{"id":5483,"date":"2021-10-01T08:01:03","date_gmt":"2021-10-01T15:01:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/?p=5483"},"modified":"2021-10-01T08:01:03","modified_gmt":"2021-10-01T15:01:03","slug":"preparing-for-the-classroom-of-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/preparing-for-the-classroom-of-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing for the Classroom of the Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

Can you smell the freshly sharpened #2 pencils? My daughter is one of the many children\u00a0who have recently\u00a0returned\u00a0to school this season, and we are again faced with interesting opportunities and challenges\u00a0at the outset of\u00a0a new year.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To gain a better understanding of what school administrators are facing as they prepare for the unconventional hybrid-learning school year ahead, I spoke with Melissa\u00a0Bisbo\u00a0(M.Ed.), who is Poly\u2019s Experience Program Theater Lead for the Americas.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Melissa\u2019s perspective on the shift to hybrid learning and virtual technology education is special. As a former elementary school teacher, Melissa spent more than a decade in classrooms across America, from Pennsylvania to Texas to New York. Now in her role at Poly, Melissa consults with different school administrators across the country every week on how to make virtual learning easier for staff and students.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This conversation is a culmination of best practices and key learnings that can help school administrators prepare for the classroom of the future.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Q: In your conversations with school administrators over the past year, what were some of the challenges that came with the shift to virtual and hybrid learning? How did the school staff overcome those challenges?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

A: One of the biggest challenges that educators have been facing with virtual and hybrid learning is how best to provide a quality education and keep students engaged in their learning, all while keeping students and staff safe. When many schools shifted to virtual learning, teachers and students were struggling with the lack of live instruction and how to adapt their teaching to be over video. We have been able to provide solutions for educators that improve the remote teaching experience by allowing them to step away from their laptops and teach as they normally would, whether they are in the classroom or instructing from home. Even those students who may be learning remotely\u00a0have an experience on par with the students\u00a0in the classroom because they are seeing and hearing the teacher clearly,\u00a0which\u00a0leads\u00a0to greater engagement.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Watch as I demonstrate the\u00a0<\/span>Poly Studio USB<\/a><\/span>\u00a0camera technology \u2013 it\u2019s perfect whether a teacher is in the classroom or teaching from home. With automated speaker training, educators can forget about the technology in the room and just teach.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n