Thoughts on Distance Learning, Teaching, and Meeting
Our lives more or less transformed since March 16 when cities across the US went into Shelter-in-Place. Technological and accessibility issues aside, for those who have been able to get access to online learning, teaching, and meeting, we literally can get to a meeting by a simple click. The notion of traffic as a reason for tardiness is well, not so valid anymore. Although, technical issues is definitely still a thing.
I wonder if this ease of accessibility has affected the norms in a general meeting place and will have future consequences. As a teacher, I generally showed up at least 30 minutes before school to make sure that my materials are ready, all relevant tabs open, projector and microphone turned on, etc. I also needed to account for the time spent in the commute. In essence, I was getting ready for my day at least 2.5 hours before the set time. With Zoom, if I am presenting or leading, I am logged in the account 10-15 minutes in advance, I check that I have all the necessary tabs open, have the ability to share my screen, and I make sure my microphone and video work before I turn them off again, simply to have a few extra minutes to check my e-mails, etc. I do this religiously, every time, because, it’s technology, we never know what may actually happen or if I need to have a hard restart. This current process of being ready 15 minutes in advance is drastically different from my previous one. Not to mention, where I had previously purposefully wore specific tops or dresses for virtual event only to realize in the recordings that my whole top does not show up (due to my laptop being in proximity), I have started presenting in graphic Ts and shorts. It is now rare that I would get “dressed up” and “made up” like I would in an in-person presentation/meeting even though I literally have a lot more time. I haven’t gotten “made up” in a few months that I’m wondering how long this process is going to be when I do start again.
As much as I miss in-person meetings, presentations, and the camaraderie that develops, I have really enjoyed the virtual recordings and being able to go back and watch presentations that I would have otherwise missed. Some of my educator friends have been providing PD non-stop and has been extra generous with their time. This is definitely a silver lining.
How have your processes changed? What have been your likes/dislikes regarding distance learning, teaching, and meeting? Leave a note in the comment!