How do we as educators get our middle school students to turn on their cameras and be engaged in a zoom format of class?
10 out of 15 students per zoom call (with my cooperating teacher at Agnes Stewart middle school) will never turn their cameras on during their classes. During a span of 1 month of research I observed as students came into class and automatically turned off their cameras and mics to do other things that were not related to class or homework assignments. The research found, over this span of time, allowed me to find six different strategies that can help students to turn on their cameras and be engaged in class. The strategies I was able to implement during this time were……
1.) Admitting students into the classroom one by one five minutes before the start of class. (Checking with them on their camera use and how they are feeling today).
2.) Zoom polls, zoom annotation tools, zoom breakout rooms
3.) Have weekly 5–10-minute check ins with students about their work environment and how they are doing.
4.) Making sure resources are available to students and that they know how to access and use them. (Implementation Plan)
EDUC 321, Classroom Relations & Management
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Brian Kaelin