During the COVID-19 pandemic, the world began to rely more and more heavily on technology to ensure we could keep our lives as “normal” as possible. In most cases, this was used to great effect for work, with the majority of those who could work remotely doing exactly that, and using collaboration tools and video conference technology to make it happen. The same technology was often used to keep in touch with friends and loved ones too, ensuring that the isolation we might otherwise have felt was at least lessened a little.
As well as this, video tools were used to keep education on track for millions of students. Teachers were able to give virtual lessons and connect with their students almost as though they were in the classroom together.
You might assume that now the pandemic has passed, video conferencing for schools is no longer needed, but it actually has a number of benefits that mean it can—and should—still be used. Read on to find out more.
To Break Down Geographical Barriers
Video conferencing in the classroom is an excellent tool that can do so much for the students involved. One benefit is that it can connect students to other classrooms around the world, meaning that they can interact with children from many different areas and even countries.
When they do this, they will be able to learn about different cultures and history, for example, directly from the people who have experienced it. Plus, they will be able to impart their own knowledge to the people they are connecting with. This will give everyone a broader perspective on the world and, hopefully, make the world a more tolerant and understanding place in years to come.
To Bring Experts into the Classroom
Children will often benefit from having experts come to school to talk to them about a variety of different topics. It might be about science, history, a particular book or theater production, or it could be linked to a career. It could be anything at all, but no matter what it is about, it will engage students in a way that nothing else can. It breaks up lessons and sends a sense of excitement around the school.
In normal circumstances, this kind of activity would take a long time to set up and it would mean that only those experts who are relatively local would be able to come to the school to speak. However, with video conferencing technology available, this is no longer the case, and it is now possible to bring experts from anywhere into the virtual classroom, therefore ensuring more engagement from the children.
To Provide Flexibility and Convenience
Video conferencing in the classroom can also offer a lot of flexibility and convenience to the students and also to the teachers. As long as there is internet access, students can be involved in lessons no matter where they are—if the weather conditions are bad, for example, or they are recovering from an accident where they are well enough to work but not able to physically get to school, no one has to miss out.
Teachers can also record their lessons, meaning that those who had to miss school for medical appointments or other reasons can easily catch up. Even students who were in the lesson can revisit it and learn more.
