Pedagological Presence
Pedagological Presence involves:
- Delivery of lessons by ‘real teachers’
- Direct teaching through video conferencing
- Importance of telepresence skills
- Quality of presentation
The powerful part of the ‘Pedagogical tool’ is outstanding teachers delivering outstanding teaching. In order to give their best, a teacher needs to feel relaxed and in control of their teaching environment. For this reason, it is important that a teacher/presenter becomes comfortable teaching with a VC camera in the classroom. This may be as simple as the VC kit simply being switched on in the classroom, with no connection to an outside location. This enables pupils and teacher together to get used to seeing their image projected on a screen.
This can be taken further by making a VC connection with a VC bridge (which will reflect back the VC image in real time), with another location in the school, or a trusted site outside the school. The value of this exercise is in providing a secure environment in which to experience a slightly altered image, hearing one’s voice reflected back and beginning to exercise some telepresence skills.
To see a video illustrating pedogological presence, click here. (mpg, 26mb)
Developing a Telepresence
The first step in delivering a powerful Video Conference can be carried out outside of the Video Conference itself.
In the submenu of this section you will find some features of developing a telepresence to consider.
Finally…
ALL teachers have particular specialisms or examples of outstanding practice. VC is an opportunity and vehicle for these qualities to be shared with other pupils and modelled for other teachers.