Intro to Online Meeting Tools
In more recent years, states have mandated teachers to teach so much information, that they often run out of time to fully discuss some materials, ask questions, or even just sit and have class discussions. Online meeting tools gives the teacher more resources to do these things. Whether teachers want to discuss content, get to know their students more, have discussions, etc. online meeting tools gives them the power to do more then they can in a typical school day! Online meeting tools I used include: Flipgrid and Zoom.Us.
Flipgrid
(Click Here to Access My Flipgrid)
I used Flipgrid to create an activity for a "Morning Meeting." For my specific activity I asked what did you do the day before? I would use this to gather my classroom in the morning and discuss their personal lives before hopping straight into academics. There is many different settings one may use to create a Flipgrid and teachers can use whatever works best for them. I would use Flipgrid from Kindergarten up, but with the younger grades, of course, I would help them set up their accounts before expecting them to be able to access my content. They eventually would be able to access Flipgrid on their own once they are ready to. Flipgrid can be accessed on laptops, tablets, IPads, phones, etc. so it will be accessible at many age levels. There is also a setting that allows teachers to display a QR Code (Mine is displayed below) which could help elevate children's technological skills.
How to Use My Flipgrid!
Step 1: Go to Flipgrid.
Step 2: In the upper left corner click 'Enter a Flip Code' or Click the QR code picture right next to it.
Step 3: You can either enter my Flip Code (1c320483) or scan the QR Code above.
Step 4: Once you are in, click on the large green plus sign (+).
Step 5: Enter an email.
Step 6: Create! Make a 30 second clip and post it. (Only people with the code will be able to view it)
Step 1: Go to Flipgrid.
Step 2: In the upper left corner click 'Enter a Flip Code' or Click the QR code picture right next to it.
Step 3: You can either enter my Flip Code (1c320483) or scan the QR Code above.
Step 4: Once you are in, click on the large green plus sign (+).
Step 5: Enter an email.
Step 6: Create! Make a 30 second clip and post it. (Only people with the code will be able to view it)
Zoom.Us
Zoom.us is a great tool to host online meetings for various reasons. I created a meeting for a math review before a big test. I would go over key topics and allow students to express their concerns with me. I would use this tool after 2nd grade, as I feel they would respond best to the time limit I have set (30 mins). Teachers could also use this tool to communicate with parents, as a whole, or individual parents, who may not be able to be in person. There is so many different settings educators could play with depending on their particular class (ex. time settings). There is also an option to create an invitation so a teacher could share all of the information easily to both parents and students.
My invitation:
Ashley Jones is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Math Review!
Time: Mar 12, 2020 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2374084841?pwd=ZnBZZjdPQ0RVQURsdUxOYmlyaVZIZz09
Meeting ID: 237 408 4841
Password: 1234
Ashley Jones is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Math Review!
Time: Mar 12, 2020 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2374084841?pwd=ZnBZZjdPQ0RVQURsdUxOYmlyaVZIZz09
Meeting ID: 237 408 4841
Password: 1234