Online teaching #2: Learning new skills

Online teaching #2: Learning new skills

There is no denying that online teaching is different than in-class teaching. Both include students and teacher but the difference is the place, classroom or online connection. If someone imagines it is quite similar I need to deny- they require different skills from students and teacher. The place influence each second of the lesson, each action and activity. Today I will discuss what new skills teachers need to have while online teaching.

The technology

The computer and internet are basic tools of online teaching. These are very broad ides, you can not lear how to use a computer in one day. It is a skill like writing or riding a bike. It requires practice, time, mistakes to learn and be more fluent while using a computer. Internet is a space inside the computer, so it is next step to learn what is it and how to function in the online space. If you read my post you probably can use the internet very well, so I guess you realize the internet is enormous and it takes plenty of time to learn it.

As with most things, if we grow up using the computer and internet (other technologies as well) it is natural and intuitive for us. In today's situation, I am lucky to be one of the people who were growing up in the online environment. It is natural for me to use different technologies and the internet.

But not all other people are as lucky as I am. The most experienced teachers are older than me, twenty, forty or even more yers older. It means they did not need to use the computer and internet on the daily basis before. It is not an obligation to use new technologies, we do not have such a law. But in a situation like we have now, time of pandemic, it is the only way to teach. I respect older people than me, older teachers. I believe I can learn so much from them and I feel so sorry for those who are overwhelmed by online teaching. For example, I have not used Zoom before but I have used Facebook, Skype or Discord, it was my basic communication with friends. And Zoom is a very similar program. In most cases older people do not have that experience.

Extra issue is to have your own computer which is advanced enough to work well, be up to date. The same with the internet connection, it can be slower or faster. That is also the case of having enough money to spend on new technologies.

Obviously, the higher technology skills teacher has the better. He can better control students during the lesson (enable screen sharing, accept students joining the lesson, mute someone). He can work faster and make the lesson more fluent. He can cope with different technical difficulties by himself, which makes students respect him more. That is why I perceive this skill as the most important one. 

Online resources

In the previous post I have described the online resources which I use most often. I gathered them since few years: worksheets, games, videos. But in-class some teachers tend to use paper worksheets and the content of a course book. So next skill is to find online resources, to google.

I perceive the fact of finding good and free online resources as a personal achievement. If you have ever done that by yourself I am sure you will agree. If not, I will tell you why is it so. When you find something that fits your topic and students it happens that:

the quality is poor
the content is slightly different from the one you planned (like "autumn" and "fall")
the author put some kind of protection for using his work for free (like waterline)

These are just few examples and they happen to me almost each time I search for some online materials. Sometimes I come to conclusion that it would take me less time to make the material myself than to seek through the whole internet.

Flexibility and openness

Even if a teacher is an experienced user of new technologies it is not enough to conduct an online lesson. Being flexible is priceless if we have technical difficulties or if our students have some. The problematic situations which may happen are unforeseeable. That is when the teacher need to make a quick decision, which is quite similar to the sudden situations in-class. But what makes us as teachers more effective in such situations? The experience and measures which we can take.

In terms of new technologies day by day computer scientists create new solutions, updates. That is why being opened for the novelties is highly helpful, it lets a teacher to function in the online world.

At the end of this post I wish all of us to have the mentioned skills. One big trade standing behind them is patience, so let's practice it every day and keep online- teaching!