Video conferencing is not just for work meetings. The pandemic over the past two years has brought video conferencing tools for teachers to the forefront.

There are many ways to utilize videoconferencing in an education setting. In this Guide to Video conferencing for Educators we’ll not only give you ideas for the use of video conferencing in the classroom but some best practices that can be easily implemented so that teachers can devote their time to actual teaching rather than sweating the method of communication.

Ideas for Videoconferencing for Educators

Classroom technology and video conferencing tools for teachers are no longer simply a nice set of tools to have, but have grown into a necessity for educators. BlueJeans is excited to leap into the next generation of eLearning with Video Conferencing for Education and Virtual Learning. 

Here are just a few ideas of how videoconferencing can be used to extend the boundaries of your virtual classroom.

Whole Class Instruction - Whether you are teaching fully-remote or a hybrid mix of students, and even for students who are primarily learning in-person, video conferencing tools for teachers act as the bridge that connects the happenings of your classroom with your out-of-classroom students. 

Small Group Instruction - Enable small group discussion by assigning students to random or designated breakout rooms where they can engage with a topic at a deeper level.

Roll Call - To ignite student engagement from the moment they step into the virtual classroom, videoconferencing can be utilized to start the school day with an easy way for all students to greet each other and be held accountable for their attendance. 

Virtual Field Trips - From virtual cockpit tours and zoo visits to historical sites, BlueJeans Meetings allows you to invite local experts into the classroom virtually to captivate and educate students.

Class Presentations - Turn the controls over to the students and let them release their creativity with a virtual presentation for their classmates. 

Meetings With Students and Parents - Video meetings can be a safer, more convenient option for parent-teacher meetings or student-teacher meetings. They provide more opportunities to check in on students who need extra one-on-one time.

Best Practices for Videoconferencing for Educators

BlueJeans allows teachers to extend the boundaries of their virtual classroom with an immersive and interactive video conferencing experience that ensures faculty and students stay in sync, even if they aren’t in the same physical space.

While video conferencing tools for teachers helps to ensure the virtual classroom is as effective of a learning environment as possible, implementing these best practices will allow teachers to better devote their time to teaching.

•   Familiarize yourself with the technology before the semester begins, to avoid running into tech roadblocks.
•   Make eye contact with the classroom camera as well as on-site students, to further engage remote students.
•   Start classes by checking in with remote students, to ensure all of their tech is working properly and they can participate to the fullest extent in lessons.
•   Establish classroom communication rules for on-site and remote students, to ensure everyone in the class feels heard and seen.
•   Break up activities so no students are spending the whole class period watching a lecture through their computer screen.
•   Have remote students mute themselves if their environments are noisy and distracting to the classroom.
•   Have an IT contact person on call in case any spontaneous tech problems need addressing during class time. 

School might be out for summer but if you are an educator, you are already planning for the 2022-2023 academic year. Let BlueJeans help you leap into the next generation of eLearning with Video Conferencing for Education and VIrtual Learning. 

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