E-learning and zoom ettiquette

There has never been a better time for us as parents, or, teachers-or those wanting to offer online classes for yoga, Ayurveda, or even meditation.

When covid 19 closures hit in the spring semester last school year, suddenly teachers were expected to be superhumans who could pick up an online teaching skill instantly. (Well, teachers are superhuman, but that's beside the point!)

My kindergartener teacher (shout out!), really rose up to the occasion and went back and beyond the call of the duty.

As someone who teaches online for over a decade, and, I have been in the e-learning business for the last 18 years, I think my two cents worth may be useful to some of your teachers or parents out there.

I have been joining some really great free online classes, with amazing speakers. However, many times we see distractions like an unmade bed, dirty laundry, uneaten meals, cute but loud pets, children running around in the background. Lack of a headset can make the sound inaudible. Or, a good network connection or lack of good webcam or equipment doesn't. School districts--please give your teachers a good internet connection!! (please---)

There is no zoom etiquette, or maybe there is. First use the smart virtual background, that eliminates your dirty laundry, unmade bed, and cute kitty who may be distracting from the background. Second, invest in a good webcam and good internet connexion. If you can wear a Bluetooth headset or wireless headset to eliminate echo and unwanted noise, please do. Plus it looks and sounds professional.

Please don't get a $10 headset. Here's a presentation I made, for you teachers.

I am so pleased with the new zoom security features. The ease and accessibility now and the learning curve is definitely flatter. ( I have been an active zoom user for 4-5 years).