Keeping Your Kids Safe whilst Learning Online - Zoom Parents Guide
Due to the world’s technological advancements, schools leaped from traditional learning to online learning. Additionally, as the COVID-19 pandemic hit globally, institutions chose to continue with virtual homeschool education. Through this, many use online conference platforms like Zoom.
What is Zoom?
Zoom is an application for video communications. It allows users to perform audio and video conferencing with additional features such as sharing screens, recording, and collaborative meetings. Other than that, Zoom is available in different operations systems which lets your kid join Zoom conferences using any device.
Many schools today prefer Zoom due to its child-friendly platform. Most importantly, it has free features perfect for meetings and online classes.
Is Zoom safe for kids?
Zoom provided safety features for every user. It also helps to prevent risky and harmful strangers online. However, despite the incredible attributes and elements accessible in Zoom, you also need to consider some precautions.
Verifying your child’s safety is essential both in face-to-face learning and online classes. It is still your responsibility as a parent to ensure a protected learning environment. So, you should protect your child from online danger and technological harm.
Are you ready to prepare your child for virtual learning? Don’t worry, here are the safety reminders and a list of Zoom etiquette tips for your child whilst attending online Zoom meetings.
Safety Tips for Zoom Meeting
#1 Ready and on time.
Preparedness and punctuality are two crucial things in attending in-person or online meetings. So, your kid should arrange their time and materials for online learning. It will help them to perform lively once they have things in place. Other than that, they will also follow and will not miss anything from start to finish.
#2 Use a neutral background.
Make sure to use a minimal and light background. Of course, kids would love to try creative filters and backdrops to give extra style to the video camera. But then, you must explain to your kid the importance of using neutral backgrounds.
You can help them arrange their tables near where they can do the video call. If it is not possible, you can create a background for them using cardboard. However, online classes are not actually strict about this, but it is essential to make it look decent and modest.
Furthermore, setting a proper background will help other learners focus on the teacher, not on the movements of your child’s location.
#3 Choose a quiet and peaceful place for learning.
To make your child focus on online learning, you should ensure the learning environment. Can they hear the sounds of pets? Or noise from the kitchen or bathroom? You should also consider if there are voices that can interfere with the instructors.
So, you must ensure that your child’s learning spot is safe from loud noises and distractions. Furthermore, teach your child how to use the mute and unmute buttons. It will benefit your child and the whole online class.
Besides that, don’t you want your child to concentrate on solving math problems in a quiet area?
#4 Provide great lighting
During online learning classes, your child needs to engage with their friends, classmates, and teachers. So, you want them to have a right-angle shot and proper lighting.
One tip to make a great video shot is to place the laptop or camera eye-leveled to your child. It will help to showcase a better framing. Other than that, you should set the camera against the light to prevent a silhouette shot. On the contrary, let your child have enough lighting on their face for others to see them correctly.
#5 Be kind, respectful, and enjoy the virtual class
Teach your child how to be respectful during class. Zoom meetings have different features such as raising a hand, the camera on/off, mute/unmute, and other elements that can prevent the meeting’s disturbance. Let your child be familiarised with these things for them to know how to utilise the program.
As you prepare them with the Zoom platform, you also help them show good manners and right conduct inside a virtual community. They can bring these preparations to any virtual meetings they will attend.
What schools can my child learn online?
Several schools are offering virtual classes. One of the most effective is the kids coding school and after-school care offered by Skill Samurai. It is a global coding class for kids that offers excellent robotics, programming, and computer classes for kids. Other than that, it can cater to boys and girls from ages 7 to 18.
Your child can experience the discussed Zoom safety and etiquette as you let them join online classes like Skill Samurai’s STEM-accredited kids coding and robotics learning.