Police1, the most comprehensive and trusted online destination for law enforcement agencies and police departments worldwide, has published another article about us!
Police1, the most comprehensive and trusted online destination for law enforcement agencies and police departments worldwide, has published another article about us!
Step one: Purchase the following foot pedal on Amazon:
Infinity USB Digital Foot Control with Computer Plug
Step two: Email info@maestrovision.com with the subject line: KEYSERV Audio Foot Pedal Integration Request
From there, we will send you a file and you can complete the following directions:
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is home to a passionate community of global educators who believe in the power of technology to transform teaching and learning, accelerate innovation and solve tough problems in education.
November 29 – December 5th
Visit https://conference.iste.org/2020/ for more information.
Read More
The eLearning industry is booming now more than ever. According to the World Economic Forum, Worldwide there are over 1.2 billion children in 186 countries affected by school closures due to the pandemic. The internet is inundated with e-learning technology and materials for every function you can imagine – the resources are endless.
The eLearning industry is booming now more than ever. According to the World Economic Forum, Worldwide there are over 1.2 billion children in 186 countries affected by school closures due to the pandemic. The internet is inundated with e-learning technology and materials for every function you can imagine – the resources are endless. With the breadth of school subjects, student ages and teaching methodologies, every educator has their own recipe for success. We asked 44 educators and education business owners to share tips on what they believe creates a successful e-learning environment. Read on to see their answers!
Record your classes and make them easy for students to replay. Solely recording your class utilizing web conferencing tools doesn’t make an effective replaying experience for students. For example, if you want to record any input other than your computer screen or your webcam (a second camera displaying your whiteboard, a document camera displaying an assignment you’re discussing, etc), you are unable to do so. Also, let’s say one of your students attended the class but needed to review a specific lesson, they will have to spend a frustrating amount of time scrolling through the recording to find the exact spot the topic or lesson was taught.
Utilize a classroom recording application like KEYSERV VIDEO which allows you to do the following:
Tips for parents:
Mastering the learning management system (LMS) is most important. Therefore, it is an absolute must that both students and teachers invest time in familiarizing themselves with the interface. Students should come prepared to their classes and have their reading done so that they can ask relevant questions. Students should look ahead at their scheduled assignments and take particular note of the due dates so that they can better craft a realistic plan for completing all of their work. Also, there are set deadlines and timelines for assignment submissions that a student should adhere to. Teachers, on the other hand, must learn how to present their lessons and activities in the platform in a manner that students are able to find engaging and stimulating.
Even in virtual classrooms, class participation is still a must; teachers ask questions and students respond and communicate proactively. For a better understanding of a subject or topic, students may ask the presentations/lecture notes to be shared with them after classes so that they can revisit what has been taught. They may also need to spend extra time with their teachers to clear any doubts or misgivings about the lesson. This will also present them as keen and conscientious students.
Teachers and students should invest in a standing desk, a yoga ball, and other equipment to enhance an overly sedentary workday at home. Teachers should also create a more rigid learning schedule and make expectations crystal clear in classes. The learning goals for the remaining school year should be reiterated to students, and those goals should be broken up into smaller goals so students will know quickly whether they are falling behind.
My top tip for creating a productive e-learning experience is to recognize student accomplishments as often as possible. Recognizing and celebrating student accomplishments such as completing a project, achieving a high grade or acquiring a core competency can engage students and encourage other students to strive to reach a similar standard. This creates a productive learning environment where students and participants feel their efforts are being noticed and rewarded.
For larger class sizes it has been important for me to use the breakout room feature of Zoom. Breakout rooms allow smaller groups to have meaningful discussions and engage with the content. Using the reaction buttons and white board feature also keep students engaged when they’re in the larger group.
For very young kids, one way to make remote school more engaging is to make sure they have some hands-on activities in addition to Zoom classes (which are frequently difficult for small children to sit through). Maybe that means doing art class in person with markers or paint, or letting them spend some time outside (weather/space permitting). Introducing some games or interactive components to their learning (such as using math games from mathgames.com) can also help kids from getting bored.
Middle school students may not need games or finger painting breaks as much as younger students, but they still need visuals or diversions to keep them engaged. Middle schoolers might benefit from educational videos on related subjects (Hiphughes is good for history), or podcasts that can help them practice language skills (Radio Ambulante is excellent for students studying Spanish and features specific resources on their website for using the podcast as a language learning tool). These sorts of supplementary resources can substitute for some of the lectures or class discussions that aren’t taking place now that school is remote.
The major benefit for high school students working remotely is the ability to be more flexible in their schedule in a way that better fits their sleep cycles and attention spans than a rigid in-person education. Let them take advantage of this! Within reason, and the rules of their particular online schooling, let students be flexible with when they work and how they work. Giving them breaks or letting them sleep in a bit can help students mitigate some of the stresses brought about by high school work and remote schooling in particular.
My #1 tip to make the learning experience in your programs more engaging is to incorporate gamification elements. So, you can reward your learners with badges, points, virtual currency, etc. as they go through the program and make progress.
The idea is to incorporate smaller wins in your online program, so the learners feel that they’re making progress and getting closer to the end goal. This helps keep them motivated which is turn leads to higher engagement and better productivity.
Get a stable internet connection
One lesson I learned the hard way was to never skimp on your internet connection when teaching classes online. You need to invest in a dedicated router and ideally your own personal internet connection that is hard-wired to your computer. The worst thing that can happen during classes is disconnections and audio/video stutter that can impact the online teaching experience in a negative way. You want your class to run smoothly, from start to finish, as your students can be several thousand miles away and your only link is the internet. So make sure to consider your internet connection an important investment for eLearning, for both students and teachers that want to ensure a positive learning experience.
Practice eye contact
As an online educator, you need to always maintain eye contact with your students when possible. The one human connection that you have to work with when teaching online classes is eye contact, so practice it until it becomes second nature. It’s important to use all the tools that are at our disposal to try and bridge the gap between remote learning and a physical classroom. Although you should use slideshows, objects and other resources to enhance your visual presentation of the class, always make sure to remember to prioritize eye contact during your online interactions.
Taking Notes:
One great benefit of online learning is that between lesson recordings, teacher slide decks, and the ability to take screen captures, students can archive a lot of information without having to feverishly take notes. Of course, often the process of writing something down is what helps you synthesize or remember information, so the best course of action is to ask whether you can get lesson notes or slides ahead of time so that you can take notes on top of them: you don’t need to transcribe the information that’s already written, but you can add your own notes to it so that you’re able to pay more attention and really use your note-taking time to synthesize, not just transcribe.
How educators can improve Zoom classes or virtual learning:
Ask lots of questions, even if you don’t care much about the answers. If you’re using a question mark every 3-4 minutes, you can create a culture of participation, really leaning into the chat and polling functions where lots of kids can participate at once. And by mixing in ‘frivolous’ questions – opinions, slightly-off-topic fun questions – you can make it easy for kids to participate and want to participate, so that when you hit the truly important pedagogical questions, they’re fully engaged in the Zoom room and not off playing a game in a different browser.
Likely the greatest feature of online education is the ease of participation. Chat and polls let shy kids participate often without the apprehension of raising their hand and ‘taking the stage’ in front of all their peers. Teachers should have a goal of fostering lots of participation in every class.
E-learning is offering a challenge for both teachers and families. I have heard from both seeking ideas on how to keep children motivated and engaged. One area of struggle is getting our kids reading and engaged in what they are reading.
I created an alternative to the traditional reading log where children record minutes and write a summary. This collection encourages children to read in new spaces that might be a little more fun than simply reading at a table. It is provided in a card format so children can pick a card and go off to read in their house. Your child might end up reading in the bathtub or in a fort they design – this is far more exciting than reading at their desk.
The free download of this alternative reading log set can be found here: https://www.freewordwork.com/alternative-reading-log/
E-learning platforms and tools help to create a conducive learning environment for both the teacher and the learner.
They also make it easier for tutors to focus on creating excellent course materials which they can organize on the e-learning platforms. This reduces the stress tutors experience when planning and creating online lessons, it also increases teachers’ productivity and job satisfaction.
Moreover, learners prefer organized class environments, especially when the learning platform allows for easy communication between learners and tutors.
Level of engagement
If both parties, e.g. the student and the tutor are actively discussing and exchanging ideas, there is a lot of learning involved which enriches the learning experience for the student.
Leveraging technology
Since learning has been shifted online, I feel that a productive learning experience would be one that utilizes the learning materials online to enhance the learning experience for the student. What I mean by learning materials can be a visual diagram or a visual video from YouTube. These materials help the student visualize and understand a concept better.
In my honest opinion, having the right materials available that make a connection between the virtual environment and the real world is the key. Please do not forget that the spatial skills have all three components directly related, what you picture in your mind, what the virtual representation shows you, and the actual embodiment in the real world. The real struggle that I see it every day is that students look at screens only with little correlation with the actual physical world and many times their visualization is completely wrong. I would compare this situation with something like the movie “The Matrix”. These are my observations after more than 20 years on the front line of science and engineering education.
As students at all levels from elementary to higher ed are spending more time taking online classes, instructors need to get creative to create a productive e-learning experience. My top tip for promoting engagement and learning is to mix it up. By changing the pedagogical method every 20-30 minutes, you keep the students engaged.
Consider starting class with a brief mindfulness activity to ground the group, and ending with a quick check-in—what 1 thing did they take away from class? Applications like zoom enable small group interactions, which are essential.
I recommend dividing the class into small groups of various sizes for group work, followed by large group discussions. Rather than the whiteboard, I recommend designating students in each small group as notetakers using the chat feature.
Give age-appropriate assignments where a student or group of students leads a class discussion on a curricular topic; this not only engages those students but also their peers are respectful and actively engage in peer-led discussion or activities.
Encourage the designated student instructor to use games and other interactive activities to demonstrate that they understand the topic and reinforce it with their peers.
For presentations, allow students to create a video and play that back as an alternative to a traditional presentation. The TikTok generation is skilled with their phone cameras.
Six Secrets to Virtual Online Success for Students
Incorporate Mindful Movement and Meditation Throughout Your Lesson
For students who are learning virtually, their teacher is usually the first outside interaction they have before the school day begins. They do not experience the bus ride with friends, morning breakfast chats with their friends in the cafeteria, or anything normal they would do before they begin learning.
To combat this, I sometimes like to incorporate mindful movement, like dance and yoga, and meditation at the start of class and throughout the virtual school day.
This is a positive daily ritual because it gives a person time to center themselves before they carry out the day. Dance and yoga is a great way to get student’s minds ready to learn, and it even motivates them to exercise for virtual Physical Education (P.E.) and any other electives.
Taking time to be mindful and meditate should be done regularly, especially for children who are growing easily frustrated with the new way of learning. Here are some other benefits of mediation and mindful movement:
Technology can’t replace a child’s need to have all senses engaged. So, my best tip for making a productive e-learning experience? Don’t make it purely e-learning.
Children learn best through activities. Parents need to supplement their child’s remote learning with DIY projects at home.
Online, there are simple, affordable DIY learning supplements, from science experiments that make things explode (always a favorite) to math lessons centered around treasure hunts. Another way to help keep kids’ attention, so they can learn: let them create a comic book about their favorite chapter book or character. Kids love drawing and creating their own stories.
This is the very step to achieve success in your e-learning practice. The need for a detailed lesson plan has grown even higher because of the fact that online class gives you limited access to interact with the students. Also, the time-bound is a true constraint which limits your ability to demonstrate each part of the lesson a proper way. Thus, with the help of a descriptive lesson plan, you would be able to define the appropriate time for each part of the lesson. It will also help you divide the lesson into various classes. For example, if you believe that a lesson cannot be completed in one class, then you can certainly choose to divide the parts into 2-3 respective subject classes. This helps the students to grasp the chapter in a more lucrative and productive way.
One biggest roadblock in the way of online learning is the medium of teaching itself. The teachers of the world have been facing difficulties to get hold of the online medium of teaching. The super-advanced tools and applications are making us, the teachers go crazy. At one point, where it is exciting and easy for the students to study through online mediums. At the same time, this very medium has taken a toll on our peace of mind. So, to get hold of it, you need to develop an interest in technology and take it as a learning exercise. You need to adapt yourself to saying that change is a constant process and learning is the biggest change of life.
As discussed above there are students who love to study through the online medium, but there are also some who fail to understand the medium. In such cases, there is a need to maintain a balance between the two. This calls for you to develop strategies through which you can adopt traditional teaching methods while teaching online. This can be in the form of reading through books or making a video of teaching on the blackboard and playing the same in the online class. You can even directly teach the students on the board using the video call. This way students can learn through the very traditional medium of board and chalk while utilizing the technology at its best.
All good lessons should start with a specific goal. A reading teacher should be very clear about the objective for each lesson. This goal should be communicated to the child. Also, online lessons need to be as interactive as possible to hold the children’s attention.
With regard to learning to read, many children do so by first learning their letters sounds, and children then learn how to blend them together.
Here’s a sample lesson format:
At the end, have the child write the short “u” sound on a piece of paper and show it to you. Then ask the student to put stars around that “u.” Tell the child that that is his/her certificate for a job well done!
I keep the “sessions” as similar to in-person as possible.
I also provide a positive experience by being supportive and encouraging, and making efforts often through the session to recognize and praise their work.
As an online tutor, I have options like Zoom, etc. I have been using FaceTime the longest because I put my iPhone on a stand and point the camera down to the paper on which I’m writing. This method gives the students the experience that most resembles the scenario of me sitting next to them and they are looking at the paper as I write and we discuss the work.
I’ve offered Zoom to students and so far, they’ve chosen to continue my FaceTime method. When I asked why, the comments ranged from “it’s more personal” to “it’s like you’re sitting right next to me!”
My sessions are productive because I continuously keep them engaged in the conversation and learning and because I provide a supportive and encouraging environment.
I keep it relaxed but efficient and always provide positivity in my communication. I let them know it’s okay to tell me what they’re thinking about the math problem, for instance, because even if they tell me the “wrong” thing, it’s great because it tells me where they are so I can get them where they need to be.
Allow your students to fail! Failure is one of the ways we learn best! When your student gives you a wrong answer, ask them how they came to that conclusion; guide them through, but make them work it out and they’ll eventually wind up seeing for themselves that they had a misstep! While in distance learning, make sure that you set up a routine that you stick to regardless of what else is going on. Treat school as the priority just as you would during in-person classes. Also, make sure your student has his or her own space to work – even if it’s a small one. That way, when your student is in that space he or she has the opportunity to be less distracted from the other goings-on throughout your home.
During synchronous instruction/class time, ask questions of students, and require them to respond and submit an answer. This can be done anonymously, using a clicker system that works with Zoom and other online platforms, but pen and paperwork just as well. It can be helpful for students to be “required” to think, try and recall information, and respond to questions. This provides students an opportunity to confront their wrong answers or see that they are not alone in their misunderstanding (if other students made similar mistakes).
If instructors ask questions which are, to all intents and purposes rhetorical, i.e., students are not required to submit a response, students may not engage, think about the question, or try to generate an answer. Consequently, they will not benefit from being confronted with the fact that they didn’t know something. Without this practice, students often mistake recognition of information with mastery.
Knowing they may be required to answer questions can also lead to increased student engagement during class time.
In order to make a productive e-learning experience, it is essential to increase engagement and motivation through both online and offline instructional practice that children can complete at their own pace and convenience.
Crafting a productive e-learning experience requires thoughtful consideration in both development and delivery. Here are some tips on how to create such an experience for your e-learners.
Families opting for virtual learning should first realize that only 3-4 hours a day ought to be dedicated to actual academic content. But what does the child do with the rest of the day, especially if the parents need to work? I encourage parents not to fear unstructured time. Kids are innately curious, creative, and innovative – sometimes they just need the space to let those natural skills flourish. So let them be bored!
For parents who would like to create more structured “free time,” I suggest creating a “Box o’ Fun” full of games, crafts, hobbies, books, and other tangible activities that are age appropriate for your child. You can also have a board with options your child can choose from, such as do a chore, practice tying your shoelaces, play with Lego, draw a map of the house, and the like. By giving children opportunities to make choices and be independent, we are empowering them with life skills that are often not taught in the curriculum.
For organizing your space during remote learning, get creative with your workspaces. An ironing board makes a great adjustable-height surface for laptops when working on the couch. A small rectangular folding table with adjustable height can also create a makeshift workspace. If separate rooms are not an option, use headphones with a mic. Make sure you have the essential tools at your space: device, pencils, paper, water, relevant assignments/books, etc. And if your first attempt isn’t working, try another. Move from the kitchen counter to the couch, for instance. Keep experimenting until you find something that works.
Keep to a rhythm every day and every week that most closely aligns with your natural rhythm. Sticking to a rhythm means you can be intentional about what your priorities are. For instance, try to keep the same wake-up time and the same sleep time. Put this schedule on a whiteboard. Block off times for work and school meetings first, then add in time blocks for exercising, eating, relaxing quietly, and fun. If you struggle to stay focused, you can also keep a timer to go off periodically as a reminder to check on if you are paying attention and understanding. Or you can try a Pomodoro Timer, where you work for 25 minutes then take a 5-minute break.
For a great online teaching experience, I like to be sure to include many different activities and try not to spend too much time on any one of them. For example, I like to start with ear training and transposition together. Online lessons really lend themselves well to this! “Play this little example. Now try it here!” “I’m so proud of you for figuring out that you needed a black key on that one!” It’s also important for the student to have several views of my hands while teaching technique (phrase lifts, or staccato), whether it be from the side or from above. Each student will pick up on my movement in a different way. I love being able to give my students comprehensive piano assignments through Tonara Studio, where I can add audio, video, attachments, and links. My “group chat” has been transformed into Pope Piano Performance Room, and it totally flipped a switch with my students! They are consistently performing for each other and giving great feedback, which has created a beautiful balance of reaching a high level of performance and getting their confidence level lifted. They also have the benefit of being a part of an awesome practice community, while socially distancing. What more can I ask for?!
“Children learn through the repeated opportunity to explore a new idea, which allows them to ask questions, form hypotheses, and make connections. E-learning can lend itself to this process by creating different entry points for exploring new things, even just from home.
For example, if a child is interested in animals you might use the panda cam from the National Zoo to observe them. You can pair this with reading books about pandas to fill in some background knowledge– where they live, what they eat, how much they sleep, etc. Revisiting the panda cam, or choosing a different live stream, will allow you to keep the conversation and learning going.”
When teaching a remote or an online course, the key is to engage students. The same situations take place in face-to-face courses that do online. Students may be late, over-sleep,
lose their connection, or simply not feel well. Teachers must acknowledge the stress of online learning. It is new to many students and timed exams or speaking too fast may lose a student in the mix.
Quality over quantity. Spending more time on less content will lead to a deeper understanding and connection with the material which almost always results in higher levels of student engagement.
Keep it simple. There are thousands of new apps, subscription sites, and interactive platforms available to supplement student learning. Pick 3. Master them. Let the students master them. Keep the focus less on the platform and more on the content.
Before teaching a new lesson online, do a “dress rehearsal” with a friend or family member using the platform you’ll be using for the class. If you’re using Zoom, for example, log into the Zoom room, invite your test student, and run through the whole lesson as you hope to teach it with them. This will make your lesson much more productive for two reasons.
First, you’ll be able to work out any technical issues before you meet with your students. Tasks like muting/unmuting or switching the camera view aren’t always intuitive the first time and it’s helpful to practice with someone who can give you feedback.
Second, a practice session can help you determine accurate lesson pacing. My first few online lessons took much longer than I anticipated. If I practiced them beforehand, I would have known which activities took longer in a virtual classroom.
Have a consistent yet flexible teaching background
I’ve seen quite a few teachers trying to run a successful class from their dining room tables and really struggling – while few people have a room or office to dedicated to online teaching, almost everyone can decorate a place in their home for teaching. The goal is to have a consistent learning environment for your students and having things like a whiteboard or bulletin board that you can adjust based on curriculum is hugely advantageous for everyone!
A lot of schools will let you borrow classroom materials and my advice is to spend some time setting up a dedicated teaching environment that you can update and change based on your lesson – your students will appreciate it and it should help you feel like you’re in a real classroom!
In our remote flipped classroom, we utilize breakout rooms in Zoom meeting to build mini-communities of students that not only useful for synchronous sessions, but also in asynchronous sessions when they have to work together after the Zoom meeting. We also provide before and after class discussions in our LMS to check students’ understandings through their writing. We also utilize Flipgrid videos to have more discussion about the materials.
Nearly a decade of teaching online has shown me that the most important thing for a productive e-learning experience from the student’s perspective is knowing that their professor is both a human and sees them as a human. Students can learn the content without a professor, but they cannot experience the same sort of human connection that happens in the classroom unless we make clear to them–repeatedly–that we see them and hear them and are with them, despite the mediation of a screen and sometimes hundreds of miles of distance. That presence is what matters.
In an e-learning class, it is important to make sure that students are engaged and understanding what is being taught. It can be helpful to start the lesson with an interactive component to help students feel like they are a part of the lesson. I like to start my lessons off with a game. This gets students involved and participating and sets the tone that the lesson will be fun and enjoyable for them. The best games also encourage the students to interact with each other and build community. During the lesson, I like to check in to make sure students are understanding what has been taught. Students can ask questions in the chat and it’s helpful to monitor that to see understanding, but not all students will engage in this way. I also like to ask yes/no or true/false questions that students can answer visually with a thumbs up thumbs down. This makes it easy to see who is engaged and who is understanding the material, just by looking at the students’ videos.
To give you context, I transitioned to a virtual experience halfway through the spring semester and now teach a fully virtual course at my university for the fall semester.
As I planned for the undergraduate course over the summer, I focused on facilitation. While content is important, in today’s time with the availability of resources, facilitation of the learning experience is the distinguishing factor. A student interested in a topic can easily scour the internet, watch a recorded lecture, and google follow-up questions. To engage undergraduate students in meaningful ways, I’ve tried to replicate an e-workshop experience with multiple interaction points coupled with active learning exercises. Workshops use a variety of styles to expose participants but also to help them retain information. I use modified approaches, such as e-fishbowl work, role playing e-simulations, rounds of e-debate, speed e-sharing, small group e-application of a concept, etc. Together we have experimented with many platforms, such as Zoom Polling, Zoom Whiteboard, Google’s Jamboard, Mentimeter, and SurveyMonkey. I try to employ these approaches during my lecture to excite students and keep them on their toes, which is critically important when I’m competing against many available distractions like social media and personal phones.
Where possible I try to create online content around a real-life or fictional scenario. The theory we cover will help the student resolve the issue at hand and understand how they can use their learning in a real-life scenario.
Examples include using sports injury research to help students consider how to optimize an athlete’s recovery. Or teaching simple statistics than using them to analyze why a golfer is under-performing.
I find this approach leads to better retention of information and an increased ability to apply their new knowledge.
Keep things as close to the in-person experience as possible.
When COVID hit, I had to pivot and move my dance studio online. I chose Zoom because we were able to run the classes in real time – I could see and correct the dancers as they were doing the exercises, and they could see me and ask questions as I was demonstrating. A lot of the parents of my students commented that I had done much better with the shift to distance learning than their kids’ school teachers had, and a lot of that had to do with providing them with the consistency they already were used to having in the classroom.
45. Jozef Raczka
E-Learning is, in its modern format, more possible than it’s ever been, but it still can struggle to match the smoothness of in-person learning. This doesn’t mean that it can’t still be useful but it’s important to be patient and adapt to the surroundings.
We think it can all be summarised as this:
Keep things simple – There may be moments where people’s connections cut out, where something happens around them that distracts, where anything can draw attention away from what’s happening. With this in mind, you may need to take things slowly, going over them more times than you normally might to make sure it has not even fully sunk in for everyone but even just that everyone had an opportunity to hear it. So make sure you stick to one topic at a time, don’t drift onto associated topics, just keep things focused enough that if anyone somehow gets behind, they don’t have too much to catch up with.
Keeping it simple can be more complex an operation as you have to focus on every detail in such clarity. Here at Twinkl, we like to try and make it easier for anyone who’s teaching to do this by supplying digital resources that can be used on digital devices or printed off for a paper copy. Having an extensive library of resources at your disposal can really save time on planning for lessons, which gives you back the time needed to make sure you keep things simple.
I am raw html block.
Click edit button to change this html
Founded in 1998, MaestroVision first specialized in broadcast technology providing high-end quality video servers and media asset management to broadcasters.
In 2013, we decided to diversify and offer this smart technology to other markets. Working closely with key collaborators in different sectors, such as law enforcement, justice, education, government, etc., MaestroVision has adapted this technology, offering latest technology solutions applied to different situations.
Our mission is to provide intuitive, innovative and easy-to-use video and audio solutions that are practical and convenient to everyone regardless of their technological experience or expertise.
Our vision is to provide all worldwide businesses and government entities with tools that allow them to simplify the acquisition and management of their audiovisual content.
Subscribe to our blog for more quality education-based content.
I am raw html block.
Click edit button to change this html
With many businesses transitioning to a remote work experience, it’s no surprise that Zoom’s growth has exploded in 2020. The company added 2.22 million monthly active users so far in 2020, while in 2019 it added 1.99 million altogether, according to Bernstein Research.
Zoom conferences range across a variety of industries and uses including but not limited to:
And more!
Many of our customers have asked how our software differs from Zoom. Our answer: It’s not a competitor with Zoom. We don’t offer web conferencing software, we offer video recording software. Here are some ways in which you can use KEYSERV VIDEO in correlation with Zoom for the optimal recording experience.
If you have an external camera, you’re unable to record it unless it’s plugged into a web-accessible application that can enter the Zoom conference. In other words, each Zoom user (including the host) can only display and record one external input at a time. With KEYSERV VIDEO, users can record several external inputs simultaneously.
Who wants to spend hours replaying a lesson or webinar trying to find the exact moment the speaker made a specific point? With KEYSERV VIDEO, there’s no need for scrolling through the recording trying to find the exact moment you’re looking for. Users can add notes and bookmarks pinpointing timeframes when specific topics were discussed. Viewers can click on these bookmarks to replay segments of a recording with ease.
With KEYSERV VIDEO, you can choose whether you would like to export your recording, save it to a local hard-drive, upload it to youtube or the media library of your choice. If you have protected recordings that you would like to ensure security for, our media library VEOTEK may just be the answer. It integrates with KEYSERV VIDEO so all completed recordings are automatically uploaded to the platform. Admins can create accounts with specific user permissions so only specific recordings and features are visible to them. Searching and finding recordings is simple; simply type in the name of the recording, or a keyword from a note, bookmark or metadata to find all relevant videos.
There you have it! 3 ways in which KEYSERV VIDEO integrates with Zoom for the optimal video recording experience. .
Read More
The CEO of MaestroVision, Claude Turcotte shares a list of 8 things to avoid doing in a virtual court hearing. Visit Simply Law Jobs Blog to learn more.
Throughout my high school and college educational experience, classroom time was spent learning new lessons via lectures, guided practices, tests, individual and group exercises. I would then leave the classroom and work on my essays, presentations and homework from home. If I had a question, I could visit my professor’s office or email them my questions. However, as a high school student, if a question wasn’t asked in the classroom before an assignment was assigned, I missed my chance for clarification. (I wasn’t provided a method for student-teacher communication outside of the classroom.)
I hadn’t discovered the concept of flipped learning until this year. It’s not surprising considering that in 2012, less than half (48%) of teachers flipped at least one lesson. In 2014, that number was up to 78%.
During my high school years, utilizing a flipped-classroom approach would have been an effective pedagogy for a kinesthetic learner like myself. With educational software and tools consistently evolving and improving, now is the time for educators to evaluate their options for implementing a classroom strategy that works for themselves and of most importantly, their students.
So, what exactly is a flipped classroom? A flipped classroom reverses the roles of learning and execution time (time spent doing activities to demonstrate the student’s knowledge of the lesson). It’s an interactive approach to education.
If you’re considering giving a flipped-classroom approach a try, here are some benefits you may experience as a result:
1. More class time for hands-on instruction, activities, and discussion.
The less time in the classroom spent lecturing and demonstrating materials, the more time teachers have to engage with students on how to apply the material they’ve already learned.
2. More time in the workweek for lesson planning and strategizing.
According to the Center for American Progress, teachers in the US spend far more time engaged in active instruction than teachers in other high-performing countries. Based on self-reported data, teachers in the United States spend 27 hours teaching out of 45 hours of work per week. With fewer hours in the workweek to focus on upcoming lesson plans, grading, and new ways to engage students in the material. In other words, teachers are working overtime to achieve their class initiatives which results in burnout.
3. Students have the ability to learn lessons on their own time and replay parts of recordings if needed.
I remember feeling too embarrassed to ask for clarification or review when I didn’t understand a portion of my teacher’s lesson and every other student nodded with acknowledgment. With recorded instruction, students can take their time with the material and replay specific instances of a lesson that they need to review. Teachers don’t have to feel rushed with their class time to instruct students and students don’t have to feel rushed or embarrassed when they need more time with the material.
4. Students are more prepared and engaged when coming to class.
According to LearnDash, 9 out of 10 teachers noticed a positive change in student engagement since flipping their classroom (up 80% from 2012).
5. Students can get caught up on a lesson at home.
Gone are the days of asking a classmate to share their notes when students miss a day of class. Students are empowered to watch lessons on their own time to get caught up with the material.
If you’re convinced a flipped classroom will be an effective method for you, here are a few step-by-step guides to making the transition smoothly and effectively:
Now that you’ve decided to flip your classroom and have a plan in place, let’s talk about the technology that will best support your efforts.
MaestroVision has an affordable classroom recording system where educators can conduct their classes remotely in the classroom or online utilizing their choice of high definition cameras, monitors, and projectors. The application allows instructors to incorporate a variety of media (books, videos, worksheets, etc.) in their lesson. Students can engage in a flipped classroom, replay, or watch live lectures from any device. Even if they’re not physically present in the classroom, students will receive the same interactive and engaging experience.
Typically virtual education software is expensive because systems have to be adopted by entire educational institutions with centralized costly storage fees. The best part of MaestroVision is its affordability – each individual educator can invest in his/her own technology for a small monthly fee of $150.
Here comes the best part – for a limited time, MaestroVision is offering a free classroom recording application containing all features and functionalities with the only limit being 1 hour of recording capacity at a time.
Claude Turcotte President of MaestroVision
He started his career as a broadcast engineer specialist working for a broadcast product manufacturer. In 1998, Claude saw an opportunity to develop an application that revolutionizes the way high quality video signals are recorded, shared and managed in the broadcast industry and thus MaestroVision was born. |
Read More
Police1, the most comprehensive and trusted online destination for law enforcement agencies and police departments worldwide, has published an article about us!
Read all about it!
How do you facilitate suspect interviews? Where did you learn your techniques from? Education is crucial to consistently advance your skills in any field. We asked law enforcement professionals with backgrounds in investigative and interrogation work to contribute tips.
We asked law enforcement professionals with backgrounds in investigative and interrogation work to contribute tips that will help their fellows upgrade their investigative processes. See below for the results!
“In over 35 years in Law Enforcement, I have been involved with hundreds of interviews. An important rule that any investigator must is to conduct the interview Prepared. An unprepared investigator is setting themselves up for failure, whether they are interviewing possible witnesses or especially if they are interviewing a suspect. Investigators must have patience and the gift of gab when interviewing, continue the interview as long as the suspect is willing to talk or until they invoke their right to counsel. An adversarial style of interviewing is a tactic or strategy that can fail and hinder an investigation. Investigators must tread lightly when deciding to go down that path. A good interview or interrogation is all psychological and the investigator must find the door which has been closed by the suspect/subject, find the key, and open it. This approach will determine in which direction the interview or interrogation will go. But, the most important tip, never begin an interview of a suspect without having advised them of their Constitutional Rights. These are a few suggestions and there are many more in my book, “The Homicide Manifesto”, which can be obtained through Amazon, Barnes and Noble books or Austin Macauley’s website. Also, one can listen to my Podcast, “Behind The Yellow Tape Podcast”, on iTunes.”
Cpt. Jose ‘Pepi’ Granado is a graduate of St. Thomas University. He’s a retired captain with 35 years of law enforcement experience spanning two agencies, Miami Police Department for 25 years and Miami Gardens Police Department for 11 years. During his illustrious career, he investigated and managed over 800 homicide and death investigations. As a subject matter expert, his experience and leadership allowed for his ascension to captain overseeing the Criminal Investigations Division. Throughout his career, he was instrumental in establishing investigative protocols, and training/mentoring inexperienced investigators and supervisors. He is devoted to teach a new generation of investigators.
“As an Investigator of 35 plus years, I have learned to go in with knowledge and patience. Inviting the suspect to things to make them know that they are going to be here for a while, then spoon-feed them the questions you already know the answers to. Because you are able to know which way to really go with the suspect, then you hit them with a little hard question, if they answer that correctly you pretend to show respect with something like “thank you, we were not aware of that information.” It will lead you to the door of putting the icing on the case, which is to tell him/her they are being arrested for the crime. Patience will lead to a worthy reward as an Investigator in some cases.”
Inv. Chandra Cleveland-Jennings is the President & (CEO) of Columbia. Private Investigations & Consultants, LLC, C. Cleveland Speaks, and ITS On Me 2 a 501c 3 organization which mission is to train everyone how important it is to take charge of their own safety. Columbia Private Investigations, Chandra is also a Executive Protection Body Guard for the Stars such Atlanta’s Bad Girls Club, Housewives Of Atlanta and Little Women of Atlanta. Chandra is also has Executive Protection for Presidential candidates at Presidential debates in 2004 and 2019. Chandra has been very instrumental in rescuing several girls for Sex Trafficking in our communities and continues to being a voice to inform parents of the latest social media dangers. Chandra was the investigator that was hire by the mother of the missing cheerleader Gabbie Swainson, when law enforcement labeled a runaway, she got them to see it was an abduction. Chandra has been seen on Nancy Grace, Michael Baisden Show, Yolanda Adams Show, and Black and Missing. She is also an Investigator “Cheaters” for the South Carolina area. A native of Columbia, SC, Cleveland began her career in law enforcement in 1989-2006 with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, patrol division. In 2002, she was assigned as the first black female Internal Affairs Investigator, she earned top honors as the first female to be Deputy of The Year for The State of SC. During her tenure she developed an incredible reputation for being tough and highly informed on juvenile crimes, gang activities in our communities.
“Not all criminal suspects are guilty and not all are bad people. Regardless of good or bad, this works in almost every case. Walk into your interview keeping in mind that how you treat them is how they will likely treat you. Check your ego at the door. How much they cooperate will depend on three factors: whether they know you, like you and trust you. What, you say?!
It doesn’t take long to make that happen. Start by dropping your official ‘title,’ ( i.e. “I’m Detective Nadeau, but you can call me Paul”) and invite the suspect to call you by your first name. This personalizes the interaction. Ask what name you can you to address them, (“What should I call you”). Tell them that you’re there to treat them with dignity and respect and that you’re not there to judge them or find them guilty of anything – that you’re only after the truth. State the purpose, i.e.: “I’m here to ask you about…” Then drop the formality and interview for a bit. Don’t launch into the interview/interrogation immediately.
Take time to build rapport and get to know the person sitting across from you. Show interest. Find something in common. Begin with a friendly conversation. You’ll know when to move to the subject under investigation. They’re body language and openness by that time will signal you when it’s time. People respond best to those they know, like, and trust.”
Former police detective, hostage negotiator and international peacekeeper J. Paul Nadeau spent more than 30 years working with victims of crime and perpetrators and learning from top experts in abuse situations, murder investigations, hostage-takings, terrorist attacks and human behavior in general. Over the course of his career, Paul talked hostage-takers into giving themselves up and murderers into admitting to their crimes. And because of his extensive training and his unique approach to connecting with people of all walks of life and under every circumstance, his life was saved by a terrorist during a terrorist attack in the Middle East. Paul’s success in helping others led him to write the best-selling acclaimed book, “Take Control of Your Life,” published by HarperCollins Canada which has been credited for saving lives and helping hundreds of people deal with anxiety, depression, self-sabotage and a number of other human conditions. Paul is a mental health specialist and was the “Canadian Mental Health Associations” first choice as keynote speaker in 2019 for their 4th National Conference. He is a regular guest on SiriusXM’s talk radio, a consultant to world news networks such as CNN, the National and CP24 for his expertise on terrorism and global hostage crisis,’ a screenwriter and accomplished keynote speaker on the topics of negotiations, conflict resolution and mental health.
“The actions of law enforcement officers are under more scrutiny now than any other time in human history. The way officers interrogate criminal suspects is a subject of hot debate. I think that debate is for good reason because what most people probably don’t know is that most conventional police interrogation training is based on outdated techniques, some of which have been proven to be based on nothing more than pseudo-science. Worse yet, many of the same techniques still being taught to law enforcement officers today have been scientifically proven to contribute to false confessions. That always comes as a surprise to most police officers who simply attend training courses and assume they are learning safe and scientifically sound techniques. It’s never surprising to researchers however, many of whom have for years published papers and books condemning conventional interrogation training as dangerous. When our course designers created our Interview and “Interrogation” training course they couldn’t believe the mountains of research that was easily accessible including the specific recommendations on how police interrogation training must change. My biggest advice to police officers looking to attend interrogation training is to make sure the course you choose is in harmony with the latest research and isn’t based on those outdated techniques. If not, you may find yourself having to defend yourself in court one day, or worse yet, you may unknowingly participate in convicting an innocent person. Don’t think it happens? Simply read the research.”
Scott Savage is a veteran law enforcement officer in California and a sought after training expert. His organization, the Savage Training Group, provides advanced training to law enforcement officers across the US.
“There is a distinct difference between interviewing a suspect and interrogating one. Oftentimes, these terms are used interchangeably. However, they do not share identical functions during questioning.
Interviewing occurs during the initial stage of your investigation and is considered the lowest level of suspect interaction. The tone is mild and questions are generally open-ended. It is during the interview where your suspect if often discovered and identified. Once you have attained enough data/evidence to reach this conclusion, you shift your questioning towards the interrogation.
Interrogating has a change in tone. You have accused the suspect of having some involvement in the crime and begin to reveal the evidence you have against them. You will likely do a majority of the talking and the questioning will be more direct and accusatory.
Be mindful of the fact that an interview can lead to an interrogation, but not vice-versa. It is impossible to return to interviewing once the interrogation has commenced.”
Honorable Roy Williams, Jr. is the former elected Constable of Precinct 4 in Dallas County. First elected in November 2010, he assumed office in January 2011, completing his second term in office in December, 2018. In lieu of running uncontested for a third term, he chose to seek a higher office, running for Dallas County Sheriff. Unsuccessful in this pursuit, he gained employment with the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, serving as a Sr. Sergeant Investigator assigned to the Sexual Assault Unit, specializing in Human Trafficking. He retired from Dallas County in November 2019, having served for past 29 years, seven months.
During his term, Hon. Williams, who has earned his Master Peace Officer license, was asked by the Texas Democratic Party to serve as Head of Security for the 2014 Democratic State Convention that was held in Dallas, TX. He was the Dallas County Democratic Party Elected Official of the Year in 2015, and was recognized by Elite News, earning the Chief Don Stafford Law Enforcement Award in 2015 and 2017.
Hon. Williams is an Ordained Deacon at the Greater Golden Gate Missionary Baptist Church, under the pastoral leadership of Pastor Fabian K. Jacko. He sits on the Board of Directors for Lifeline for Families, Inc., serving as President, and Chairs the Criminal Justice Advisory Board at Singley Academy in Irving ISD. He previously served as a committee member with the Texas Association of Counties Education Committee, and was an alternate board member with the North Central Texas Council of Government Emergency Preparedness Planning Council.
“You can’t lie or mislead with the information you already know but there is no problem with holding information back.
As long as the custody (PACE) time allows, there is no issue having a break to check or verify facts.
Sometimes the suspect refusing to answer questions can help the investigator.”
Lisa is a serving Detective Constable with Kent Police working in the Major Crime Department dealing with murders, sexual offenses and kidnaps. Lisa writes crime books with her insider knowledge and is busy writing the DC Nina Foster series and the East Rise Incident Room series. Lisa’s debut novel “Never Forget” can be purchased via Amazon.
Prepare questions: When preparing for a planned interview it may be helpful to write out questions in a logical progression. It forces you to organize your thoughts, pull the relevant facts together, gather documents you may want to show the interviewee, and if it is going to be a confrontational interview, flag test questions. It is rare that you will stick to the script of your questions and you want to go with the flow of the interview as opposed to sticking to the script. However, before you end the interview look back over your questions to make sure you didn’t miss anything…because you may only get one shot.
Put the interviewee at ease: Generally speaking, it is good to put the interviewee at ease. Even if you anticipate a confrontational interview, try to bring down the tension at the start. Begin with a friendly but professional tone and start out with basic questions to include bio info (i.e. name, date of birth, address, employment etc.). Even if you already have the information, it helps to ask them their bio info to get them calmed down and it gives you a chance to glance at their baseline. I have even tried a little humor to break the tension and hopefully get him/her to drop their guard a little. It is good to try to develop some rapport or at least don’t try to offend them right from the start. Ways to offend include coming across as judgmental, or arrogant, or trying to impress them with your vocabulary, downgrading their status or profession, finishing their sentences, interrupting them, failing to give eye contact when they are talking to you, or failing to listen to what they are saying- this would be especially bad because a good interview is as much about being a good listener as it is about asking the questions.
Pat Murphy, JD, CPA, Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist, is Managing Director and Practice Lead for Investigations at Prescient. He provides investigative support for litigation matters and assists clients with internal investigations of fraud, theft and corruption.
Prior to joining Prescient, Pat was Director of Forensic, Investigative, and Dispute Services with Grant Thornton. During his time at Grant Thornton he led internal investigations of fraud, theft and corruption for corporate and government clients.
Prior to joining Grant Thornton, Pat spent over 26 years with the FBI as a Special Agent and Supervisory Special Agent. During his career, he investigated and supervised complex white-collar crime and public corruption cases. He served as the public corruption coordinator for the Chicago office and also served on a fraud and corruption task force in Iraq. Pat is a recipient of the FBI Director’s Award for Outstanding Investigation and U.S. Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service.
Catch Patrick’s interview on the Netflix series, Trial By Media, he is featured on the “Blago!” episode.
“If you’ve ever been directly accused of something before, more than likely you’ve immediately responded with a denial. We have an instinct to self-preserve, innocent or guilty, our first response is to protect ourselves. In traditional interrogations, investigators often resort to direct accusations early in the conversation. An accusation generally results in an immediate denial and increased resistance from the subject. This also makes the interviewers job more complex, as the subject has now committed to their denial and has to be persuaded otherwise. A more effective approach is to rely on rapport-based, non-confrontational interviews. Initiating a conversation through a discussion of the investigation and the interviewers role, while developing trust through rapport and allowing the subject to make more rational decisions can yield great results. This strategy has proven to obtain more reliable information, develop better community relations and ultimately resolve cases with more credibility. Additionally, when interviews are recorded in their entirety, a non-confrontational interview will provide a transparent perspective into the most ethical way to obtain the truth.”
David Thompson, CFI is a Partner, Vice President of Operations and an instructor with Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates, Inc. (WZ). He is responsible for the day to day operations of WZ, as well as strategic planning in product offerings and the evolution of interview and interrogation content. David has also served as the Director of Investigations for WZ giving him the opportunity to manage a variety of cases while conducting interviews and consulting on investigations ranging from theft and fraud to sexual harassment and homicide. As a speaker for WZ, David has created customized training programs, presented at seminars, hosted a variety of webinars as well as conducted live broadcasts of training. He is also an active member of the International Association of Interviews (IAI) and has contributed blogs, video tips and published several articles to support the continuing education of its members.
“The Emotional Fear-Down Approach is necessary in a real life interrogation or interview scenario. The interrogator should do what they can to properly assess the reasons for the subject’s fear, and find a way to mitigate the subject’s fear that will lead to cooperation on the part of the subject.
The fear mitigation is not normally a formal agreement, or one that even has to be articulated by the interrogator. Instead, the interrogator/interviewer uses verbal and nonverbal behavior to calm the subject. This can include changing physical positions in relation to the subject, using a soothing tone of voice, adopting a more open and non-threatening body posture, kind and affirming facial expressions, projecting a sense of calm, and offering cigarettes and/or some kind of drink.
Psychologically, the interrogator needs to get the subject to view the interrogator as the protector and the source of calm. The interrogator can then use this to elicit gratitude in the subject, and foster cooperation by the subject with the source of his fear reduction. An Emotional Fear-Down Approach can, by itself, create the rapport necessary for the subject to cooperate once pertinent questioning related to investigative objectives begins.”
Scott Mogck is operationally experienced and US Department of Defense certified as a subject matter expert in Interrogation, Counterintelligence and Force Protection Source Operations, Counterinsurgency, and operationally experienced and trained in countering terrorist/criminal networks.
The goal of investigative interviews, whether it is a suspect or a potential witness, is to obtain truthful statements to help further the investigation. The reality is that for a variety of reasons, some people will not be forthcoming about what they know. It could be because they’ve done something wrong. Maybe they’ve done something embarrassing. It could be because they fear being labeled a snitch. Everyone has their own individual motivations for what they do or don’t do. Their motivation for not talking could be any number of reasons, some legitimate, some silly, but either way, it is important to them and its preventing you from getting the information you need.
True empathy is the ability to see and understand what another person is experiencing in any given situation. Empathy for the person in front of you helps your interviews by helping you to identify their motive for not talking. Once that motive is identified, you’re in a better position to persuade them to tell the entire truth despite their inclinations not to.
It’s important here to remember that empathy is different from sympathy. Sympathy is feeling bad for someone’s situation; empathy is about understanding someone else’s perspective. I’ve interviewed hundreds of child molesters for whom I have zero sympathy after what they’ve done. However, I can tell you that many of the confessions I obtained came after an expression of empathy for what they’re going through. A simple “it must be tough having your deepest darkest secret revealed to the world, I would lie too if I was you” has led many offenders to telling me their deepest, darkest secret.
Whenever you find yourself struggling through a difficult interview, try looking at the situation from the other person’s perspective and adjust your strategy accordingly. Over time, I assure you that you’ll see your success rate go up.
Detective Jim Twardesky has worked in law enforcement since 1999, serving as a cadet, patrol officer, field training officer, defensive tactics instructor, & detective. Since 2014, he has served as a detective investigating violent crime, specializing in sexual assault & violent crimes against children. In that capacity, he has investigated hundreds of cases including multiple child homicides and serial rapists.
Since 2017, he has lectured and hosted training seminars regularly at police academies, colleges and professional conferences throughout the State of Michigan on the subjects of sexual assault, child molestation, child abuse & child homicide. He has written articles for PoliceOne.com on those topics as well.
He further serves as an adjunct faculty member for the Macomb Community College Public Service Institute teaching undergraduate criminal justice classes both online & in-person. In addition, he has developed & taught advanced police training seminars for the Macomb Criminal Justice Training Center focusing on child abuse and sexual assault.
Rodshetta grew up in Oakland, California and for years witnessed violence, racial injustice, and poverty in her own community. She also learned the value of hard work, watched small businesses thrive, and learned to appreciate having the opportunity to experience a diverse culture filled with many languages and international foods. She went to the East Coast for college and then returned to her hometown and became an Oakland Police Officer. When asked what she wanted her legacy to be it was easy for her to decide she wanted to dedicate her career to advocating for and inspiring youth. Rodshetta left Oakland in 2010 and transferred to Mountain View Police due to some budget crisis. She made her home in Mountain View for over 8 years. During her time in Mountain View she, not only grew as a police professional, she grew personally and was able to continue her mission to engage the community, educate youth, and advocate for young people. She obtained her Masters Degree in Forensic Psychology and worked various assignments throughout her police career. Rodshetta has been blessed to partner with local technology companies, county agencies, hospital districts, and the school districts. She has been truly blessed in her law enforcement career. Since 2019, she moved to Texas with her family and started another career working for the State as an Investigator. She is still passionate about protecting and inspiring our young people.
Find a reliable interview recording solution that will provide the following:
Founded in 1998, MaestroVision first specialized in broadcast technology providing high-end quality video servers and media asset management to broadcasters.
In 2013, we decided to diversify and offer this smart technology to other markets. Working closely with key collaborators in different sectors, such as law enforcement, justice, education, government, etc., MaestroVision has adapted this technology, offering latest technology solutions applied to different situations.
Our mission is to provide intuitive, innovative and easy-to-use video and audio solutions that are practical and convenient to everyone regardless of their technological experience or expertise.
Our vision is to provide all worldwide businesses and government entities with tools that allow them to simplify the acquisition and management of their audiovisual content.
I am raw html block.
Click edit button to change this html
The current pandemic is pressuring courtroom managers to modify their working methods to protect staff, lawyers and witnesses. To adapt to these new procedures, MaestroVision has developed a new technology which will allow judicial procedures to proceed digitally and “without contact”.
Our courtroom recording system features include:
To experience the application and its functionality for yourself: click here
Read More