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Online teaching gets easier
Technology is no longer the obstacle it used to be
As a private maths tutor, I’ve done more online lessons in the last 12 months than I’ve done in the last 12 years! I always thought nothing could beat face-to-face lessons with a student for effectiveness.
But am I beginning to understand the potential of online teaching. This is, in part, because the technology available to everyone has improved a lot, especially in the last year. It’s become easier to use and is in many cases free, which is a big bonus when you’re on a budget.
I have used, successfully, Google Meet, Skype, and Microsoft Teams. Barring bandwidth and the inevitable technology problems, they all work well. Admittedly I have medium-speed (32Mps) fibre broadband, which helps as both video and audio are bandwidth-hungry applications.
Teaching maths, science or academic topics that need visuals is a bit more challenging though. I initially had problems finding an electronic whiteboard application that worked and was inexpensive. I also resorted to using a physical whiteboard and pens, fixed to my wall, with a webcam trained on it. That worked too. But recent developments make finding and using electronic whiteboards much easier than it used to be.
