Micro-Teaching Log: Reflection
- Khwezi Goge
- Oct 14, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 19, 2024
I used Blackboard Collaborate to conduct an online microteaching session where I taught my peers and supervisor about Population Growth in Social Sciences. I was able to look at this experience objectively and identify the advantages and disadvantages of teaching in a virtual setting.
The lesson's interactive components were quite effective. I kept the students interested and involved throughout the lesson by using resources like Mentimeter and Kahoot. Mentimeter's real-time population trends poll was an excellent method of making connections between the lesson and existing knowledge, and the students' answers shaped the course of the conversation. Successfully reinforcing important concepts like birth rates, mortality rates, and population increase while providing instant feedback on understanding was the last Kahoot quiz.
One significant challenge was navigating technological difficulties. During the worldometer demonstration, there were minor connectivity issues that disrupted the flow of the lesson. To address this, I quickly shifted to an offline explanation of the birth and death rates, ensuring the learners could still follow the key concepts without relying entirely on the tool. Moving forward, I plan to have offline alternatives ready to minimize the impact of technical issues.
Despite these challenges, the lesson met the learning objectives. The learners were able to define population concepts, explain the influence of birth and death rates on population growth, and engage in meaningful discussions on population trends. The Kahoot quiz results confirmed that most learners understood the lesson's main concepts.
The ICT tools I chose were appropriate for the lesson. Mentimeter facilitated real-time engagement, and Kahoot allowed for an interactive assessment of learners' understanding. These tools are well-suited for an online environment, as they help make the lesson more dynamic and interactive, which is crucial in virtual teaching.
This experience taught me the importance of flexibility and preparation in online teaching. In the future, I will ensure that I have alternative teaching strategies ready in case of technical issues. Additionally, I’ve learned the value of incorporating interactive tools to maintain learner engagement, which I will apply in both online and in-person teaching..
I love the use of the different ICT software used as it was appropriate for the subject content and fulfilled the requirements such as encouraging learner engagement. Especially using Worldometer - was the best ICT for teaching the Social Sciences of Population growth. Despite having very minor technical difficulties you showed resilience and quick thinking to address the challenge instead of panicking. This shows that your quick on your feet and have exceptional pedagogical and subject knowledge and skills to tackle teaching.
Since I witnessed the lesson first hand, I wanted to say that you have exceptional skills of choosing and applying ICT in meaningful way and this is a necessary skill to have as an educator. I feel yo…
Great work on your Micro teaching Khewzi. I think most people have face technical difficulties when using a new platform for the first time, however, your ability to adapt and swiftly swiftly switch to an offline explanation reflects your adaptability as a teacher. Having a back up plan is important. Despite these difficulties, you still managed to meet the lesson objectives which was our goal. Your use of the sites like Mentimeter and Kahoot proved effective in conveying the message of the lesson and is fun and interactive. Well done, keep up the great work.