As students and teachers prepare to go back to school, I'd like to mention something that I feel is an essential resource- the dual monitor setup! Perhaps you have an extra monitor sitting around that you aren't using from an upgrade? It's easy to create a dual monitor set-up. You will most likely need to get a few new cables. But you may be wondering, why would you want to have this setup?
As a teacher, a dual monitor will allow you to have your videoconferencing material on 1 monitor, while you present or work on the other monitor. This means you will have gallery views of your students on one screen while you are presenting on the other! Gone are the days when you have to minimize your students screen while you present, and hope that they are behaving. You can easily have visual confirmation of their attention. Show a movie clip, present a presentation, use a whiteboard, and never lose sight of your students!
What about students? Is there a benefit for them as well? With 2 monitors, students can easily view what the teacher is saying or doing, while having the materials they need on the other screen. Fill in notes, use a calculator, follow the presentation at your own pace, anything you need. Of course, some students know that this means they can also have other distracting materials out on their screen as well, so parents may need to help their students develop good work ethics and monitor as needed. Still, the ease of being able to see what is going on in an online class without resorting to a split screen that reduces the readability of the material may make the extra work worth it, especially for a student with visual difficulties.
This message will not go into how to set up a dual monitor. There are too many types of monitors and computers to easily give directions. However, there are many resources on the internet. Just do a search for "How to set up dual monitors" . You'll be glad you did!
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