Thrive Reflective 11 - Remote teaching AND Blended Synchronous Learning (BSL) in preparation for Omicron wave

Term 1 Week 7 - The positive omicron virus week

I could not go to school for one week as I was tested ART positive but with mild symptoms.

I tried (1) asynchronous learning by assigning students with SLS for my 3 Em, (2) remote teaching in directing students how to design for 1 Ex (it is a NA-NT group) whom do not have their PLDs using the advanced share screen beta mode and (3) remote teaching in reviewing what they had done in SLS and attempted dialogic teaching over online using the normal share screen mode.

First, I must be clear that remote teaching is quite different from full-home based learning and planned home-based learning in that remote teaching replace what is supposed to be face-to-face learning with online learning with limited preparation time. 

(1) Students were in school and it is earlier for student-student interaction but there is still a psychological barrier for teacher-students interaction BUT much lesser as compared when it is in zoom if the laptop is projected to the screen. I also experienced for myself the difference between attending an onsite meeting online vs when I was in a zoom meeting. Looking at the screen with a slide in zoom is different from looking at a place with a screen and speaker talking with all the gestures in Blended Synchronous learning (BSL) where there are both face-to-face and remote audiences.

Experiencing as a "student" while listening to a sharing in a BSL setting


Conducting a lesson using the advanced share screen beta mode in a remote teaching setting

(2) Students (NA-NT) were engaged in the classroom for remote teaching as compared to the many issues reported that they were not engaged when they are at home. So does online learning not work for this group of students? Or it is that the design of our online learning was unable to engage them? Could it be that they will look forward to home-based learning and be ready to "have fun" for the day? What I can now think of will be game-based learning for this group of students with principles of emotions for online learning applied.

(3) For students in Express class, I tried dialogic teaching but it does not seem to work. First, the pause in between dialogue (having to mute and unmute) seem to have broken the chain of thoughts I used to have when done face-to-face. The students who I chose to talk to is also important. She will need to ask good questions for me to continue with the flow of the lesson. So dialogue teaching face and face and online will also be different.

(4) Technical limitation. While projecting the zoom on-screen created the presence  of a teacher in class. I will not be able to hear the students talking to me from where they are seated. I will need the EWI to come near to the computer to relay the questions. We can have a wireless mic to be passed around, which is not advisable given current situations. 

Next, there are some principles that we can apply for remote teaching.

(1) Monitor time on task using mobile guardian - I get 3Em to take notes using their PLD and use mobile guard to look at what they are writing. For Sec 1 who do not have PLD, EWI take a picture of what they draw and I provided personal feedback (praise) and task-level feedback to motivate them.

(2) Setting up - one teacher / AED has to set up a test of their laptop and the AV system before the lesson. We set up the system 30 min before the lesson and there are technical issues such as I am unable to hear the class even when I unmute and my voice was not projected to the AV system. Luckily all technical resolved before the lesson starts.

(3) Start and maintain conversation - when my Sec 1 students came and see me on the screen, they will come to the screen and say hi. Loverly little one. Start the lesson with some informal chat before the formal lesson to draw their attention toward you on the screen. Then continue to interact with the students by asking MCQ questions and getting them to show hand signals (because you cannot ready hear them from where they are seated).

Ok, I will be allowed back in school next week and I will try out BSL for students who are unable to come and is well and this is also quite different from remote teaching.

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