EDUVISION

At the start of 2020, who could have predicted what was to follow? Certainly not me, but thanks to my work with G Suite and educational technology over the last 4 or 5 years I was probably better prepared for the adaptation than some for the advent of what I like to call Eduvision.

For many, almost overnight, the job of teaching changed from being one of bustling classrooms and smiling faces to one of solitude and blue light giving screens.

The decision to 'close' schools (because let's be clear, they are still open) struck some with fear and dread while others thrived on the challenge, creating a clear divide.

We tell our students every day to try new things and get out of their comfort zones......so how did we cope? Honestly?

In this book, my aim is to share with you the benefit of my experiences. I'm not saying my way is right for you, or your students. I'm just giving you a thread for you to run with. I hope you find it useful. If you do, you could always buy me a coffee. Thanks

Buy Rangathetrainer a Coffee. ko-fi.com/rangathetrainer

Rangathetrainer - DW Gems

One of the key things is to know what equipment you have available. Your workspace is makeshift. It won't be perfect and you may have to stack things to get them at the right height. Remember, good posture is important so try to make sure your screens are at the right height and your space is well lit, ideally with some airflow.

If you have various devices like laptops, visualisers, tablets and microphones find a set up and layout that feels as comfortable as possible so you're not reaching for things or climbing over them.

When you are forced to work from home, everyone's situation is different and we don't all have spare rooms or spaces to dedicate to a working or learning space.

Whatever your circumstances, it's important that you try to be organised without being overly fussy. You may have to accept cables and leads where you wouldn't normally have them or tables set up where you wouldn't really want them.

This is my workspace, set up in my wife's nail room!

You can see my:

MacbookPro (raised for screen height)
Lenovo e500 Flip Chromebook (touchscreen)
Microphone for improved sound quality
Additional screen (spare TV)
Notepad and pen

It's not perfect but it's organised

Whatever your circumstances, consider your surroundings and run tests before going 'Live' to your students.

Set up additional accounts or invite colleagues or family members to join test runs to make sure that you are confident with any technology and that it is set up correctly.

The last thing you want is to put yourself
through a lot of stress delivering
a lesson online, only to find
out no-one could hear
or see you.

Check it first!

Your space

1. Clear backdrop if possible
2. Screen facing away from sunlight
3. Chair and desk at correct height
4. Window open if possible
5. Away from distractions
6. Green screen or blur background
7. Use headphones for improved sound
and less feedback
8. Sufficient plug sockets

What can I DO?

If you haven't got a very private space to use, you could block out your background using a green screen and a video editing app like WeVideo. In fact, WeVideo even has some of its own green screen stock images built in.

If you haven't got this luxury, many videoing tools work alongside SnapCamera to create virtual backgrounds and filters or blurring.

So now you're set up and you've tested your equipment, you're ready to get started with visual content. Although there is no requirement for schools to deliver real-time online lessons, it's certainly true that it can be both rewarding and engaging. There are however, a few important things to consider.

Firstly, accept that online delivery is very different to face to face teaching, however you deliver it. That doesn't mean though that it is any less valuable or important. Whether due to a global crisis like Covid 19 or due to a student's long-term absence due to illness, there is no doubt that Distance Learning can help to bridge the gap and minimise the risk of learning loss.

However you start delivering online lessons, keep in your mind that your students miss you. They want to see your face and hear your voice. With parents working hard, it's quite possible that you may be the only person your students engage with all day. Make it count and be yourself. Be natural, even if it feels weird.

Let's be honest, with so much being done differently, the likelihood of things going wrong is quite high. But that doesn't mean it's the end of the world.

What if it all goes wrong?

If your technology fails, or your audio is feeding back or a painting falls off the wall behind you, embrace it, have fun with it, the students will love it. Making mistakes and things going wrong is part of life, part of being a human being and when distance learning, it does no harm to be reminded of this.

The beauty of so much technology these days is that either, you can't
really break it (that's not a challenge) and if all else fails, you can google
the problem and the solution. If students have to watch you fumble
for 5 minutes, they'll see you demonstrating resilience!

Our students need to develop the 4 Cs, those 4 key skills for their futures,
and one of the best ways is to see communication, collaboration, creativity & critical thinking being modelled.

Pre-recording for lessons

There are many applications you can use to record videos for lessons. Whether that be on a webcam, mobile or recording your screen while sharing a resource - pretty much anything is achievable with the right tools.

Some apps that I use a lot for recording include Google Meet, Screencastify and WeVideo. The latter two of these both have video editing capabilities as well as recording.

Watch this video for more details on how to record asynchronously for distance learning.

In this video we look at how you can use Screencastify to record yourself and also your screen to share with students. Screencastify videos save directly to your Google Drive.

Of course there are other platforms like iMovie and Moviemaker but the great thing about the 3 I use is that they are completely web-based so no software to install and available anywhere on any device.

Streaming your lessons

If you're confident with video content but crave a little more interaction whilst
minimising the risk of potential pitfalls, streaming might be just what
you're looking for.

Streaming your lesson through Google Meet, or another platform such as Youtube Live, allows you to present to your students in real time without them being 'active' on your presentation. That is to say, you don't need to worry about students appearing on screen, meeting bombers or students talking over each other.

Added to this, you can't see the students homes either which is preferable from a safeguarding perspective. The key thing about streaming a lesson from
Google Meet is that you have to set it up in Google Calendar as an event.

The best way to explain a streamed lesson is this:
Teachers or assistants enter backstage via the Join the Meet link.

Students or viewers access via the Stream Link.

It's important that these aren't confused.

Q&A with Streaming

One of the issues with streaming through Google Meet is that the students and teacher can't interact directly via a chat function. This is available on Youtube but this would not necessarily be locked to your domain. Therefore, there are two simple workarounds for maintaining a chat during a streamed lesson. The first uses Google Forms and Sheets allowing
students to submit a form with questions,
answers or comments while the teacher can
view these submissions in real time in the
responses sheet. To achieve this, it's best to
have two screens or two devices, but you
can also use an extension like Dualless to split
your screen. This enables the teacher to
mention students directly and give credit
or address misconceptions immediately, improving engagement.

Q&A with Streaming

Google Slides comes with its own Audience Tools in the presentation view mode. Teachers can enable this tool and a URL is displayed on the top of every slide where students can go to submit a question or answer. The great thing about this feature is that you can 'show' questions on screen if you wish and the slide doc maintains a Q&A history for each event.

Like the previous method, a second screen or device is ideal. You can even present your slides direct to a Google Meet from your mobile device.