Journal 5

In week five, which was after the two weeks break, we had to practice the online
teaching. We needed to attend the online teaching sessions with our MSTs. Some of
us had the opportunity to do that and others did not. Unfortunately, I was one of those
who could not attend the online teaching sessions regarding to the MOE and school
policies. However, I had the opportunity to practice the online teaching with my MCT
and colleagues. I prepared a lesson about different places that people can visit during
the holidays. The experience I gained from the online teaching did not differ that
much from the traditional teaching in the classroom because I had to follow almost
the same strategies while teaching.

The duties that carried on during the fifth week in the online teaching were, preparing
an online lesson for 30 minutes unlike the normal class, which required 45 minutes.
Additionally, I needed to meet my MCT online to discuss about the tasks that I
needed to work on during the period of the online teaching. I selected eight tasks that
were similar to each other somehow and they all related to the online teaching. The
most important thing that I learned during this week is providing a supportive online
learning environment. Online learning leads to isolation because students have to
work individually.

Thus, online teachers need to encourage students to interact with each other through
creating small groups to give the students the opportunity to talk using their mic and
share their ideas. Therefore, in my future online teaching, I will motivate students to
participate during the online sessions by asking them questions to interact with me.
Furthermore, I will create groups in which they get the chance to talk to each other,
discuss their various ideas and thoughts.