Online Microteaching

Reflecting on my recent experience of teaching a grade 7 EMS (Economic and Management Sciences) lesson online, I found that there were both positive and negative aspects to this mode of instruction. Here are my opinions on the aspects of online teaching that I found enjoyable and unsatisfactory, the new abilities I gained, the things I would change, the resources I would use, and the ways in which this experience has influenced me as a teacher.

What I like and dislike about online teaching

Pros:

I found that teaching online gave me greater scheduling flexibility and made it easier for me to meet the needs of my learners. It would be easy for me to improve the lesson by including different resources, such as online presentations and YouTube videos. Learners appeared to be more engaged when multimedia components like the YouTube video and interactive presentations were used.

Cons:

The face-to-face interaction and personalized attention that are essential for successful learning are absent from online instruction. Technical difficulties, such as inadequate internet access and device malfunctions, may hinder the lesson's progress. Distractions at home may cause learners to become less focused on their schoolwork.

What new skills I learned through this experience

I gained a number of new skills, including:

Digital Proficiency: I improved my ability to use internet resources for lessons, including making and presenting presentations, adding multimedia, and using online platforms.

Adaptability: I gained the ability to swiftly adjust to unforeseen difficulties, such as technical problems, and come up with innovative solutions to maintain the lesson's smooth flow.

Time Management: I became more proficient at managing my time so that I could offer interactive elements and information in a timely manner.

What I would do differently

Looking back, there are a couple things I would have done differently.

To encourage active engagement from learners and make the online class more interesting, I would incorporate additional interactive exercises and real-world examples. In addition to making sure I have backup plans ready for any technical difficulties that may occur, I would make sure to check with the learners to see if they can clearly see the visual aids. After the class, I would actively seek out learner comments so that I could make the necessary changes for upcoming online sessions.

Did I use appropriate tools to teach my online lesson?

Due to their accessibility and engaging nature, I choose to use a presentation and a YouTube video. The YouTube video gave the lesson a real-world perspective, which helped learners relate to abstract topics better. With the help of the presentation, I was able to efficiently organize the lesson, use visual aids, and include interactive components to keep learners interested. These resources were suitable for an online lesson because they offered a multi-modal learning environment and accommodated various learning styles.

How this experience developed me for teaching in a school...

My professional growth as a teacher has been greatly aided by this online teaching experience. It helped me become a more flexible and all-around teacher. I developed useful digital literacy abilities that are becoming more and more important in today's educational environment. In addition, it helped me understand the value of one-on-one communication and practical learning experiences in the classroom, which I will use to my future teaching profession.

It was a worthwhile experience to teach an online EMS lesson for grade 7 by using a presentation and a YouTube video. Despite its difficulties, it offered a chance to learn new techniques and approaches for efficient online learning. It has undoubtedly aided in my professional development as a teacher and will influence how I instruct in a conventional classroom.