Tech in
Application: Using Zoom in the EMLJ Classroom (Part II of II)
“Zoom for
Synchronous Class Lectures and Discussions”
Welcome to Part II of my guest blogger endeavor. This is Dr. Kat
O’Meara from English, Modern Languages, and Journalism. You may remember that
my first post discussed
using the online video and web conferencing platform, Zoom, focusing on its asynchronous capabilities.
Today we are switching gears to talk about Zoom’s synchronous offerings—live-streaming
capabilities, if you will. And to accomplish this task, I have interviewed my
colleague, Spanish professor, dog mom, and all-around wonderful human being Dr.
Rachel Spaulding. Rachel uses Zoom synchronous components to great success.
Let’s hear what she has to say!
Which classes do you use
synchronous Zoom for?
Spaulding: I primarily use Zoom in my upper level
Spanish classes that are combined [cross-listed] with upper level English and
Master’s classes. However, I give many of my students the opportunity to
Zoom into our class if they cannot be physically present for some reason.
Guest blogger’s note: I LOVE the use of Zoom as a verb. J
In layman’s terms, how do you use
Zoom synchronously in your classroom?
Spaulding: Basically, when class starts, I click on my
Zoom link that I have embedded in my modules. My other students are in
the Zoom meeting. I usually share my screen with them so they can see my
desktop [for lecture notes, Power Points, etc.]. At times, I might switch
to the white board option. The students can see the other students that
are in the class and they can also see the other students on their screen that
are participating remotely.
Photo caption: Rachel uses Zoom to
share her screen with a student “Zooming In” to her Spanish literature class.
On the right-hand side, you can see two additional screens: The top screen is a
view of Rachel’s classroom; the bottom screen a view of the student attending
class remotely and synchronously with Zoom.
What do you like about using Zoom
in this capacity?
Spaulding: I can include our distance learners in the
real-time class discussions. For some of my students, especially those that are
teachers, they like the ability to get to hear and see the other students in
real time—even at a distance.
What else do you want to say about
it?
Spaulding: I really
like this format—In my experiences, I’ve had really robust participation with
my distance students. The one thing to keep in mind [with using Zoom in its
synchronous capacities] is the time that these courses are scheduled. Many of
the distance/online students who are teaching or working a normal 9-5 schedule cannot
participate if the courses are scheduled before 5pm. Night classes seem
to work well for getting better participation.
All
told, it seems as though Zoom is a useful and effective option for allowing
Emporia State’s growing online/distance education students the opportunity to
take courses “live”—the chance to listen to lectures and presentations, to ask
questions of the professor, and to participate in discussions with classmates,
all in real time. It’s just another way that Zoom can be a handy tool in your
teaching toolkit.
Dr.
Katherine Daily O’Meara is an Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Composition
and the Director of Composition in English, Modern Languages, and Journalism.
Dr. Rachel Spaulding is an Assistant Professor of Spanish, also in EMLJ.
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