We know that you are the special sauce that makes your course personal and unique. This is exactly what your students need to feel supported in their learning journey. Engaging with students in a virtual environment can be much easier if you have the right tools. These online courses are highly recommended by peers.
Video Recording & Conferencing Tools
It is no secret that videos can make a huge impact on learning and teaching, especially when you move to online education. Below is a list with online tools that can be used to quickly create and edit video.
TechSmith Capture (formerly Jing) is an easy-to-use, free tool that allows you create screen recordings, basic screenshots and videos and share them with other people. Jing has a time limit of five minutes because it is designed for quick communication and not long tutorials.
Screencast-O-Matic, another free video recording tool, is great for longer videos. It gives you fifteen minutes to record. This beginner’s guide is a good place to start.
Zoom is a cloud-based video conference tool that allows you to host calls with other people. Zoom is great for recording lessons online, scheduling group work, and hosting online office hours. These are some tips and tricks to help teachers who use Zoom to teach. Zoom offers a basic plan that includes unlimited meetings and all the features you need. Zoom calls with three or more participants have a time limit of 40 minutes.
Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to record narration for each slide. For more information, see this step-by-step guide. Once you have recorded your lectures, you can export them to a video file and upload them to your LMS, WebAssign, or other resources.
Expert Video Tips
These are some tips to help you make the most of video in your online course.
WebAssign allows you to upload your videos. Learn how.
To optimize sound quality and give you the option to move away from your camera, plug your earbuds into your computer.
To ensure that you are looking straight ahead and centered in the camera view, use additional textbooks.
To optimize your mobile viewing experience, record short videos (resolution 720p or lower)
Don’t expect perfection! Keep it real.
Communication Tools
Online communication technologies are becoming more important because they allow teachers like you to stay connected with students and make learning easier and more enjoyable. This online communication course is a great resource.
Remind allows you to communicate with students through text messages. You can also create 10 classes free of charge. It’s a great way for you to stay organized and allows you to communicate with your students in real-time.
Smartpens and Graphic Tablets
Smart pens and digital drawing tablets make it easy to communicate concepts visually and encourage collaboration. They also support distance and flipped learning programs. Here are some online courses you might be interested in:
Graphic tablets, also known as “pen tablets”, allow you to draw with your hand and capture an image or graphic in digital format. The information is displayed on the monitor of a Mac or PC connected to it. It may take some time to get used to but it can make teaching much easier. Wacom and XP Pen are two brands you might want to explore.
Smartpen is a high tech writing tool that records spoken words, synchronizes them with notes on special paper, and can be used to record spoken words. You can record lectures or practice problems, and then email them to your students. Here’s a list of the top smart pens for 2020.
Note-taking tools
Do you recall the days when you searched for that sticky to hold your lecture notes? It can still work, but you might like a new way to organize your materials and share them with your students.
OneNote by Microsoft offers a digital version of a notebook for free. OneNote allows instructors to organize lesson plans and annotate any items with digital ink. They can also record voice notes to be reviewed later by students. Here are some of the best uses of OneNote in the classroom.
Notability is a note-taking tool and PDF annotation tool that can also be used to create lecture notes or other classroom materials. Notability for iPad can be used to annotate PDF documents such as student assignments or PDF forms. This app is available for Apple iPad and iPhone, and the cost will vary depending on which device you use.
MathType interactive equation software allows you to create and annotate mathematical notation for word processing and desktop publishing. It also supports presentations and eLearning. This tool can be used to prepare exams for y