Steps that I would establish to create a businesslike classroom

A businesslike classroom refers to a learning environment in which the students and the teacher conduct themselves in ways that achieving specified learning goals takes priority over other concerns. 

Establishing a Businesslike classroom even starts before my meeting with the class. Instead of hoping, I will plan for a favorable beginning by preparing different types of learning activities, by going to the classroom and design it to best equip my needs along with conducting discipline rules and routines where students should have a background of some, and I will take the advantage of students attention afforded to me to know what kind of teacher I am and display the standards of the class.

Second, I need to know my students in order to better display withitness. Making conversation with each student, then taking information about his/her personality, noticing how each one acts and responds to several questions I have prepared. Thus I will be able to easily detect classroom events and take into consideration the important discipline problem first.

The third one to establish such a classroom is to be highly prepared. The more I put effort in a lesson or the whole subject, the more the students will be engaged. Such as a well organized syllabus at the beginning (can be presented as a video): will inform the students of all the ideas they are going to benefit from; the organization keeps their attention; I will use it as a point of focus for returning students to be on-task. 

Definitely, in order to have an active learning environment, I need to minimize transition time. I done that by integrating several strategies: Integrating technology to enhance student learning; saving time with intra-class grouping, where students are subdivided into individual task groups for a learning activity; Accommodation Students Who Complete Work at Different Time by preparing extra activity to be submitted next day, but who finished the first activity earlier can take advantage of and starts with homework, so they will remain on-task; saving time while distributing material and giving directions. 

By following the steps above I will get a comfortable, nonthreatening, and safe learning community where students are engaged, active learners, participating with rules and discipline and respect each other.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/byrawpixel/45789233911

What can I do now that I was not able to do a year ago

Because of Covid-19 and the lockdown, I am able now to attend classes from my home, my bed with my hot coffee. now, I can work and learn at the same time because everything becomes online. Online learning gave me the chance to watch the recorded sessions at the time I want without being obliged to attend the class and instead I can do my job. No paper courses, all of them are saved on my desktop, without losing any course or at least I can ask for and get it at the time without waiting for the next day to copy it from my friends. know all need to implement technology in learning, in work, in all things, thus we will have a society that has improved knowledge about technology and how to use different applications and platforms. Online learning facilitates the integrating of educational games in an efficient way, and take advantage of it and enhance the learning progress of pupils.

Challenges I face when learning or teaching online

Online learning is new to students and teachers in Lebanon so it took time to switch from face-to-face learning to computer-based training in a virtual class because of their adaptation for years to conventional learning. Some students may face electricity and net problems when learning online and you know we are in Lebanon. Problems may be faced because of devices that may be too old to obey the course management system and lack of devices if there is more than one student in one house. Computer literacy is a major problem among today's students where most of them are unable to use basic programs and solve basic computer problems because they lack expertise in this field. Self-motivation is an important aspect of online learning but many ignore it and give up because the challenges of navigating a technical medium seem insurmountable. 

How to avoid problems when teaching online

Covid-19 changes learning from on-ground to online. In teaching online, students must be independent and must prepare an atmosphere that emphasizes their responsibility for their own learning. Goal orientation is necessary to complete their work and collaborate with their peers and know how to use tools to catch information easily. Online learning requires the use of computers, so students must be taught basic computer skills to communicate with teachers and friends. 

These are some tips for enhancing online teaching:

• post a recording for the session
• open your camera during the session (eye contact)
• use videos for illustration and make them short 
• give instructions
• provide interactive activities (integrate educational games)
• use group communication (with the help of many applications and websites)

How to be a digital citizen

A digital citizen is someone who has acquired the skills to successfully use the internet and digital technology, and who does so in a responsible and acceptable manner in order to engage and participate in society and politics. To be a digital citizen, first you should make a good digital impression by spreading positive vibes and must always be courteous and encourage others to be nice, too. Second, you should avoid contents that are sexually provocative. Finally, you shouldn't steal the ideas of other people and mention the reference in case you used the words of others.

Tools that can be used in online assessment

First, we might ask what factors influence teacher effectiveness and students' progress?

According to the HAY-McBER study, there are three main factors within teachers' control that significantly influence pupil progress: 1- Teaching skills; 2- Professional characteristics; 3- Classroom climate. Each provides distinctive and complementary ways that teachers can understand the contribution they make. None can be relied on alone to deliver value-added teaching. One of the teaching skills is Assessment where the teacher evaluate, measure and document the learning progress, skill acquisition or educational needs of students. 

While teaching online, here are some tools the teacher can use for assessment:

1- Padlet: It allows students to collaborate and reflect on a single topic. Can be used for brainstorming, and sharing ideas. Also for survey and voting where teachers will post several topics and students will vote all on this page.

2- Mentimeter: It also can be used for brainstorming and check understanding by making multiple choice questions and online quizzes. 

3- Kahoot: teacher can create learning games, so engaging students by integrating games.

4- Jamboard: It can be used for group working under the supervision of the teacher.

5- Polleverywhere: It can be used for a quick opinion. Or, for example, taking evaluation on a certain activity. Receiving feedback on something the teacher has explained. It can be used for assisting students' knowledge.

6- Google forms: It can be used for making quizzes, or exams with several kinds of questions.

7- word wall: This is a website that can be used for creating several games that tend to test students understanding of a certain topic.

Integrating technology into learning

 I have a huge admiration for a reputed saying for Confucius - the Chinese philosopher - that is:" Tell Me and I Will Forget; Show Me and I May Remember; Involve Me and I Will Understand." This quote truly sums up what I see as convenient for teaching skills nowadays, combining both the guided training methods with the aid of technological practices. In addition to that technology integration must be improved because  of the necessity of today's students to have and implement these skills in the learning process. Also we can't deny technology's role in the process of active learning. By this, the teacher's role is wouldn't be giving knowledge only, but explaining the concepts and then supervise the students to apply what he explained and to let them practice to learn from their mistakes as discovery-based learning. The teacher will have a wide range of technological tools that he can integrate to reach the main goal which is pupil learning progress. 

https://blog.tcea.org/tag/ed-tech/ 

 

EDUC561

💭It is the Educational Media and Technology course. It is so important and helpful course where you learn how to integrate technology effectively in learning. You will meet many applications and other websites that are very applicable and useful in learning, either during explaining the material or by making exams and educational gaming activities. The interesting thing in this course that you apply and use what you learn directly. I believe that everyone should learn about this course and cover all these potential tools and implement them in education, for the fact that technology can deliver new educational opportunities for everyone, and it offers a huge chance to transform global education at all age levels. Finally, technology continues to develop at a rapid pace, and knowledge to relate education with technology is a must.