In this article, we will discuss how to make remote classes more than a poor equivalent of traditional lectures and lessons, but their more perfect and effective alternative.
Let’s start with a simple question. How do we imagine quality education? Probably images of old campuses and academic buildings, uniforms with an intricate crest, and professors in robes all come to mind. Something similar to Oxford, Harvard or even the mystical Hogwarts. But we will not reveal some unspoken truth by saying that it is not ivy-covered walls that create a reputation for elite educational institutions, but the ability to keep up with the times. Under their retro wrapper, there is always an ultra-modern stuffing.
Not every school, college or university can afford to spend astronomical amounts of money on laboratory equipment, textbooks and software. But this is simply not necessary for most educators. Any school teacher with a laptop or smartphone has all the necessary equipment for organizing a high-quality, modern lesson.
The conservative, or traditional, approach according to which the educational process should be based on paper textbooks, notes in notebooks and answers on the blackboard, is losing ground rapidly. The vast majority of educators and coaches have already realized that student’s computers, tablets and smartphones are their true allies. Interactive lessons and lectures, in which schoolchildren and students receive digital materials from their teacher, have already become the norm. In fact, such classes are really online presentations and are built on the same principles.
However, even countless advanced technologies do not solve a number of teachers’ tasks. These shortfalls frequently occur because creators of most online event tools aim primarily for the corporate audience, not considering that educators and educational institutions may also be their clients.
We like to think that we are one of the few exceptions.
Pitch Avatar’s main feature is a unique feedback system that turns the teacher/coach’s smartphone into the lesson’s remote control.
Here is how it works:
- To get started, register on the site. Then buy and download the mobile app. We have affordable plan options and flexible tariff rates, so the purchase of the application is not a problem either for an educational institution or an individual teacher, lecturer or coach. Of course, there is also a free version, but in this text we primarily discuss the possibilities available through a paid subscription.
- Edit and upload your lesson/lecture. The service is compatible with both YouTube videos and the most popular presentation creation services (PowerPoint, Canva, Keynote, Google Slides and others). Based on the lesson, you can create a “pitch” – a short summary that introduces students to its main content. If necessary, you can also supplement the lesson with an information collection form.
- Create a link to the lesson/lecture, send it to your students, and/or place it on a website page as a media player. You can either conduct the lesson live or offer your students the option to watch a recorded version.
- The moment someone starts watching a lesson/lecture, you receive a message on your smartphone and can connect by commenting and answering questions in the chat. The student also has the opportunity to tap the “Call Presenter” button. This is especially convenient when you make a recorded lesson/lecture available for students.
- Thanks to the built-in analytics system, you can study each student’s activity individually. You will have information about how long they watched the lesson, what questions were asked, etc. This is especially helpful if you have prepared a test and students provided their answers in the chat.
Let’s summarize:
Thanks to Pitch Avatar, teachers can: have a full dialogue with students in voice or text chat; track each individual student’s activity; work with a group or conduct individual lessons; answer all student questions; create, send out and check homework assignments.
These are not all the features of Pitch Avatar and we are confident that every teacher, lecturer or coach will be able to find the best application for this tool, customizing it for their goals and objectives.
