Web Conferencing
Video makes learning easier (we communicate a surprising amount through expression). Making a human connection through video is also hugely helpful to students' development. You don't have to, though. Perhaps it's your current location or your tech, but there are plenty of reasons why some web conferences will not use your camera.
All sessions must be recorded. Many students will not be able to attend, so access to what they've missed will be needed. The recording is also a means of accountability for everyone's safety. We must protect our students' privacy so any web conference recording needs to be approved if you want to share it publicly for any reason.
Things will fail. If a service is down, fire up a difference conference, copy the join information and send it out over email and Hangouts. Even though we're using Zoom as our school's primary conference tool, we have several other options waiting in the wings. If a student is struggling and you're running out of time, assure the student of a recorded copy of the meeting and proceed. Or let's say you're struggling to host a web conference, ask a TA to host it and invite everyone (and also provide you with a copy of the recorded session).
The best educational benefit to a web conference is your ability to share your screen. Your whiteboard is your screen! Walk through your slides. Go over your latest assignment on the portal. Ask questions.
Pro Tip: Windows users should use Sticky Notes and Mac users Stickies. Now you can takes notes as a class on the fly.
The most common problem with a Google Meet is enabling your microphone and camera. That goes here:
If you're able, everything is much easier if you schedule a Meet in advance using Google Calendar. When you create a new event, just add these four items
Title
Date & time
Add conferencing
Invite students
If you scheduled an event on Google Calendar, use the link in that calendar event to get to the Meet I
If you've already
Recorded sessions provide a resources for students that weren't there, and a record of student behavior should something unexpected and unfortunate occur.
Press the Present now button in the bottom right hand corner of your menu. Sometimes the button can be covered up by your list of participants. If that's the problem, just click elsewhere to hide that menu.
Mac Users The first time you try this, you'll need to authorize Chrome to be able to record your screen. After you check the box in the security options, it will require you to restart your browser.
I recommend sharing your entire screen rather than sharing a single application. Your share is more controlled by showing a single application, but you would then need to change what you're sharing if you wanted to move to a different app.
WebEx is an alternative to Google Meet and Zoom. It's similar to Zoom but much less friendly. Still, it gives us much more control than Google Meet. Downloaded clients are required. It also has some convenient options if you're using a Cisco phone system at school, like making phone calls to parents without using your cell number.
High risk for students? Please feel free to use Webex in your class if your students have no issues connecting and managing the install. But, you might say, should those struggling students need to learn how to manage their tech sooner or later? Sure, but if real-time communication with your students is on the line, you want the simplest solution to assure you can reach the class... then build from there. Google Meet using your student's G Suite for Education account is pleasantly easy.
In the Google Meet section, I shared, I showed you how to I Yeah, you can do the same thing but with Webex.
Teams connects with your phone. Meetings hosts web conferences. They're separate installs on your phone and computer.
Want more of this page? Have feedback? If you see an error or have a suggestion, please submit a response to this short form.
