Remote Teaching and Learning Part 2: Choose a Program for Synchronous Live Streaming Classes

In this 1.5-hour workshop, we will compare several online streaming platforms that you may find useful for class meetings. We will go over the pros and cons of several popular programs (Zoom, Google Meets, Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex) and discuss why you may choose one over another. This is not a techy workshop, instead, I will be focusing on the quality of the platform as it serves teachers who are simulating a synchronous classroom experience. We will consider the price (most are free), ease of set-up, quality of connectivity, and dig into the use of features such as privacy, screen-sharing, student presentation abilities, the flow of discussions, sidebar chat, student participation, quizzing the group, recording and replay of the class period, and other common ways you would interact with your students in a classroom environment. The objective of this workshop is to help you choose a medium that works best for your classes and your style of instruction. Besides getting an overview of the strengths of different programs, you may get some inspiration on methods that are suitable for live stream teaching so your lesson plans can include diversity and depth (more on that topic in Parts 3 and 4).