How do I prepare to participate in a Zoom meeting?

Prepare

• Add the Zoom meeting in your calendar with 15 minutes of lead time
• Find earbuds or a headset to use on the day of the Zoom meeting
• Schedule to be in a quiet space with strong wifi or internet access but is free of distractions
• Click on the Zoom link invitation and review teacher instructions for the upcoming meeting

Practice

• Join a Zoom Test Meeting to check any computer or device a few days ahead. Remember to download the Zoom launcher/exe (Mac/PC) or App (iOS/Android)
• Practice using the following Zoom features:
  • Locate the Zoom menu, hover your mouse pointer over the bottom Zoom window
  • Practice changing views (top right buttons) 
  • Speaker View: default focuses on the speaker
  • Gallery View: see everyone on camera
  • FullScreen: Maximizes screen
  • Locate the Microphone (mute/unmute) and practice turning it on and off
  • Locate the Video Start/Stop (webcam) and practice turning it on and off
  • Click on Chat (chat bubble) and practice posting questions, comment, and URLs
  • Click on Participants to view is in attendance and also try the raise hand feature 
  • Click on Share Screen to practice sharing your computer screen while presenting while presenting
• Contact SSU IT Help Desk to resolve any technical issues if your test run fails
• If you have a disability and need an accommodation such as captioning, please contact the SSU DSS office ten (10) business days ahead to schedule the appropriate accommodation/services.

15-Minutes Before Joining the Zoom Class Meeting

• Find a quiet space with a strong WIFI or internet access but is free of distractions
• Plug your earbuds or headset into your computer or device and place them on
• Click on the Zoom link, then click on the Join Meeting button
• Wait for the Zoom download and launcher to start
• If prompted join audio by computer and turn on the camera 

During the Zoom Class Meeting

• Mute (off) or Unmute (on) the microphone; be ready to turn on (unmute) the microphone only when it’s your turn to speak, otherwise keep it on Mute.
• Turn on your webcam (Start Video)
• Click on the Chat bubble to ask questions and keep up with the class back-channel discussion. Enter URL links to share links to websites. Pay attention and respond to questions in the chat window when prompted by the instructor or presenter.
• Contribute to the discussion, give feedback, and ask questions verbally or post them in the chat window 
• Click on Participants to view who else is in attendance and also locate the Raise Hand feature
• Be ready to share your screen. If called upon to present, click on Share Screen, then select what you wish to share (desktop recommended). When done, click on Stop Sharing to allow the next person to start sharing. The Share Your Screen page on the Zoom website lists additional information about sharing with various devices.  

At the End of Class

• Click on the Leave Meeting
• Before leaving the meeting, save the crowd-sourced information from the Chat window, click the overflow menu (...) and save chat posts to reference later (optional)
• Schedule follow up assignments and clean up your notes

Etiquette and On-Camera Tips

• Prepare for presentations or debates: Have your slides, resources, assignments, or links ready to screen share or paste links into chat.  
• Lighting your face more brightly than the background makes it easier to see you.
• Keeping your head high in the picture frame conveys confidence. 
• Dress appropriately: you are being seen!  
• Physical movement and facial expressions matter, just as in a face-to-face context. 
• Mics pick up ambient noise, so it’s best to keep your microphone muted until you're ready to speak.
• Remember that when on-camera, other activities such as eating, drinking, flossing your teeth, and shuffling papers are extremely unflattering and distracting.
• If you can't use video, upload a nice profile image of your face to your Zoom Account