I am a 6th grade special education teacher. Through moving to virtual teaching in March and then teaching virtually in summer school, I have learned a lot about different programs and platforms that will help me give my students an interactive and effective learning experience. As a special education teacher, breaking down and modeling the general education curriculum is key to their learning success. In the regular classroom setting, I use a variety of tools (whiteboards, visuals, reminders, small group instruction, etc.) in order to make sure my students' learning needs are met. Figuring out how to carry this over to the virtual world takes a lot of multi-tasking.
In order to successfully switch over to virtual teaching with my demographic of students, I will need to use multiple platforms together to ensure that each students' needs are being met. The three platforms that I use most are Zoom, Nearpod, and Schoology. Using these platforms means that I have multiple windows and tabs open on my laptop, but I can not see all three windows at the same time, I have to toggle between them. This can get confusing, cause delays in my instruction, and allow me to miss things that students are doing/saying. If I had another monitor that acted as an extension of my laptop, I would be able to view what was happening on multiple screens at once. With dual monitors, I would be able to see/hear my students (Zoom), monitor their work in real-time (Nearpod), share extra materials (youtube, slides, docs, searches) and assignments (Schoology). The drawing tablet will really come in handy when giving further examples, annotate instruction, break down instruction, and draw visuals for students. Using my trackpad and finger has been quite messy which sometimes confuses more than aids.
About my class
I am a 6th grade special education teacher. Through moving to virtual teaching in March and then teaching virtually in summer school, I have learned a lot about different programs and platforms that will help me give my students an interactive and effective learning experience. As a special education teacher, breaking down and modeling the general education curriculum is key to their learning success. In the regular classroom setting, I use a variety of tools (whiteboards, visuals, reminders, small group instruction, etc.) in order to make sure my students' learning needs are met. Figuring out how to carry this over to the virtual world takes a lot of multi-tasking.
In order to successfully switch over to virtual teaching with my demographic of students, I will need to use multiple platforms together to ensure that each students' needs are being met. The three platforms that I use most are Zoom, Nearpod, and Schoology. Using these platforms means that I have multiple windows and tabs open on my laptop, but I can not see all three windows at the same time, I have to toggle between them. This can get confusing, cause delays in my instruction, and allow me to miss things that students are doing/saying. If I had another monitor that acted as an extension of my laptop, I would be able to view what was happening on multiple screens at once. With dual monitors, I would be able to see/hear my students (Zoom), monitor their work in real-time (Nearpod), share extra materials (youtube, slides, docs, searches) and assignments (Schoology). The drawing tablet will really come in handy when giving further examples, annotate instruction, break down instruction, and draw visuals for students. Using my trackpad and finger has been quite messy which sometimes confuses more than aids.
Read more