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module 1 teaching in a virtual classroom

module 1 getting started with the basics

Zoom can be used for more than just delivering or connecting a class meeting. You can leverage Zoom to connect with your students beyond the classroom and scheduled class time.

Virtual Office Hours

As an interactive platform, Zoom works well for small group discussions of ideally no more than 10 people. Many more than that, and it becomes difficult to keep track of participants, and speaking in turns can become challenging. Curiously, this seem to be the same constraints of in-person office hours as well without the added burden of finding enough chairs. Zoom can easily replicate standard in-person office hours, right down to the person who shows up to listen but rarely says anything.

Study Sessions

Zoom makes it easy to set up targeted small-group sessions to cover specific topics/assignments/problems with which students are struggling. A Canvas announcement might look something like this:

Hello class! I understand that some of the chapter sections are giving you more trouble than others. Join me on Zoom this Wednesday, and we'll go over the following sections/exercises:

- - - - Wednesday 4-4:30: Chapter 7.2, Exercises 7, 8, 9
      - Wednesday 4:30-5: Chapter 7.4, Exercises 14, 16, 17

A Note: A targeted study session is an event you may wish to record so that students who are unable to attend are also able to benefit. Follow the recording guidelines shared elsewhere in this module.

Building Community

One of the most difficult things about virtual and online courses is replicating the community that is built when students and faculty interact face-to-face. We miss out on the before class chatter, the topical in-class discussions and small group work, and the after class lingering to continue the conversation. While we can't replicate this entirely, there are ways that Zoom can help. You will learn more about building community in Module 7: Creating Student Engagement by Building Relationships.

Beginning the Meeting

Resources & Good Stuff

Although it may often feel that there isn't enough class time as it is, it may be prudent to take the first few minutes of a synchronous class and help to forge personal connections. This may be of even greater importance if your class depends on students working together and/or sharing. Students will be more willing to take a chance to answer incorrectly, or to share their views and experiences when they feel a connection to their classmates and to you. Here are some things you might try:

- - Welcome! Make use of the mandatory waiting room to individually welcome your students by name as they arrive to class.
  - Grounding & Breath Focus. Take a moment to begin the meeting with a shared experience, whether it's "Just 3 Breaths", a short series of simple stretches, or mindfully focusing on the feeling of your feet connecting to the ground.
  - Quotes & Poetry. Begin each class by sharing a short reading of a poem, or a meaningful quote. Neither must be related to your content... just something you enjoy and relate to, or something you think might spark discussion among your students. After a week or two, you can open up the reading to your students to read and share an item of their choosing. Ask for volunteers, or create a sign-up sheet. Yes, even (and especially) in non literature-based classes.

Polls

You can use Polls in the Zoom classroom in place of the "clickers" you might use in the physical classroom, However, not all polls have to be serious and content-specific. You can also use Polls in Zoom to encourage participation and facilitate discussion. For example, you could ask:

- - - Is cereal soup?
    - Are hotdogs sandwiches?
    - If animals could talk, which would be the rudest?
    - What day do you consider to be the start of the week: Sunday or Monday?

Be sure to allow time for discussion, either as a whole group or in breakout rooms; immediately after the poll, or after they've had some time to think.

To create a poll for your Zoom sessions:

1. 1. 1. Schedule a Zoom meeting. You do not need to use the scheduled meeting, you just need to create it.
    2. Once created and saved, scroll to the bottom of the page: you will find a box that shows polls you have created, or it will say "You have not created any polls". Click "Add Poll" on the right-hand side of the page.
    3. Name your Poll - use descriptive language, or class dates. You will have access to all polls in all future meetings.
    4. Create your Poll questions.
    5. Save!
    6. In your next meeting, there will be a new actionable option at the bottom of the screen: Polls! Click the button and scroll through the list to choose which poll to use.

Breakout Rooms

Zoom Blog

All You Need to Know About Using Zoom Breakout Rooms

Whenever possible, open up your Zoom session 10 minutes early. You may also consider placing your students into small-group breakout rooms as they join the class. Choose topics ahead of time for each room (or allow the first students to arrive to suggest the topic(s)). Assign students randomly to groups, or allow them to choose what they would like to discuss!

Just-In-Time Support

If you've taught the same class for more than a year or two, you start to notice patterns. These may be points in the curriculum or specific topics on which students display gaps in knowledge. In a seated classroom, you know to plan for a little side-lecture; with the whole class if you expect the gap to be widespread, or for just a few interested students if you think it will be small. You can do the same in Canvas, using Zoom (or a more sophisticated video application) to create Concept Videos that target single, specific points of knowledge on which students may need a refresher. Embedded directly in the content page, or as a link that points elsewhere, you can scaffold your instruction with timely, relevant content. Learn more at ASCD.

One-on-One Student Support

One-on-one student support could be many things:

Individual help for a student who has requested it
An oral presentation for an exam or assignment. Perhaps a math or physics student will show how to talk through solving a problem.
Mid-project check-ins to make sure everything is on track.
Conferences to provide FeedForward on on a written assignment, or to discuss feedback and comments on a delayed-grade written assignment.