When we look back on 2019, no one could have predicted how quickly things would change. Everything we were used to doing in our daily lives had to come to a halt in the blink of an eye, and we had to adapt to the rapid spread of the deadly, coronavirus. After two years, not everything has returned to normal as we would have hoped.
All industries were forced to adapt. The educational industry had to get rid of their usual ways of teaching and train teachers and students to continue to learn outside of the classroom. This involved parents with younger kids, who they would have to monitor and help to adapt to the new norm.
So, how have schools adapted to the new norm for the educational industry?
Virtual Classes
Classes had to go on despite the pandemic because no one knows when everything will be back to the way things were. There had to be a way to continue teaching kids so that they will not be idle at home. The best option for this was to hold virtual classes.
Many teachers struggled because not many of them are confident in using technology. They still had to undergo training to learn how to use various ways of teaching. It was important to keep their students interested and participate in classes, which was still difficult.
Virtual classes ensured that all students were safe at home but still have interactions with teachers and their fellow students. Teachers now have to use more visualizations so they can keep their students engaged. These visualizations include videos, presentations, and other learning activities. This can be done through collaboration spaces, workflows, access to content on cloud services, tools to help create videos or presentations with fun illustrations.
Teachers had to migrate everything they use in their classrooms to a digital setting. They had to add a variety of teaching methods to liven up their classes with their students like they would in a face-to-face class.
Creating a Schedule or Plan for Each Lesson
Students and teachers have more time to do things at home because they don’t have to commute daily anymore. This means that they can easily get distracted by the things around them. So, teachers have to create a plan and present this to their students. The plan lets their students know what will be covered in each part of the lesson and how long a lesson will take, this is to prepare the students ahead of time.
Also, they have to open up all the files they need so they can navigate their page quicker than having to wait up for each file or folder to open. The challenge for teachers is to keep the students more alert and pay attention as much as possible because they are not all in the same room anymore.
Have the Right Equipment
The new norm of teaching can be difficult for those who aren’t used to change. It means setting up an area to teach their students and making sure that there are no unwanted backgrounds. For lessons to go on smoothly teachers and students should have an HD webcam, good sound quality headsets, and a clear microphone when talking. All of these can enhance everyone’s experience and avoid any disruptions while the lesson is taking place.
Build a Community
For months most of us were stuck indoors with our families. We didn’t get to see our friends for a long time. For students who are in college, it is best that they use their webcam to interact with others to not feel isolated. It will also help when a student needs to ask any questions or participate during the class.
The pandemic has made it difficult for everyone. But if you adapt to the new norm and learn to adjust, then anything is possible. Technology has made it possible for everyone to communicate and continue learning at home.
There are many different apps out there to help make virtual classes possible. Ardent Networks is an IT solutions and distributor. They offer collaboration solutions such as Cisco Webex and Avaya Spaces. Both collaboration tools are user-friendly and easy to use to help teachers make every class run smoothly.
Cisco Webex and Avaya Spaces can hold video calls that can include all of your students. You can share your screen to show your presentation and so many features.
To learn more about how you can improve your learning experience visit Cisco and Avaya’s pages on the Ardent Networks’ site.
