetings can be attended by up to 100 people for 50 minutes. It offers the possibility of exchanging files and information and allows computers to use digital whiteboards, in addition to the integration of calendars (such as Google or Outlook).

📶GoToMeeting:

If you are looking for more personalized sessions (to counsel no more than 4 students), go to a meeting that might work. It includes a text message option, but not file transfer. The integration of calendars (for example, with an Office 365 plugin), facilitates the planning and development of teamwork, and the possibility of recording video conferences makes them available later. 

Its initial configuration is very simple, its operation is very simple, and the technical structure is reliable.

REFERENCES:

Digital Guide Ionos. (Jun 17, 2020.). Alternativas a Zoom: comparamos las principales opciones. Retrieved from: https://www.ionos.mx/digitalguide/online-marketing/vender-en-internet/alternativas-a-zoom/

Experience of a student teaching online

 Since I began to have approaches to teaching I realized that it would be somewhat difficult, and it's not that before I thought that teaching was easy, but one never really imagines what things are until you do it, and that's what happened to me. The first time I had to be in front of a group was when I was in my first semester of college, and even though it was only for an hour, it felt eternal, and I wondered if I wanted to do it again. It's been a while since then, and I'm still learning and I'm still nervous when I have to be in front of a group, but when I thought I was getting used to it, everything changed from being nervous in front of people to be nervous in front of a monitor, trying to explain and not getting answers most of the time.

I have to say that it is much more complicated for me to have to plan a class to explain a subject through a computer, because I never know if I am doing it right, and it is because I cannot see the faces, gestures, and actions of each student, because the activities of online classes are not made to show that, everything comes down to what you put on the computer, and there is nothing more frustrating than that. Another thing that shakes me and makes it hard for me to handle is the fact that there are things that are not in my hands, like connection problems or technical problems (whether they are the students' or mine), because I don't know when they are going to happen and most of the time they can't be fixed, so my plan B sometimes has to turn into C too, and plans don't always work.

Now I am more than ever concerned about the work of all the teachers who have to deal with it on a daily basis and still manage to get their classes done successfully because as I said before, it is not an easy task. 

I will continue to learn and I hope to master this teaching by zoom someday, but in the meantime, being half of the semester, I will keep trying.

How to cope with online teaching

 In the last few months, everything changed in a way we never would have imagined before, and everything we knew about teaching suddenly took a back seat, and we had to adapt and learn new things (because teachers also have to learn new things all the time). Planning to teach online can sometimes be difficult, stressful, and we may feel that we are not doing well and that students are not getting what they should during the course.

To avoid stress there is no magic formula, but there are some things that I think can help to keep the pressure on to plan everything correctly.

Tip #1: Learn new things

As I mentioned before, teachers continue to learn, and this is just a chance to learn about technological tools to use in class and teach in an interesting and fun way, so when we return to normal you can continue to use them to facilitate your classes.

Tip #2: Take your time

Try to plan your classes in advance, and look for material and tools that you can use several times in different ways to develop different themes. Look for interactive material and take an afternoon to collect material before you start planning, so you don't stress out at the time of each planning.

Tip #3: Ask for patience

Talk to your students about their topics and activities of interest. Explain that sometimes the materials used may not work as they should and that they should let you know if something you are doing is not working for them, so you can look for other options that work for both sides.

Tip #4: Use what you already know how to use

Teachers are already used to some simple technological tools, like the use of the internet, so you have to use what you already know to find new things (apps, platforms, activities, tips, etc.).

Tip #5: Don't despair

This situation looks long-lasting, but it will happen at some point (or so we hope), so do not despair and see it as an opportunity to learn and improve your teaching, your students will appreciate the change from a boring class to an interesting, different and interactive class.

Fun activities to use during online classes

 

There is no better way to keep your students engaged during online classes than by having fun activities a few times a week. It is difficult to create fun activities and it is even more difficult talking about virtual classes, but in my opinion, the best activities that can be done to activate them a between topics and make the classes a little more fun, are those in which the students can participate and express themselves in a creative way.

So thinking on that I did a little research on the internet to find some fun activities to use in your online classes, and that can be free topic or adapt them to a specific topic avoiding to much teacher talk and let them produce more language. 

Twenty Questions 

Players take turns asking only  “yes” or “no” questions about a character or scientific facts, and try to figure out the answer by asking as many as 20 questions. It is a fun way to close a specific topic or to take some minutes out of learning.

Movie and Netflix Reviews 

This would be a good way to let your students produce the language using something interesting for them. A day per week you could start the session with a movie review. You could relate a specific movie on the topic of the week or of the day and discuss the movie that day.

Virtual Talk Shows

Students take the place of characters, concepts, or even a time period in a virtual talk show. Each student takes the “hot-seat” to answer questions showing their comprehension of an idea from the viewpoint of a person or idea being studied in class. Fun and interactive.

These three activities will add an extra to the class, completely changing the routine and making it more interesting and fun. Don't let distance condition your classes to something that your students can't enjoy.

REFERENCES

Clark, H.  & Miller, M. (N.D.). 8 Fun Activities for Virtual Learning Meetings. Retrieved from: https://www.hollyclark.org/2020/04/21/virtual-learning-ideas/

StartupStockPhotos. (Jan. 8, 2015). Children [Online picture]. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/photos/children-win-success-video-game-593313/

Why students struggle during online classes

 

At this point, we all have already clear that being a teacher could be complicated, hard, and sometimes harder than some think, but that is half of the problem during the pandemic. Change all the programs to online teaching was just the beginning of what seems to be a more difficult chapter, as it seems that students can multiply the difficulties of the teacher, and make it seem that they are not taking their classes and online work seriously.

Some of the reasons why students may not be working as hard as they should be diverse, but these may be the most prominent and general ones:

The inaccessibility for some: Some may have problems sharing computer equipment with more family members and find it difficult to fit in with class time. Some may have connectivity problems because of the number of connections, or may not have computer equipment or internet access at all.

Not having an adequate personal environment: The student may not have an adequate assigned place to carry out his/her homework or take his/her classes, which proves delays and absences from classes.

Lack of time for work: The pandemic may have caused financial problems for many students and their families, so they were forced to look for a job in order to make some money for their families.

Whatever the situation of the students, it is good to make it clear to them that their teachers should be aware if any of these situations arise so that they can see what options or alternatives they have for the student to be able to continue with the course. It is good for the students to know that the teacher is there to support them in difficult moments and that if he or she can do it, he or she will facilitate the course in one way or another, although we have to be careful, because there may be students who want to take advantage of the situation to avoid their school responsibilities.

REFERENCES:

Dewitt, P. (April 26, 2020). 6 Reasons Students Aren't Showing Up for Virtual Learning. Retrieved from: https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/finding_common_ground/2020/04/6_reasons_students_arent_showing_up_for_virtual_learning.html

Kreaticar. (May 19, 2018). Online [Online image]. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/illustrations/online-education-internet-3412498/

6 Apps for teachers and educators: Tools for teaching

 

Here you have 6 apps that will help you to organize and improve your classes with an extra touch:

Pocket: This app allows you to save articles or video content to use with your students during class. You can communicate with your students and the latest version provides an offline listening feature where you can hear saved articles without the internet.

Study Blue Flashcards & quizzes: With this app, you can create different materials for your classes, like flashcards and interactive sessions with images and audio contents.

DIKSHA: With this app, you can design materials based on the prescribed school curriculum, while the students can do some activities.

Slack: This allows you to make your students work in teams and exchange ideas for their team-work and projects, facilitating team communication.

ClassDojo: It makes easier the communication between teachers, students, and parents. It allows you to recreate an online classroom and let the students get an online-portfolio with activities.

Epic: This app will allow your students to access books of any type and format (audio, video, read along, e-books, and read to me books) totally free.

Making use of the different tools that we can find on the Internet and with the materials provided by these kinds of apps, teaching can be easier and fun. Hope this is useful for you.

REFERENCES:

FirmBee. (May 29, 2015). Ux. [online image]. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/photos/ux-prototyping-design-webdesign-788002/

Redbytes. (August 5, 2020). 20 Best Apps For Teachers and Educators. Retrieved from: https://www.redbytes.in/best-apps-for-teachers-and-educators/