This is for all

1. FUNCTIONALITY IN ENGAGING ACTIVE ONLINE DISCUSSION
By: Roper T. Gamali, LPT
Bestlink College of the Philippines – Bulacan Inc.
Minuyan Proper, Road II, City of San Jose Del Monte Bulacan
May 25, 2020
As a teacher we wants to promote the best learning experiences to our students as we can
during classroom discussion, but the question of today’s Pandemic how do we build a sense of
online interactive discussion with our students? Online discussion becomes comprehensively
adoptable and allows educators and the learners to get access of educational platforms – but
sometimes online learning can feel isolating for students not because they are not interested to
learn but, because of the internet connectivity and the functionality of teacher to engage students
to be active during online class discussion specifically if the internet connection is interrupted /
weak signal. Below are distinct techniques on how teacher can be functionality in engaging
active online discussion with the students.
1. Consider the tools to be use before engaging online discussion this is to enhance opportunity
for interaction in online classrooms. You can use what is the most prefer social networking tools
being used by the students like Facebook page, Messenger, Email and other preprogram
communication so that interaction can take the learning further faster and interactive since you
consider the most tools being use for online learning.
2. Consider the class size. In an online environment, you can structure the size of students. let
say in a traditional classroom you have more or less 50 students in online class to be more
interactive and give a space for the students to know each other from time to time you may create
a smaller group (chat room in a messenger, Facebook page ) and re arrange every activity so that
each students can interact each other. Even though this kind of method is more enduring but it is
quit approachable because students able to mingle different personalities and plus factor is by-
request of the student who will be their new chat room mate. Facebook page can be also an
interactive to learn. Using this group functionality, students can create special interest group or
study group this is applicable even more than 100 or even more students to interact. To make
easy to access the discussion even in a week or in a months used the # hastag to easily navigate
what you want to recall for your students.
Since tech tool is already on the list for online classroom now consider how or what kind of
interaction you’re going to use to support the learning goals in your online classroom.
3. Voice and gestures is the best visual aids of a teacher: if you’ve taken a continuing online
classroom, you’ve seen how students fade away over time. Students get busy or they don’t get
the support they need and lose motivation. Now this is your time to shine, by using your angelic,
dramatic, thunder voice to influence your students in online class plus your gesture, mannerism,
expression- used this as a tool to stay connected with your students.
4. Time management- limits your time in discussion only present facts, ideas in a form of
picture, quotation or an introduction not more than 2minuts and gives the students to interact
immediately so that student connectivity is there, this is to prevent losing attention. If you notice
3 or 5 students didn’t make any comment or give interaction - send them a private message to
inform them that you are serious of what you are doing.
5.