Online education is registering a spike all across the globe. To teach online, you need to be reasonably comfortable with computers and the internet. It is important because, in online teaching, the interactions with students will take place through messaging platforms, mails, and video calls. Also, many teachers need to use digital platforms to share presentations, PDFs, lectures, and many more information data.
The best thing is, you can share the study material with just one click and it will be accessible to many students at once. Anyone with a mobile/computer a good internet connection can attend Livestream lectures, group discussions, tests, and many more to make their learning more efficient. You also get an opportunity to improve your technology skills by teaching or learning online. Here are some of the essential teaching aids to enrich the virtual classroom:
6 Essential teaching aids for successful online teaching
1. A good device
If you are probably wondering exactly what constitutes a “good” device, it means that you need one with enough processing speed to be able to run multiple programs at once. Some laptops don’t do this without a slowdown which is disturbing in the middle of an online lecture. Use a good online teaching app and it is very important to have a good device that doesn’t become intolerable in the middle of a lecture or when you are trying to edit a video.
2. Reliable internet connection
In this time of digitization of education, it is the right time to upgrade your internet connection. You can have the fanciest equipment in the world but if you don’t have a good internet connection to hold a virtual lecture without constant lag, it doesn’t matter. Also, many companies are offering various discounts to teachers after the pandemic. If you are away from home then try to find a location with good network signals to continue your lectures.
3. Microphone
Some laptops are already equipped with a good quality microphone. But if you face issues with hearing students then you should buy yourself a good external microphone. Both making screencasts and holding synchronous virtual classes will be a major part of teaching online, and audio clarity is very essential in both of these processes. In fact, audio clarity is more important than video quality, so you should work on that. It also blocks all the background voices to let you teach in a peaceful environment.
4. Screen casting software
It enables you to record everything going on the computer screen. It contains objects like images, videos, texts, and even mouse movements to make students understand any task easily. It saves time for teachers and also gives a whole new learning experience to the students. It is an ideal choice to explain step-to-step processes and complex concepts. The main task is to find one screen casting software that suits your preference. If you have an online teaching app that helps you record the live classes and share your screen effortlessly, then nothing like it. Teachmint, for instance, is your one-stop solution to online teaching.
5. Digital Tablet
It is very useful for subjects like math that need a solution to be done in front of students with the explanation. You can use the digital tablet to write on the whiteboard which makes learning easier. When not in a synchronous session, teachers can also use the writing tablet with many apps available online to create video lessons that students can view later for a better understanding of concepts.
6. Feedback
Feedback is very crucial in successful online learning-especially in the early days as you shift to the online mode of teaching. If you go for a heavy learning management system, you will likely have only a few options for posing questions and reviewing the engagement of students. There are many survey applications available online to help you in getting feedback like how well you explained certain concepts and many more precisely.
To make online learning successful, educators should be willing to upskill themselves and adapt to the changes. It requires teachers to have a basic understanding of using digital forums. To combat this, schools should invest in training teachers and provide them with important digital tools for a seamless teaching experience.
Teachmint is keen on changing the future of education with its advanced LMS and ERP tools. With more than 20+ modules for educational institutions like admission management, attendance management system, performance management, and more; it is changing the teaching-learning experience.
