Online Callan Classroom Version 2 is here!

The Online Callan Classroom (OCC) is specifically designed to make group or one-to-one online Callan Method lessons as close as possible to the traditional offline classroom experience.  The bespoke Callan features mean that the OCC is much more than just a video call platform.

Keyboard-controlled prompting

• no need to interrupt the flow from question to prompt by using names
• just hit the space bar and the OCC will prompt a random student, favouring the ones who have participated the least so far; this means that you don’t need to worry about question distribution, as the OCC will take care of everything for you and make sure that all students get an equal number of questions.
• the selected student’s screen will light up (outlined in red) to let them know it’s their turn to answer
• if you want to, you can select a particular student by hitting one of the number keys from 1 to 0, corresponding to students 1 to 10, or by clicking on their thumbnail image

Muting

• when one student is prompted, the other students’ microphones are muted
• the teacher can also mute and unmute all students at any time by hitting the “M” key

Automatic question counter

• tracks how many questions each student has answered
• allows you to easily regulate question distribution (if you have selected any students manually at any point), making sure everyone gets their fair share

Teacher’s eBooks incorporated into the platform

• the teacher’s focus is always on the screen
• no need to juggle between different windows
• select the relevant book and enter the page number that you want
• turn the pages by using the up and down arrows on your keyboard

Built-in demonstration charts

• a full range of clickable demonstration charts, including all of the pages from the printed Demonstration Charts, plus an extra classroom chart designed for beginners’ classes
• switch between pages by using the left and right arrows on your keyboard
• the teacher can point to any item, and students can do the same when required

Built-in class progress tracking

• manage classes easily – record progress and mark student attendance
• makes it easy to swap classes between teachers – all the details are on the system

Chat box

• open by hitting the “C” key and close by hitting the “esc” key
• messages appear on screen for a few moments with no need to open the chat box

Lesson timer

• the teacher can keep an eye on the timer while remaining focused on the screen

The branded, professional online environment of the OCC tells your students that you are using the best possible tool for their online Callan lessons.  The OCC can even be co-branded with your own logo.

No download or installation necessary!  Students and teachers enter the OCC by simply clicking on a link in their email.

Here’s what Accredited Schools have been saying about the OCC

“Yesterday, I ran my first complete lesson with OCC and it worked like a charm. Audio and video much cleaner than other platforms I´ve been using these past weeks.”

“Very pleased that the online classes were able to take place with the level of professionalism our students have come to expect from Callan”

“Thanks, CMO, for providing us with great tools, which make our working from home possible, efficient and fun.”

“The resources available on the Online Classroom have been bringing my students and me very near-to-classroom experiences in our online meetings.  The prompt tool is clever and easy to use, and the classroom chart was very well thought of.”

“With the Callan books on the screen, I never have to look away, so I look more professional. The demo charts are very handy – don´t need to fumble around pointing the pictures at the camera. All in all, very cool platform.”

“Not only was I able to carry on working, I was also able to continue expanding my business.  New students keep coming, and it is easy to show them the potential of our teaching with this custom made platform.”

Over the summer we have continued to optimise the OCC platform infrastructure. As a result, from 1^st October, we are able to pass on the cost savings by reducing the price of the OCC by 30%.

Plus we will be providing a FREE set of Teacher’s eBooks to each Accredited for Online school!

One of the useful features of the OCC is the integration of Teacher’s eBooks into the teacher’s classroom interface.  This means that the teacher can remain focused on the screen at all times, which is important in maintaining the pace and flow of the lesson.

However, it is still very important that teachers are well prepared for their lessons and are familiar with the material so we strongly encourage teachers to look through the Teacher’s Books before and after lessons, outside the classroom.  A teacher who tries to simply read from the book during the lesson without preparing beforehand will not be a good Callan teacher!

The FREE Teacher’s eBooks will allow teachers to prepare for their lessons outside the Classroom, through their Callan App.  The eBooks are searchable, enabling teachers quickly to find and review any specific sections of grammar or vocabulary where they need some support.  Non-native English and Spanish teachers can also check and  improve their own pronunciation, as the eBooks have audio embedded along with the text.

The school can distribute the eBook log-ins to three different accounts, allowing teachers to share the eBooks just as they might share a set of printed books kept in a staff room in a physical school.

We believe that the best way to teach with the Callan Method online is with the Online Callan Classroom.  Now, schools or teachers who commit to using the OCC for their online lessons can become Accredited for Online; they can use the new Accredited for Online logo and we will list them on our official website.

All Callan Accredited Schools and Registered Teachers are already meeting our standards of teaching quality.  Therefore we will automatically award Accreditation for Online to any Callan Accredited School or Registered Teacher who chooses to use the OCC.   There is no additional cost apart from the OCC usage fees – no extra Fixed or Variable Accreditation fees.

Contact cmo@callan.co.uk to discuss the details.

We have developed a new Training Course for Online Training.

This is a 35-hour course for teachers who are planning to work with the Callan Method exclusively online. It will cover everything needed to deliver effective lessons using the Online Callan Classroom (OCC), our teaching platform which has been uniquely tailored for the Callan Method.

Please note: this course is not intended for those who will be teaching offline. In order for you to begin teaching offline at a later date, you may need to complete our Practical Teaching Skills – One-Day Workshop.

The Training Course for Online Teaching is delivered online through the OCC over a period of 7 to 10 days, with the timetable arranged according to the availability of the participants.

For more details please see the Training section of the website or email international@callan.co.uk.