Online MicroTeaching

Feedback and reflection on microteaching lesson

Online teaching can come with a range of likes and dislikes. What I liked about presenting my lesson online was the flexibility to reach all learners, fostering a space for inclusivity and allowing all my learners to access the content and see my presentation. Being able to manipulate the use of a variety of tools such as Powerpoint and Kahoot I was able to create an interactive space for learners to engage with the content. I found teaching online to be very convenient as you are able to work in your own space including your learners and being able to personalize your online lesson I viewed as a positive aspect as I was able to create my PowerPoint presentations in a way that was colorful, making use of images and short bits of information to captivate the learners attention especially in a Grade 3 context. However, there are negative aspects I found from presenting a lesson through an online space and that is the lack of in-person connection, not being able to physically see how my learners respond to my questions and presentation, their willingness to answer questions and developing a sense of community where we capable of answering questions is negative aspects I see as for online teaching.

The skills in which I have learned through this online teaching lesson is adaptability and flexibility to think on your feet and ensuring you still getting the content taught to the learners despite any challenges which you may face. Tapping into creativity and presenting PowerPoint slides in such a way that it captivates the learners despite it being online. I was able to determine that my presentation was captivating by basing it off the comments and reactions from the learners to show that they were intrigued by what was being presented. I have developed a skill of empathy and understanding for my learners, despite the online aspect and not physically being able to see my learners faces I was able to facilitate effective support and guidance to my learners such as navigating the online tool and using images to describe how to use the online tool. I have further developed the skill of leadership, by being an instructor to my learners and guiding them step by step in the learning process of what they were required to know. Additionally I have learned the skill of catering for all my learners needs, to adapt a lesson that is fun but also informative and engaging. I have also learned time management and being organized for my lesson to ensure my lesson runs smoothly without any challenges during the presentation.

Being a mathematics lesson, I could add information like the distance between the planets to improve my students' understanding of numbers and their mathematical abilities. If I were to teach this lesson to a Grade 3 class again, I would change the information that is presented on the PowerPoint presentation to give my students more information regarding the topic they are learning about. In order to increase student interaction throughout the lesson, I would also like to boost student engagement. For example, having some students read information about specific planets and utilizing their general knowledge to share a fun fact about the planets would be great ways to do this.

The tool I used for my teaching session was Blackboard Collaborate, which I think is simple to use, especially if students needed to ask or answer a question, they could simply click on the raise hand button or type into the chat box, both of which are readily available. Using a PowerPoint presentation, I was able to employ images that drew the attention of my students. The planets, the astronauts, and the humorous puns each captured their attention and kept them intrigued throughout the class. My students had little trouble using the Kahoot, which I used as a fun game tool, especially because I provided visual instructions on how to access it in my PowerPoint presentation.

In order to make the lesson enjoyable, innovative, and engaging given that it was being delivered in an online environment, I had to think outside the box. This experience of delivering an online course on planets has helped me strengthen my teaching abilities. My ability to manipulate the use of digital tools has improved my knowledge of technology for the future and allowed me to experiment with new teaching methods and ways of allowing interaction to occur within an online area. By concentrating on a subject like space, I allowed myself to be creative with my PowerPoint presentation and make sure there were lots of images, quick facts, and funny puns to make the learning experience enjoyable for the students in an online setting. I've learnt through this online environment how critical it is to maintain student engagement throughout the class to make sure they are understanding the material being taught. My ability to communicate clearly with my students and convey material to them has improved as a result of this experience.

To sum up, this experience has taught me the value of flexibility and adaptability in order to ensure inclusion, that no learner is left out, and that all of your learners grasp the material being taught. I've developed my ability to think innovatively and creatively while managing online platforms to elicit interaction and participation from my students. As a result, I have also learnt how to plan ahead and use my time efficiently.

Sheelin Esau