Now that online teaching is the norm, many teachers are turning to Zoom. It's an amazing resource, but it can be daunting if you've never tried it before. We are here to help you. That is why we have created a "Zoom for Teachers" guide with which you can rock a virtual Caribbean background in no time.
Typically, the free "Basic" version of Zoom is limited to 40 minutes for three or more participants. Now K-12 students and teachers can receive unlimited minutes of meetings. Go to zoom.us and click the "Sign up, it's free" button. Enter your school email address. You will then receive an email from Zoom with a button to activate your account and ... voilà!
First, download Zoom Client and install it on your device. You can do this on your phone, tablet, laptop or all of the above devices!
Open it and take some time to browse around. Clicking the orange button to start a new meeting is a great way to test audio and video.
Note: Schedule a practice meeting with a colleague or family member so that you can practice screen sharing and use the chat feature. This way you can solve all problems before you can start with your students!
As soon as you feel comfortable, you can plan your first meeting. Do this in the app, online or in your learning management system and send the link to your students.
Make sure you have adjusted your settings so that the meeting does not start until the host starts it and only the presenter can share the screen.
When everyone logs in for the first time, you should spend some time making sure that all audio and video data works. It's also a good idea to check the etiquette and expectations of video conferencing.
Now you can continue with the class as normal (or as normal as possible!). You can share the screen or use a document camera. You may want to mute all participants as soon as you start teaching (you can also set your meeting to mute when you go to Settings). Students can use the chat box for questions (this is also a great way to participate).
You may want to press the record button so that students can access the session later. In some school districts, the video must be recorded for child safety reasons. Make sure your cloud sharing is enabled in your settings. You can always find your recordings at zoom.us/recording. Pro Tip: If you click "Registration Required" while sharing the recorded meeting, you can see who viewed it.
Do you have that under control? Try out some of these fun features:
Do you have your own zoom tips for teachers? Come and share them in our WeAreTeachers helpline group on Facebook.
Would you like to further improve your zoom game? Check out this remote work boot camp. It's free for teachers.
Plus, the pros and cons of teaching online.
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