What is a live online class like? No experience here.

[matrips]

I'm signing my kids up for GC at WHA, and EW2 at WTM.  Does it seem like they are in a virtual classroom?  Do they see everybody?  Or what?  

Thanks!

[Pink and Green Mom]

We did WTM EW2 last year (Mrs Otto - she is fabulous!).  Kids can see the teacher, and I believe teacher can see the kids.  But the kids cannot see each other.  The teacher talks and there is a running dialog box on the side where the students can type in comments/thoughts/answers.  Kids can speak orally with permission of teacher (I think teacher has to activate their mic).

[crazyforlatin]

From the classes we've taken, and this can be teacher specific, we didn't see other students at WTMA, but we could at WHA if the student turned on the camera. At another provider the teacher encouraged everyone to turn on the camera but not everyone did. For almost every provider we've been with the chat box has always been available. Most students would rather chat and use the mic but not turn on the camera unless there is a presentation.

 

[chiguirre]

4 hours ago, crazyforlatin said:

From the classes we've taken, and this can be teacher specific, we didn't see other students at WTMA, but we could at WHA if the student turned on the camera. At another provider the teacher encouraged everyone to turn on the camera but not everyone did. For almost every provider we've been with the chat box has always been available. Most students would rather chat and use the mic but not turn on the camera unless there is a presentation.

 

Trinqueta's done many, many online classes. Turning on a kid's camera is pretty rare. It's usually only done for presentations. The chat is used continuously to ask and answer questions or to comment. There are also break out rooms where a few kids can collaborate on a problem. For college courses, there's a program called Respondus Lock Down that uses the camera to proctor exams but I haven't seen that used for any high school level classes at homeschool providers.

ETA: I think online classes can be chattier than IRL ones even though students don't see each other. The chat box encourages more student participation than raising your hand and waiting to be called on.

Edited August 15, 2018 by chiguirre

[Amber in SJ]

Dd is taking an online French class.  The teacher sends an email with a link to a private virtual classroom.   It utilizes her webcam and microphone so the kids can see the teacher and each other in boxes around the teacher like the Brady Bunch graphic.  They can hear each other as well, but have to take turns talking or their microphones won't work.  They can also type in comments or questions to the teacher.  The biggest problem is the teacher is on the East Coast & we are on the West, so her 10am orientation meeting was at 7am.  The regular class time is 11am PST for us, so that won't be as bed.

Amber in SJ

[RootAnn]

This is provider-specific and teacher-specific. Our one WTMA class, the teacher didn't have her webcam on much because she said it would slow down the (internet) connection for the kids.

At WHA, the teacher normally had the webcam on, but the kids did not. However, a few teachers do encourage kids to be on the webcam during some parts of class. (Mrs Baker's Fundamentals of Academic Writing class would have 3-8 kids on camera everyday - not part of presentations - just normally MO.)

Spanish (La Clase Divertida) was another one where the teacher encouraged webcam use a lot. Other providers never allowed the students to use it.

The chat box use depends on the teacher, too. Some keep a close eye on it and require kids to stay on topic. Others let it go a bit more (and it can get pretty rowdy).

My DD has taken lots of online classes, too, and found the most "connection" with other kids in classes where there is use of breakout rooms and where the provider/teacher encourages the kids to email each other for help (or form study groups).

My particular DD does better in small classes (less than 10), but you don't see that size class at WTMA or WHA usually. (There are exceptions to this!)