Online Micro-teaching

Online teaching was a totally new experience for me. I really enjoyed getting out of my comfort zone and trying new things in order to teach in a more technical way. Online teaching allows learners to join the lesson from wherever they are e.g., at home, which makes things a lot more convenient and efficient. Sharing content was a lot more effective and simpler on an online platform as all the learners should have been able to see the PowerPoint slides clearly and easily. Whereas if the learners were reading the slides from the classroom, the learners at the back of the class could have difficulty seeing the slides that are displayed.

Unfortunately, I did not like everything about online teaching as I prefer teaching face- to- face. I love being able to see the learners' facial expressions and enthusiasm when learning about a topic. I love teaching with a hands-on approach which means using concrete equipment and a lot of group discussions. It is a lot easier to see if learners understand the work content or not when they are in front of you. You can tell by the learner's body language and facial expressions if they understand the work or if they are struggling to comprehend something.

Finding my teacher voice, which is firm and clear yet enthusiastic enough to sustain the learners' attention, is one of the many useful skills that I have learned through teaching online. I was able to teach Number Patterns in an innovative way that was entertaining and interesting but still simple to grasp. Prior to Micro teaching, I had no idea how to add animations to my PowerPoint presentations and additionally, I discovered how to create a Kahoot quiz, which I had never done before. I was able to effectively manage my time and adhere to my time slot which is important. In my first role as a moderator, I used Blackboard Collaboration, which taught me how to share my screen and presentations. I also learnt how to give my peers feedback during their lessons on Padlet which was new to me.

What I would do differently is, if a learner is shy, I'd rather distribute my PowerPoint presentations as a PDF and let them type in the chat box rather than using the microphone. For the purpose of capturing the learners' attention, I would choose more vibrant and engaging images. I could make the questions on the Kahoot quiz a little more challenging for learners who are more advanced and above average, but I must also consider the learners who do struggle.

My personal opinion is that the PowerPoint Presentation I used for teaching my lesson online was an appropriate option because it was simple to use, engaging, and straightforward for learners to understand. I was able to add lots of colours, animations which allowed me to add answers in separately and I used pictures. The learners found the Kahoot enjoyable and interesting to use, and I was able to tell whether or not they grasped the content. The Kahoot was fun and hands-on, the learners engaged with the content which made learning a lot easier and effective.

First-time online teaching experience has taught me to be flexible, creative, and encouraging. In my opinion, I now feel more at ease using digital tools and working in a more technical manner, which will be advantageous to both myself and my learners. I can adapt to any learning setting and succeed there. In order to provide my learners with the best opportunities and advantages for learning, I will thrive on building up new abilities and continuously updating my work.

- Jody Lurie