VIRTUAL CLASSROOMS
What is a virtual classroom?
A virtual classroom is an online meeting space where learning takes place. It's a space where you interact with people through specific media, namely, a computer with a reasonable Internet connection and software that you may need to download when you log in. Some vClassrooms are browser-based and there's no need to download any software. It's the case of WiZiQ that we will be looking at today.)
To hear people and talk with them, you need a headset if you have a PC, or the built-in mic and speakers if you have a laptop.
When a virtual classroom opens you see the following main components:
- the menu bar at the top
- a whiteboard where content is shown
- a list of the participants
- the text chat area where you write your messages and above it a small window where the text from the different participants appears
- a microphone button that you click to speak and click again to give the mic to someone else.
Some uses of a vClassroom
A vClassroom is an ideal platform to have a collaborative session with a distant class, to have a guest speaker talk to a class about a specific topic or demonstrate something, to give a presentation for people who are all geographically apart, to have work meetings with peers, to organize a conference, or even to hold an online conference.
Guest speaker at WiZiQ
Today we have a guest speaker with us, Evelyn Izquierdo* (short bio below) from Caracas, Venezuela. She will show you WiZiQ, a free virtual classroom, and talk about some of its different features.
A short bio
Evelyn Izquierdo is an ESP/EAP teacher at the School of Education of Universidad Central de Venezuela . She holds a Master's degree in EFL and has been interested in online activities since she joined Becoming a Webhead in 2005. After that her teaching life changed for the best. Nowadays, almost all her courses are blended, and a few of them totally online under the Moodle platform. She's been attending several EVO sessions since 2005, both as a participant and as a session moderator. It is a must to attend EVO sessions each year if you want to learn a lot, keep updated, share your online work and experiences, enjoy hands-on activities and have fun with colleagues. Evelyn is currently the ICT coordinator of VenTESOL (Venezuela TESOL and is also a board member.
Tutorials
WiZiQ tutorial (Evelyn Izquierdo)
Computer lab activities (suggestions)
WiZiQ
Other useful links
Elluminate vRoom at Learn Central is a free vRoom that allows for 3 people/computers to be connected at the same time. You need to "register" before you can get your vRoom.
When you have your vRoom, you can do three things: Open your vRoom, Schedule a session and Invite friends to your session.
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