LOOKING YOUR BEST
Use natural light
Make sure you open your blinds or curtains and then invest in some daylight bulbs. They really do look different. Don’t sit with your back to your light source. Either have it facing you or to the side.
Place your camera
If you’re using a laptop you won’t have thought of this. Place your camera at eye level. This means using some books, a box or anything that raises the camera. Remember you will look at your students’ faces on the screen, not the camera for most of the time and this subtle difference in height can increase their attention.
What are you wearing?
It may sound obvious, but running in from the garden covered in mud isn’t going to work. Remember this is school online, so dress close to what you would usually teach in at that time of year. If it was appropriate for the real classroom, it will more than likely be appropriate on video.
What are they wearing?
Make sure you communicate that your students need to consider this as well. I’m not suggesting a school uniform, but making the effort will (hopefully) make them more attentive and take it seriously.
Check yourself
You wouldn’t go to school without looking in the mirror, so don’t go online without checking either. Keep your routine similar to a work morning, even though you are at home. Then, if you are worried, use Photobooth (Apple) or Camera App (Windows) to check your image before you start the lesson.
Check your background
The last thing you want a student to see is last night’s takeaway boxes and a half drunk bottle of wine. So, choose a neutral background such as a plain wall, that is bright and classroom-like.
Off by default
Make sure your video and audio are turned off by default. Just in case your young children cause chaos right before the lesson, you will be able to control your picture and sound, only meeting the student(s) when the chaos has been diffused. Talking of audio, it might be warm outside, but open windows can bring unwanted sound to the lesson. If you typically live on a busy street, remember that the sound will travel into your mic. So, choose your quietest room and if possible keep the windows and doors shut.
MAKE YOUR ZOOM MEETINGS MORE PERSONAL
When you enter a ZOOM meeting – particularly with a large group, class or team – it’s probable that the most common greeting is ‘how are you doing?’ After a while this can become disingenuous and potentially falter the beginning of the session. Why not start in a different way, as Jane Dutton, professor of business administration and psychology at the University of Michigan suggests? Ask every participant to write in the chat box one word that describes how they are feeling today. Then during a minute’s silence, ask the participants to read through those words. People will feel more connected immediately.
A TIP YOU MAY NOT KNOW
You can use the spacebar to unmute yourself in Zoom. This gives you the option of remaining muted and then pressing the spacebar – like a walkie talkie – whenever you want to speak.
3 NEW FEATURES TO MAKE ZOOM MORE SECURE
In May, due to a massive increase in popularity and many security loopholes such as the infamous ‘zoombombing’, three new features were announced.
1. Passwords will now be required for all meetings. Only guests with a password can access the meeting.
2. Waiting Rooms will be turned on by default. Hosts will have to accept attendees to keep the meeting secure.
3. Screen Sharing by the host only turned on by default. At the start of the meeting only the host will be able to share a screen.
Find more on our #CanDoMusic page here
.