Education has undergone so many unprecedented and unimaginable changes over the past few years, and particularly over the past one year due to the pandemic. Online platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet have become extremely useful for online classes and it is the ultimate saviour for teachers and students.
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For subjects like Math, whereby teaching can be complicated in an online platform, tutors are struggling a fair bit with this new situation. Many teachers are used to one-to-one private tuition format or traditional classroom setting with 40 students that now online lessons seem odd. It almost feels like there is no one else because students are not physically present.
But how can lessons be still fun and engaging?
Here are some ways Zoom can be made use of to teach math in an engaging manner!
SCREEN SHARING
The fundamental aspects of zoom classes like scheduling a meeting, adding participants and recording a lesson would not be a difficult task. Many websites are out there in the internet to teach how those basics should be done. Our focus is more on how to make math lessons more engaging using the application’s functions.
Source: elearn.ucalgary.ca/
One of the key features of zoom is screen sharing. This allows anyone in the meeting to share files on your device (ex. Pdf of lecture or PowerPoint slides of the lecture). There is also a digital white board. To utilise these functions, one has to simply click the ‘Share’ button near the bottom of your Zoom conference window.
Screen sharing allows students to view the content as you speak. This ensures that students do not feel left out and confused as the lesson proceeds.
INTERACTION
The math lesson would inevitably be boring and mundane if the teacher is the only one who is talking throughout the entire lesson. In a class of many students in the same meeting, it would be more fun if everyone is able to interact with each other during the session. Math tutors can initiate interesting discussion and call out different students to talk about their opinion or understanding of the topic of the day.
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The future of E-learning has to be made as bright as possible and the only way to do this is for teachers and students to be equally involved and interactive in this process.
BREAKOUT ROOMS
Breaking into groups for a more targeted and focused discussion session is one of the key feature of Zoom’s Breakout Rooms. This is one of the most popular features that enables discussions to made more interesting. Here are some key things to take note of in making use of breakout rooms:
- Moving participants to Breakout Rooms: This option automatically moves everyone when the “Open All Rooms” option is selected.
- Timer: Breakout Rooms can be placed on a timer and the necessary discussions have to be done before the timer expires.
- A visible countdown: Participants can see the countdown and this will be an indication for them to summarise and wrap up the conversation.
- Coming back to main session: Participants can return back to the main session without any time constraints.
PRESENTATIONS
When students are assigned topics to teach the class, it makes the lesson so much more alive. This is because students will be excited to see how their friends would conduct the seminar or presentation. An interactive and engaging atmosphere gets created and students would certainly retain information better when their friends were the ones who taught them.
BOTTOM LINE
It is important for students to adapt to these changes and it is essential for math tutors to make lessons more enjoyable even when things have taken an unexpected turn. E-learning is the new way of gaining knowledge and this may open up new opportunities in future for students and for teachers!