Keys To Success

Equipping Your Classroom for Learning

To receive the full benefit of the Video school, use the following keys to unlock the door to your successful Christian school.

Key 1—Adequate Staffing

There is no substitute for an on-site teacher experienced in traditional classroom instruction; however, the number of teachers and helpers may vary with the size of your school.

  1. Plan for one teacher and one helper for every 20–25 students

    Early in the school year, the helper should spend mornings with the kindergarten students teaching them the basic habits of paying attention, listening, and following directions. Later less time can be spent with the children as they learn to follow the video teacher.
  2. Utilize others outside your classroom

    Given proper guidance by the on-site teacher, a mother or a lady from the church makes an excellent helper.
  3. Utilize your students

    Under supervision of the on-site teacher, a student can monitor the video progress in each class, as well as distribute and collect homework, seatwork, and test papers.
  4. Plan for your teachers’ education

    The annual Summer Seminar at Pensacola Christian College provides a valuable source of training in philosophy and methods that make a successful A Beka Academy Video school. All new video school teachers are urged to attend.

Key 2—Proper Classroom Atmosphere

The most successful school programs are those which from the beginning have set out to establish a traditional classroom atmosphere that is conducive to learning and which requires student participation and accountability. It is of great importance that the classroom be prepared for efficient operation and control so that learning can take place in an orderly manner

  1. Give proper attention to video teacher

    The video teacher should be considered by your school staff and students as though she were actually present in your classroom, in person, to teach that class.
  2. Determine best placement of desks

    Arrange students’ desks for maximum attention to the teacher and minimum distraction from other students.

Key 3—Right Classroom Equipment

“The right tool for the job” is a saying that holds true for how you plan to equip your classroom for maximum learning. The following is a list of suggested equipment:

  1. DVD
    • Recommended minimum 20” TV
    • DVD Player should be DVD9 compatible or higher
  2. Streaming
    • Recommended minimum 20” viewing screen; PC Monitor, PC with TV out, TV with PC input; or a projector (Individual student’s streaming requires individual computer for each student.)
    • Requires high speed Internet access
    • The number of classes that can be viewed on different computers at the same time is dependent upon the internet download speed. 1 Mbps of download speed is recommended per class when viewing lessons simultaneously; please refer to the chart below. Please note that the download speed is determined by the internet service provider, not the A Beka Academy website.

      To test your download speed, click here and then click “Begin Test.”
        Students
        1 2 3 4 5 6
      6.0+ Mbps (6,000+ Kbps)
      3.0 Mbps (3,000 Kbps)
      1.5 Mbps (1,544 Kbps)
      768 Kbps
      		 
      Bandwidth OK for this number of students
      Should work, but will not provide optimal viewing experience
      Not recommended; playback may be low quality and/or choppy
  3. Sound Control

    If your school is in one large room that is divided into several individual class areas, the dividers should be made of a sound-absorbing acoustical material. (Plywood dividers that have been carpeted provide a practical solution.) Carpeting on the floor also helps to absorb sound. Individual student headphones (optional) are successful in eliminating most outside sound and keeping the student’s attention on the teacher—and they are inexpensive and easy to use. A TV with an earphone or headphone jack can accommodate a 4-, 6-, or 8-headphone volume control jack box that allows the student to select a comfortable listening level. If the TV does not have an earphone or headphone jack, a headphone amplifier unit will need to be connected to the audio output of the video player. These amplifier units typically have 4 or 6 built-in headphone jacks, so a headphone jack box would not be necessary unless additional headphones need to be connected to a single TV for a larger class. If a student is using stereo headphones with a mono headphone jack box or headphone amplifier unit, they will hear audio in only one ear. This can be corrected using a ¼" mono-to-stereo adaptor. Additionally, an adaptor would be needed if the students’ headphones come with a mini-plug connector.
  4. A Teacher Lectern for each class(helpful for laying out manuals for easy reference)
  5. Student Desks—one per student