Social Distance Learning
Stiamo insieme e tutto andrà bene
How does it work
For our Fluency online classes, we are using a fabulous new video teaching tool (Zoom) that allows students to join and interact remotely. It even allows me to break the class into little breakout groups for conversation practice, allows me to go from group to group advising and assisting and then bring everyone back together just like in a regular fluency class. The tool has a free app for whatever devices you prefer (phone, tablet, computer, laptop) that is simple to install and use (links and instructions are below). A few minutes before each lesson, you will receive a link for our class by email that will magically transport you to our virtual classroom (like teleportation in Star Trek).
What makes it great
I wasn’t sure how well it would work before I tried it but now I love it and having taught all my classes using it for a couple of weeks, my students really love it to. Some have even said they prefer it to regular classes. And not just because of the social distancing, there are a number of other advantages that I hadn’t thought about either:
- All the notes I write in class o the whiteboard (notes, new words, grammar references) are automatically saved by the program. You can see them in the app when I write them but I also email them to you after class as a reference.
- No more missing out on what I or other students say because your too far away from them. You just turn up the volume. The sound and video are fantastic quality
- I can share all the documents, grammar pages, newspapers and reference material directly so they just pop up on screen for you. I can also make notes on them directly and of course email them all to you after class
- Sit in your favourite chair, have a cup of tea (or vino) and relax during class. And wear whatever you want. We learn best when we are comfortable
- We can watch movies and other videos, play games directly through the app. We don’t even need to switch off the light
- The App is free, no login or signup process, no technical ability required
