Zoom
Zoom teaching: New Week, New Tweak!
NEW WEEK - NEW TWEAK! (from a now archived FB page)
In the interest of continued support and discussion among we instructors, I thought I'd bring up some more topics about what we're all doing to make our online offerings better as we learn and grow in this medium that is new to so many of us.
The joke among me and my students is "New Week - New Tweak!" It's like a game of spot the differences from a newspaper or magazine, now coming to you LIVE in your living room. LOL If it's not some new piece of tech--like a new camera, upgrading the WiFi, or an improved lavalier mic--it's a new way we're setting up the space to make it easier for students to see us on whatever device which they are trying to study with us.
Here is a photo gallery comparison of our first, third, and fifth week of class. Each week I would go home and review the footage, and also go to our private student Facebook page asking for feedback. They had such thoughtful insight into what they needed to make the experience more enjoyable and effective for them, and it engaged them as empowered agents of their own learning environment. I'll post details of some of the changes we made in the comments.
What tweaks have YOU introduced to your online classroom since you began? Veterans of online teaching, what tips do you have for newbies which you feel really make the biggest impact? I'd love to hear other ideas and inspirations!
Changes we made:
We learned that as much as we love our banner, it was too busy behind the instructor, and hey...it's also BACKWARD in the mirror. DUH! So we got rid of it.
The bare mirrors and string lights we had in there were fine when we are physically in the room for other classes, and can see all the other beautiful decor in the room, but without a 360 degree view, the virtual classroom looked sterile and soulless--not at all what we look and feel like in person. A quick dig into my sari stash fixed that. Plus the string lights flashed "hot" on video, so we removed them and replaced them with some creative DIY scrims to cast a more ambient glow lighting from off-camera.
And the beige background we THOUGHT would be a good neutral background for the instructor ended up...er...blending in with our very pale skin. So turns out darker curtains were a better idea, and BONUS, they also feel warmer and add a bit of spice.
The bare mirrors and string lights we had in there were fine when we are physically in the room for other classes, and can see all the other beautiful decor in the room, but without a 360 degree view, the virtual classroom looked sterile and soulless--not at all what we look and feel like in person. A quick dig into my sari stash fixed that. Plus the string lights flashed "hot" on video, so we removed them and replaced them with some creative DIY scrims to cast a more ambient glow lighting from off-camera.
And the beige background we THOUGHT would be a good neutral background for the instructor ended up...er...blending in with our very pale skin. So turns out darker curtains were a better idea, and BONUS, they also feel warmer and add a bit of spice.
Here's the progression:
And sidenote: I haven't posted a single link to my own page on this group since I joined, but I'd like to share it since it seems everyone else does. We have classes on Thursday nights in tribal and fusion bellydance, 7pm and 8pm PST, and we'd love to see ya there. Our gateway to online classes is at:
www.deeprootslive.com
www.deeprootslive.com
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