Midlothian schools can now host live video sessions safely and securely within Glow. Using the app, Google Meet, for live sessions the staff at Hawthornden want to connect with your child as part of their learning or to help them connect with their classmates.

Here is advice is from the Digital Learning Team at Midlothian Council and Hawthornden to help parents and children know what to do.

Live Video Sessions – Advice for Parents and Carers

To protect your own family’s privacy and that of others, we ask that participation in online meetings is kept to your child, their class and teacher(s).

Supporting Your Child

In addition to the tips provided on the ’Advice for Pupils’, which will be shared on your child’s Google Classroom, please support your child by considering the following points:

• Position the computer/device in a room where you can monitor their activity, preferably not a bedroom.
• Remind your child that they need to behave appropriately in online lessons following our school rules – be safe, be fair, work hard, and showing our PRIDE values. Encourage them to be polite and respectful during the call. Be aware that inappropriate behaviour may result in your child being removed from the meeting and a follow-up discussion with school staff.
• Your child may need support in setting up a video call, connecting their headphones, if they have them, and selecting the camera.  Audio and camera settings can be adjusted and previewed before joining the meeting.

Connecting to a Meeting

The link to join the online meeting will only be made available a few minutes before the scheduled start time. This will be available inside Google Classroom.

Getting in Touch

If you have any concerns about the use of Google Meet please contact your school.

For technical questions, or to enquire about the loan of a Chromebook to support your family with online learning, please contact your child’s class teacher or Barbara Lindsay (B.Lindsay@mgfl.net) who works on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

 

Live Video Sessions – Advice for Pupils

 

Midlothian schools can now host live video sessions safely and securely within GLOW which means we can now do this at Hawthornden using Google Meet, an app in Google Classroom.

Your teachers may want to connect with you as part of your learning or to help you connect with your classmates.  Here is some advice from the Digital Learning Team at Hawthornden.

Getting Ready

Using live video is inviting someone into your home. You need to think carefully about the view from your web camera and how you are set up at home for learning online. Here are some tips:

• Be dressed suitably
  Be dressed as you would be happy to be seen outside of your home.
• Sit with your back towards a wall
  This will reduce how much of your home is in the camera frame. Don’t have your back towards a window if you can avoid it.
• Turn off other distractions
  Try to find a space which is quiet. We know that this might not always be easy to do.
• Use headphones
  If you have headphones, use them. You might need to change the meeting settings to hear through your headphones.
• Place your device somewhere steady
  Have your device on a stable surface rather than your knees. Find a spot to place your device which is comfortable for you.
• Be ready to learn
  Have some paper or your jotter to hand with something to write with. This will allow you to take notes if you need to. You could also use a digital tool to take notes, such as Google Docs.

Connecting to Your Meeting

• Your teacher will set a time for your meeting in Google Classroom. This is also where you will find the link for the meeting when it starts. Your teacher will be the first person in the meeting room and will be the last person to leave it.
• Mute your microphone before you enter the meeting. You can also switch off your camera if you wish.
• When joining, click ‘Join Now’ to enter the call. Don’t click Present.

During Your Meeting

• Once connected, listen carefully to your teacher. You can use the text chat to ask questions or unmute your microphone and ask your question.  You should mute your mic again after you have asked your questions.
• In your Meet, be kind and considerate of other people. The Meet is just like being in school and you need to behave appropriately. Follow our school rules – be safe, be fair, work hard, and show our PRIDE values. Your teacher may remove you from the meeting if you don’t do so. If you are removed from a meeting, then your teacher or a member of senior staff may discuss this with you and your parents/carers.
• When the call is complete, disconnect by clicking the red ‘Hang Up’ / ‘End Call’ button.