''Online Microteaching''

• What did you like or dislike about online teaching?

What I liked about online teaching was that I liked that my learners were all present, they were very interactive and they constantly were engaging with me. I also liked that when doing online microteaching, I could use various digital resources to aid my teaching. I

was not limited.

What I disliked about online teaching was that I did not like the fact that I could not see my learners faces as this would temper with everyone's internet connection. I did not like the fact that I could not see their facial expressions, there body language and I also could not see if they were focusing and paying attention to me and not fidgeting around. What I also disliked about online teaching is that I could not be hands on with my learners. I was very limited in that area and I could only show them pictures of what I was trying to say.

• What new skills did you learn through this experience?

New skills that I learnt through online teaching was:

Time management:

I learnt that I needed to plan in advance and be prepared and know how to manage my time wisely as I only had 15 minutes where I needed to teach a slice of my lesson. I needed to be creative, engaging and interesting as well as get all of my facts across to my learners.

Stimulate a virtual online environment:

In the same way as a teacher would set up a traditional classroom, I needed to set up the virtual class environment so that it is engaging for my learners and that they focus on my instruction.

Communication Skills:

I learnt that teachers need great communication skills and an ability to communicate with their learners. As a teacher, having the knowledge is of no use if you are not able to share it with your students. Some of the new skills that I have learnt through online teaching is being an active listener and adapting my communication style to my audience.

Use of feedback:

I learnt that the feedback received from your learners is essential for any teacher. By the teacher providing feedback to their learners, the teacher needs to know what problems are there learners experiencing? and what challenges are they facing? This can be done by the teachers asking the learners questions throughout the lesson.

Adaptability and Curriculum Support:

I learnt that as a teacher, you also need to be able to adapt the curriculum to online teaching which can test your teaching skills. As a teacher, you will need to learn how to use technology and digital lessons to deliver your lessons over a range of platforms.

Engaging with your learners:

I learnt that the skill of engaging with your learners is vital no matter what the learning environment is. As a teacher, you need to know how to create an engaging online course. It can be challenging to maintain the learning experience when you are not in a physical school or classroom setting. However, skilled teachers should know how to engage with there learners no matter what the environment or subject is.

Constant learning and Subject expertise:

I learnt that teachers are lifelong learners. Teachers need constant training and need to attend courses to improve their knowledge of their chosen subject. Teachers also need to keep up with technological advances and develop digital media to find new ways to engage with their students and teach particular subjects. The emergence of the online platform for teaching has drastically changed the way in which we teach and deliver lessons. Communication technology is one of the most rapidly developing areas of science. Teachers must learn how to use technology to enhance their learning experience. Their learners will probably already be familiar with digital communication methods and will expect to see them used in virtual lessons. Therefore, one of the main skills that online teachers need to develop is how to use technology effectively. There are plenty of technology tools that teachers can use to enhance their online learning.

• What would you do differently?

What I would have done differently is that I would have only taught my learners one of the pollutions as I feel that If I have done this, I would have had enough time to do my Kahoot with my learners. I felt that I did not plan myself properly and I taught to much content and did not assess them on their learning so I did not know whether they understood what I was trying to say.

Another thing that I would have done differently is that I would have made my explanations of my PowerPoint slides more simpler as I felt that my learners found difficulty in pronouncing the words when reading the slides and a lot of my learners did not understand what my slides meant.

• Did you choose appropriate tools to teach your online lesson, explain why?

Yes, I feel that I did use appropriate tools to teach my online lesson.

I used PowerPoint slides which learners have heard of before and they are familiar with the platform and know how to access it.

I used Blackboard Collaborate - this is the online platform which the learners and teachers use to teach online. The learners and teachers are all familiar with the platform and know how to navigate the tools on the platform and they all know how to access the platform as well.

I also was suppose to use Kahoot- this online platform is appropriate for the learners as it is easy to access, easy to use and is child friendly and the learners are familiar with this platform as other teachers also use this platform when teaching online.

• How has this experience developed you for teaching in a school?

I feel that this experience has helped me develop to teach in a school as In a digital learning environment, teachers who think outside of the box and prioritize creative thinking are well suited to help learners succeed. Online learning creates opportunities for teachers to innovate and create engaging learning experiences for their learners.