Communicate, be flexible, and have a Plan B!
When entering class each hour, start class with ensuring your students can all see and hear you.
This will ensure that each site can see and hear you. If there is a technical issue, it is important to catch it at the beginning of class so that students don’t lose out on instruction. The faster it is caught, the faster it can be fixed.
Watch students for body language or comments that might relay a technical problem.
Examples: 1. You begin class and students at a site are still nonchalantly talking among themselves. This might indicate that they cannot hear or see you and do not know that class has begun. 2. When asking a question, one site appears to be quiet, but you notice their mouths moving. This might indicate they have the microphone muted but they are unaware it is muted.
Remember that students are not always aware when a technical issue occurs.
If students enter the room one day and the screen is black, they are most likely going to wait a period of time before realizing there is something wrong.
Before beginning class, make sure that you can see the receiving classrooms at the appropriate camera angle.
If a camera is pointed to the ceiling or other angle, ask students/facilitator to adjust their camera. Often, students do not realize they are not being seen. Or it could indicate that students purposely adjusted the camera. If the latter is the case, then they need to be warned and reprimanded on second offense.
While teaching, check your monitor to be sure students are seeing what you want them to.
Especially when switching between video and document camera or computer, check often to make sure what they are seeing is correct.
If students are not seeing the correct picture during instruction, this can cause confusion and lack of concentration on the instruction being given.
To avoid technical issues during class, be sure to check equipment before beginning class.
Make sure that equipment is turned on…including document camera, monitors, computers, etc…
If anything acts or looks "off" restart it.
Report an issue as soon as it occurs!
Have a list of contacts in the event something isn't working.
The faster an issue is reported, the faster it can be fixed and continue with class.
If a technical issue occurs, contact receiving sites.
Have receiving site’s information on-hand during every class.
If there is no connection at all, call or email the school(s) and facilitator(s) so that they are aware of the situation.
If there is a connection but no audio, then write a note on the document camera.
If there is a connection with only audio, then let the students know about the issue.
Have back-up assignment or “busy work” ready for students if technical issues occur.
With every form of technology, there are bound to be at least small technical issues…be prepared!
At the beginning of the semester, send facilitators extra homework that can be done without teacher guidance and relates to the course. When an issue occurs and you inform the receiving sites of technical issues, assign this homework so that they are still participating in the class time. This homework could have a “did-you-do” grade.
Know what you have in your setup: Camera, computer, document camera, any other peripherals
Whenever something isn't working the way it should, restart your cloud client or your computer. Or unplug and plug back in cameras and other external hardware.
Be familiar with your cloud client interface.
How to start the call and end the call.
Switch between cameras (if applicable).
How to mute your microphone and video.
How to share your screen.
Be familiar with remote and computer(if one is connected)
Mute button: mutes your site only (icon will display on bottom of screen when muted)
Camera angle: zoom in or out the picture
Arrows: move your picture up/down/left/right
Presets (Polycom): adjust camera to desired area, then hold down a number until bottom of screen states preset stored. Keep a cheat-sheet of presets stored if using several.
Typically, #1 is the teacher’s basic teaching area. #2 is the student’s basic area.
Press the number once to go to desired preset.
Camera button (Polycom): Let’s you switch between student & teacher cameras as well as go to document or computer content
Content button (Polycom): Instantly sends content (doc camera or computer)
Press once to send content, press again when done to turn off content and go back to teacher camera.
Near control button (Polycom): allows you to adjust settings at your site
Far control button (Polycom): allows you to adjust the layout of multiple sites
After using Far control always be sure to press the near button so that you have control of the near site again.
Occasionally when something doesn't work, something as simple as a power supply getting accidentally shut off can be the issue.
Know how your system turns on. Some rooms have separate power switches that need to be turned on for your equipment to power on.