What norms do I need to consider?
Do you have any suggestions for general best online teaching practices?
Can I test my internet connection before a Zoom meeting?
Do I want to see myself on the screen as I teach? Or do I want to hide myself so that only my students see me as I teach?
Can I take attendance in Zoom?
I would like to teach using dual monitors. How can I do this?
How can I change my notification settings in Zoom?
Can I turn off the “Your meeting attendee is waiting” notification message?
How do I ensure that students who need accommodation with the Zoom format receive the appropriate support?

What norms do I need to consider?

UNO Digital Learning Team developed the Keep Teaching site and is a great resource for best practices for online pedagogy. Additionally, here are a few basics to consider:

Norms: Follow the same norms that that you have already established in your physical classroom. In addition, watch and share this humorous video that Harvard's Division of Continuing Studies developed for “student do’s and don’ts in Zoom.”
Communicate: Have a conversation with students about norms, e.g. enter the classroom with your mic turned off. Don’t underestimate impact of this sudden disruption.
Screen view: Everyone changes their screen view setting to their full name, think of this as the equivalent of the student’s name card.
Dress appropriately: Remind students that they need to be appropriately dressed (at least from the waist up).
Class interactions: Explain at the beginning of class how you expect students to interact e.g. wait to be called on, unmute themselves, tell students in advance that you plan to cold call etc..
Chat Function: Establish norms around chatting. Faculty can control chat settings. However, some instructors find the chat function useful as a different way of encouraging interaction. Chat can also be helpful for bringing in more voices especially those who are not native English speakers.
Recording: Remind students that the class is being recorded so they should be mindful of their comments. Make this announcement at the beginning of each session.
Inadvertent Dropped Out of Meeting: Remind students to jot down the meeting invitation number and phone number in case they get disconnected or need to switch to audio only.

Do you have any suggestions for general best online teaching practices?

Here are a few basics to keep in mind.

Different mindset: Keep in mind that teaching online requires a different mindset. As you lecture you won’t be able to glance around the classroom to see people’s reactions or take questions. Think actively about how you will manage this norm.
Use names: When you call on people, use their name so say, “Mary, what do you think about…?” This will help create connection which is especially important during this time of social distancing.
Plan ahead: Remind students to take a quick tour of Zoom and test their devices.
Be patient and kind: Expect challenges but also be open to unexpected opportunities that may occur with this format.
Take a temperature check: Consider taking a few minutes at the beginning or end of class to see how students are doing generally. It is a stressful time.

Can I test my internet connection before a Zoom meeting?

Yes, go to this page to test your internet connection.

Do I want to see myself on the screen as I teach? Or do I want to hide myself so that only my students see me as I teach?

Deciding whether to see yourself on your screen as you teach is a personal preference. You can hide your image by going to the three dots at the right hand top corner of your picture and choose the “hide self view” option.

Can I take attendance in Zoom?

Yes, you can take attendance. Please contact TLC for detailed information on the options for tracking attendance.

I would like to teach using dual monitors. How can I do this?

You can enable the dual screen mode in Zoom. (Once you have enabled these settings in your Zoom client account the settings should save for the pre-scheduled Canvas Zoom meetings.) Here is a reminder about how to share your screen.

How can I change my notification settings in Zoom?

Go to unomaha.zoom.us, sign in. Go to settings, email notifications, and turn off the notification “When attendees join meeting before host”. The faculty can customize receiving other notifications in settings as well.

Can I turn off the “Your meeting attendee is waiting” notification message?

Yes. You can turn these off by going to unomaha.zoom.us. Sign in , go to settings, email notifications, and turn off the notification “When attendees join meeting before host”.

How do I ensure that students who need accommodation with the Zoom format receive the appropriate support?

Students in need of accommodation or assistance with accommodations should continue to work with Accessibility Services Center.

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