Which is Best for Extra-Curriculars: Virtual or In-Person Learning?
Homeschool families are always on the lookout for extra-curricular activities. Children need variety from the study schedule routine at home. And parents want their kids to have access to creative opportunities offered by the greater community.
During the pandemic, it’s especially vital to search for creative outlets and boost social connections. While nothing beats pursuing creative activities in real life, there are also benefits to virtual schooling. Even though parents may prefer to limit their children’s screen time, it’s still possible to make the most of distance learning.
Since March, we’ve all heard a lot about those fatiguing Zoom meetings, calls being dropped due to technical difficulties, and children feeling frustrated and unable to keep up. But with a little preparation, kids of all ages can receive the immense benefits of an assortment of instructional situations, all handled by professionals who are experienced in subjects that may lie outside the expertise of parents.
Here are seven pointers to help prepare for successful learning via Zoom or other online platforms.
1. See that your child is set up with a working device. A laptop may be preferable to a smart-phone depending on your activity level. A portable webcam can be easily set on a desktop computer’s monitor screen. If you need extra amplification, you may look into acquiring a microphone, a set of portable speakers, or perhaps some wireless headphones with a built-in mic.
2. Ensure that your Internet service is adequate and that your WiFi connections are optimal. Check with your service providers. Salespeople from a technology store can help set you up.
3. Find a space at home that will work well for the activity. If you’re participating in a dance class, for instance, make sure you have a lot of open space. A garage or even outdoors may be your answer. If you’re taking a music lesson, find a room without any other sound distractions, like radio, TV, or kitchen noise. You’ll need a sturdy chair and possibly some accessories such as a music stand, a footstool, or anything else suggested by the teacher.
4. Make sure you’re well lit: face a bright window or use a lamp or ring light. Correct any backlighting glare from a window or lamp behind you. Angle the computer’s camera “eye” so that your image fits the screen pleasingly and doesn’t just reflect a ceiling fan. There’s even a setting on the Zoom program where you can touch up your appearance!
5. You can click around and experiment with other settings. You may choose Gallery View or Speaker View. Your teacher can help you decide which is more comfortable. You can “Pin” and “Unpin” an individual’s video, so that theirs is the only window you’re concentrating on.
6. Ensure that your posture is supported in a well-fitting chair. A large exercise ball can also do the trick. (It might be better not to be in a swivel chair with wheels.) Take breaks and stand up as needed. Practice some deep, slow breathing. Simple stretches or twists can be done without leaving your session. Keep a bottle of drinking water handy. Between lessons, try a run up and down the stairs, play fetch with your pet, or go outside to smell the flowers.
7. Be patient with the lag-time inherent in Zoom. Sometimes you or your teacher will appear to be either frozen onscreen or moving like a digital animation. Laugh off these little technical glitches, and remember that Zoom is better than nothing. Communication is key.
Once you’re set up well and have learned the ropes on Zoom, you’ll be better focused and will never have to think about it again. Don’t just sit alone in a corner. Enjoy your distance learning now. Soon it will be time for us all to gather together in person again!
Jocelyn Kasper, M.F.A., is a singer, actor, and educator with a wide-ranging background in the musical and theatrical arts. She has many years of experience teaching children and adults piano skills and vocal techniques for classical and all forms of popular singing. Together with her husband, she owns and operates 12South Kaspermusic Conservatory in the heart of Nashville, TN, providing expert in-person and online music lessons to diverse populations worldwide.
During the pandemic, it’s especially vital to search for creative outlets and boost social connections. While nothing beats pursuing creative activities in real life, there are also benefits to virtual schooling. Even though parents may prefer to limit their children’s screen time, it’s still possible to make the most of distance learning.
Since March, we’ve all heard a lot about those fatiguing Zoom meetings, calls being dropped due to technical difficulties, and children feeling frustrated and unable to keep up. But with a little preparation, kids of all ages can receive the immense benefits of an assortment of instructional situations, all handled by professionals who are experienced in subjects that may lie outside the expertise of parents.
Here are seven pointers to help prepare for successful learning via Zoom or other online platforms.
1. See that your child is set up with a working device. A laptop may be preferable to a smart-phone depending on your activity level. A portable webcam can be easily set on a desktop computer’s monitor screen. If you need extra amplification, you may look into acquiring a microphone, a set of portable speakers, or perhaps some wireless headphones with a built-in mic.
2. Ensure that your Internet service is adequate and that your WiFi connections are optimal. Check with your service providers. Salespeople from a technology store can help set you up.
3. Find a space at home that will work well for the activity. If you’re participating in a dance class, for instance, make sure you have a lot of open space. A garage or even outdoors may be your answer. If you’re taking a music lesson, find a room without any other sound distractions, like radio, TV, or kitchen noise. You’ll need a sturdy chair and possibly some accessories such as a music stand, a footstool, or anything else suggested by the teacher.
4. Make sure you’re well lit: face a bright window or use a lamp or ring light. Correct any backlighting glare from a window or lamp behind you. Angle the computer’s camera “eye” so that your image fits the screen pleasingly and doesn’t just reflect a ceiling fan. There’s even a setting on the Zoom program where you can touch up your appearance!
5. You can click around and experiment with other settings. You may choose Gallery View or Speaker View. Your teacher can help you decide which is more comfortable. You can “Pin” and “Unpin” an individual’s video, so that theirs is the only window you’re concentrating on.
6. Ensure that your posture is supported in a well-fitting chair. A large exercise ball can also do the trick. (It might be better not to be in a swivel chair with wheels.) Take breaks and stand up as needed. Practice some deep, slow breathing. Simple stretches or twists can be done without leaving your session. Keep a bottle of drinking water handy. Between lessons, try a run up and down the stairs, play fetch with your pet, or go outside to smell the flowers.
7. Be patient with the lag-time inherent in Zoom. Sometimes you or your teacher will appear to be either frozen onscreen or moving like a digital animation. Laugh off these little technical glitches, and remember that Zoom is better than nothing. Communication is key.
Once you’re set up well and have learned the ropes on Zoom, you’ll be better focused and will never have to think about it again. Don’t just sit alone in a corner. Enjoy your distance learning now. Soon it will be time for us all to gather together in person again!
Jocelyn Kasper, M.F.A., is a singer, actor, and educator with a wide-ranging background in the musical and theatrical arts. She has many years of experience teaching children and adults piano skills and vocal techniques for classical and all forms of popular singing. Together with her husband, she owns and operates 12South Kaspermusic Conservatory in the heart of Nashville, TN, providing expert in-person and online music lessons to diverse populations worldwide.
