How can new media be leveraged?
In the past, attempts to bring community members, speakers into the classroom are often difficult and requires a lot of work and preparation from both parties. Issues such as security, safety, time, bringing in prep often result in teachers not bothering with the trouble. New media can make such attempts much more feasible.
Classroom is no longer restricted behind the walls of the school building. With new media, guest speakers no longer need to go through the process of police check that often requires months to process. Guest speakers no longer need to take a day off work just to come into the school. With a simple set up of a laptop, webcam and microphone, students can easily see beyond the school walls to have a glimpse of society.
The Tyrrell museum video conference had solidified my desire to incorporate new media and video conferencing into my classroom to breakdown the school walls.
Tips for incorporating new media into the classroom:
- Test technology: Even though technology can open up the doors to possibility, it is not always reliable. Always test technology prior and have backup plan for if technology does fail.
- Rundown lesson: Definitely, the screen will add a layer of interaction barrier between the students and guest. Rundown of the lesson with the guest speakers prior to the presentation may help you gage what you need to prepare to ensure students are engaged.
- Setup technology ahead of time: Even if technology have been tested the day prior, there's still a possibility of something going wrong the day of. Nothing is more frustrating than to have guest speakers and the class waiting for technology to be set up. Always arrive early to set up the technology.