Simple Tools and Tricks for Online Teaching

Teaching methodologies have changed a lot. They will transform even more in the coming days.  We should also change as time goes by. No offense to Teachers, but to be honest, I have learned almost everything online. Be it small stuff like image editing or big ones like Machine Learning. If I’m something today, all thanks to the internet and tools. Without the internet, nobody would know who ‘Praveen Hanhcinal’ is.

Time has Come:

Most of us complained about not having enough time to get things done. The time has come.

It is a great opportunity to learn the craft of creating things online. As most people are finding it difficult to get started, I thought to give some guidelines based on my limited knowledge. Using these tools students can also create their lectures to educate their friends and others.

Why Teach Online?

Students love their mobile more than they love themselves. Students love when you move to their platform. They befriend you when you are on their platforms. It is an infotainment methodology of learning. They want all content to be accessible on their mobile device. Another beauty of teaching online is, you never know where your impact starts and how far it goes on to reach the people.

Tools for Online Teaching via PC/Laptop

There are 100s of tools out there. Takes a year to try them and experiment. To ease your searching, here are some which can be tried and tested. Some recommended tools while teaching via Laptop / Desktop.

GOM Recorder: (free)

Helps you record your screen and explain things by annotations and zoom. Click the link below to get it.

https://www.gomlab.com/gomrecorder-mobile-recorder/

OpenShot Video Editor:(free)

It is a simple movie editing/making software.OpenShot Video Editor is available for download on Linux, OS X, and Windows. It helps you edit videos in a simpler way with a small learning curve.

https://www.openshot.org/download/

HitFilm Express: (free)

It is a complex movie editing/making software. It is worth learning. Suggested for editing with the multi storyline and layers with audio settings.

https://fxhome.com/hitfilm-express

Photopea: (free)

Best image editing tool on the go. It helps the users as the User Interface is similar to photoshop.

https://www.photopea.com/

If willing to purchase an easy tool Camtasia is recommended. It is an all-in-one tool but not free. It is priced around Rs.20000 for individual licence. Good things won’t come cheap.

Click Here to try Camtasia

Tools for Online Teaching via Mobile:

You can also create content using mobile. Either you can use a camera to record your “classroom like” teaching or you can do a voice-over for existing content like notes. Keep the camera on a solid surface to avoid shakes in the recording. Use a tripod or mobile stand to help yourself. It is better to have a wall as a background and facing window for lighting. Bookshelf background has a better ambience effect.

Some guidelines while creating a lecture using mobile:

1. Always record using medium settings on the camera. (also called fps. Low fps=Less MB)
2. Try Late-night or Early morning recording to avoid noise. (You can avoid fan noise along with people disturbance.)
3. Set the phone in Airplane mode while recording.
4.  Video Conferencing or Webinars work better in modern Laptop/Desktop than on a phone.
5. Keep content handy like PDF, PPT in a folder easily accessible.
6. Review the content before sharing.

Hiding Behind Camera:

Some educators are not yet comfortable being on the live video feed/record. For such people here are some guidelines:

• Take a photo of the notes or the PPT that you have.
• Open that in your phone.
• Open Screen Recorder on your phone. (Most phones have inbuilt screen recorders if you do not have one. You can try AZ Screen Recorder or Mobizen).
• https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hecorat.screenrecorder.free
• Turn on Aeroplane mode.
• Voice over the content keeping the phone near to you for better quality.

Sharing the Content:

You can share your content on any social media like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube but WhatsApp, Telegram can be used to connect directly. You can use WhatsApp, Telegram to create broadcasts, groups and channels to share content instantly.

The best steps for sharing:

1. Create the video.
2. Upload to YouTube.
3. Place that YouTube link in a blog/website.
4. Share that website link in WhatsApp or Telegram and rest of social media.

Do’s and Don’ts for Online Teaching:

Here are some Do’s and Don’ts while you are teaching via online resources.

Don’ts:

• Do not read the text displayed. You are meant to explain.
• Do not go too fast or too slow.
• Do not talk anything personal, until it is useful for others.
• Do not create content for more than 45 minutes.

Do’s

• Be natural. Look good.
• Look into the camera.
• Imagine you are before the audience and speak up.
• Dry run with your best friends for constructive criticism.

Teaching via Web Conference Apps:

This is teaching live via web conference/webinar where both video and audio are streamed. There are many popular apps like Google Hangouts(Meet), Google Duo, Cisco WebEx, Skype Meet, Team Viewer, GoToMeetingJitsi, etc. Popular Zoom app is boycotted as there is a lot of myth that the content is being monitored from china.  You can use any app, but make sure it helps for sharing PDF, PPT while being live on video. One disadvantage of these conference apps is students should have a good network connection and be present at a specific location which is hard. Thus, YouTubing wins over conferencing.

Why Create a YouTube Channel?:

This applies when people start to love you for your content and ask for more. Creating a YouTube channel is a professional way of saying “I am serious about what I’m teaching”. YouTube opens up the global audience. You can add channel art and channel icon to make it meaningful. You can upload and edit videos in https://studio.youtube.com/

You can create a playlist after uploading similar topic videos or add other videos to your playlist. You can upload a video as private and get reviewed by a well-wisher and make it public later. You can enable discussion to let students discuss the video lecture.

Getting Professional:

This is when learners like your content and you can start monetising your content. These tips and tricks apply when you are thinking long term. Here are a few things to consider to become a professional in online content creation.

• Learn the Three-point lighting setup.
• Personalised Blog or Website in your name.
• Personalised logo and cover art
• Use infographics and MindMaps
• Think global reach while creating
• Create Course lectures on Udemy and LinkedIn
• Sharing on all social media platforms

Hope this is helpful. If you are an educator and finding it difficult to set up your online presence and setting up a personal website. You can ping me on WhatsApp (97408-60199) for help.