Online teaching became the fallback when schools could not meet in person. The question here is not whether it matches classroom instruction; it is how to make the mechanics work, especially for lessons that depend on writing on a board.
Choosing the software
There are plenty of platforms for running online classes, so there is no need to list them all. Tencent Classroom Teacher Express Edition is a workable option. Tencent released this version specifically for pandemic-era teaching. Its core features cover a normal lesson: students join by clicking a link the teacher shares. Teachers can run it on Windows or Mac. Students can attend in six ways: Windows desktop student app, Mac desktop app, web browser, Android app, iPhone, and iPad.
For subjects that do not need much board work—humanities, for example—the writing can be prepared in slides ahead of time. Math, physics, and chemistry are different. They need frequent handwritten steps during class. A dedicated writing tablet can help, and online-teaching tablets cost around 200 yuan. There are two drawbacks. The writing experience is not very good, and the handwriting appears only on the computer screen. Once online teaching ends, the tablet has little use.
A whiteboard route built around an iPad
Hardware: a Windows or Mac computer and an iPad.
Software: an iPad handwriting app such as Suishouxie or CollaNote, plus Airserver or another screen-mirroring tool. Airserver is paid software for Windows and Mac with a 30-day free trial. In most cases, 30 days should be enough. The paid license is not expensive. Some people also look for TNT online.
The workflow is straightforward. Run the class in the computer client as usual. When board writing is needed, open the handwriting app on the iPad and mirror the iPad screen to the computer through Airserver. Because the computer screen is already shared with students, they can see the mirrored iPad screen too. At that point, write directly on the iPad.
Older iPads can handle handwriting for ordinary classroom scenarios. For higher requirements, an iPad update may be needed. iPads from 2018 onward support Apple Pencil, so writing with a pen is possible. Apple Pencil is not cheap. Unless there is a need for precise image editing, a capacitive stylus from Taobao is also a good choice.
