Question

Communication barriers that you faced during online classes

Answer 1

Answer:

1. Lack of Access to Technology

2. Difficulty Learning to Use New Technology

3. Difficulty Concentrating

4. Difficulty Managing Time

5. Isolation

Explanation:

Lack of Access to Technology

• To succeed in a virtual classroom, students need a computer, laptop, or Chromebook. They also need access to a reliable internet connection.  
• In this environment, schools and students who already enjoyed this access have a significant advantage. Meanwhile, schools and students who lack this access face significant barriers to learning.

Difficulty Learning to Use New Technology

• Besides access, technology also poses the problem of unfamiliarity. Forced into a remote classroom, students, teachers, and parents are struggling to adapt.
• Teachers in socio-economically disadvantaged schools are less likely than their advantaged peers to have access to the mentors and training that could help them use the necessary technology.

Difficulty Concentrating

• Difficulty concentrating is not a behavior management problem new to the virtual classroom. However, it is a problem that is heightened in the virtual classroom.
• At home, students face countless distractions. These include siblings, parents, pets, cell phones, and other devices. Many lack a designated quiet workspace. Those who do have a desk can find the proximity of their bed or couch alluring.

Difficulty Managing Time

• In a virtual classroom, though, procrastination becomes much easier. Once again, the proliferation of distractions plays a big role.  
• In a virtual classroom, teacher—and often parent—supervision is also more limited. This means that accountability is also limited.

Isolation

• Among the hardest elements to transfer to a virtual classroom is social-emotional learning. Education stakeholders most often focus on tangible measures of academic growth. These include academic standards and test scores. Increasingly, though, educators are focusing on developing the whole child.

How Do We Manage Them?

• Increasing Access to Technology

- Some schools have set up mobile hotspots for their students to use. Others have partnered with telecommunications companies to increase their students’ internet access.

- Schools with the resources to lend devices to families in need have pioneered such programs in short periods of time.

• Teaching Students, Teachers, and Parents to Learn Remotely

- Schools can address difficulties with new technology by increasing access to professional development. With limited funding, one option is to tap into experts within the school community. Encourage teachers to share their discoveries of what worked and how it worked.

- Schools should also explore new technologies while exercising appropriate caution. Before purchasing new software, request a trial period or demo. Also, explore how the technology will add value to a remote and regular classroom.

• Focusing Students on Learning—Remotely

- Teachers should expect students to attend class from an appropriate workspace. Ideally, this means a desk, but a table or counter remains a viable alternative.

- As much as possible, enlist families to help students manage distractions. For students in chaotic environments, noise-canceling headphones can provide peace and quiet.

• Teaching Students to Manage Their Time in a Virtual Classroom

- For larger tasks, chunking can help students manage their time and meet deadlines. Chunking refers to the process of breaking a task up into steps.

- Assignment organizers, including virtual applications, can help students to plan their weeks. Once again, involving parents in this process is important to its success.

• Building Community in a Virtual Classroom

- Providing students with face time is key. Show students your face and let students hear your voice when you teach. Also, consider recording informal videos and offering regular check-ins and virtual office hours.

- Whenever possible, create opportunities for students to see and hear their peers too. Cloud tools, discussion boards, small group sessions, and chats can facilitate cooperative learning. Virtual meeting rooms let students interact informally during lunches and breaks.

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HOPE THIS HELPS. (～￣▽￣)～