My kids schools felt the risk of internet outweighed the benefit of zoom and admitted the children may learn less. However they felt the kids could always make up the material at a later date as opposed to sending a mixed message which they felt couldn’t be as easily corrected. I was skeptical. But I’m happy to report that b”h all of my kids are doing great with the teleconference program. The system my schools are using has the teacher in front of a screen, he knows everyone’s number so he knows who is there. He has the option of muting everyone to teach. In this mode the kid can raise their hand by pressing some buttons. Raising hands are heavily incentivized. He can call on the kid and unmute them. He can also unmute everyone, such as to say a posuk with teitch, and he could see who is saying along and which isnt, bec his screen shows which lines have sound coming out. He called me the other day to tell me I had feedback coming from my line, he knows its mine from what his screen is reading. He can also put the kids into groups like they do in school to do chazarah. So essentially he transfers the kids into smaller sub conference rooms which he pops in and out of answering questions. All this is done with a lot of incentives, much more than usual, incentivizing following along, raising hands, answering questions, and general participation. May the kids learn better with all this plus zoom? I still think so, but they’re not wasting their time either. The kids are still gaining and the hashkafah from the school stays consistent.
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