Tuesday 20 April 2010

Remote Control Teaching

I’m all set today to teach via the internet. I’ve informed my students. I’ve told them to be on-line for the time they would normally have class. However, I’ve just written the notes to go with the session and the could actually do it anywhere, including sitting in the sun on the beach – if the glare is not too much for the screen, if they can keep the mozzies away and if the Wi Fi stretches that far.
My style would be to do this at the edges of the day – get up early, work, have breakfast, work a little more, spend some time swimming and reading in the sun – even have a short siesta, then work again as the day gets cooler until supper time. In summer, perhaps work indoors in the hottest part of the day and do the swim and sun bit after breakfast and as the day cools.
But back to the remote control teaching. It isn’t the same as face to face. It actually takes longer. What you can say in about two minutes actually takes ten minutes to write and you can lose the nuances. It is easier for there to be misunderstandings. Yet it can suit some people incredibly well. And you can gain time by not having to travel.
It might even force a greater willingness to share ideas. All ideas are recorded. That somehow makes them more permanent, more owned. Well lets see how it goes.

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