Some students hate being on camera. Others hate typing their thoughts out in real time. With Zoom, you can give students options that will work for their strengths and learning preferences.

• Chat Storm: Have students type a response to a question, but have them hit "enter" all at the same time to create a chat "storm." This way, students are not singled out to participate, and you can get a quick formative check for understanding.

• Emojis: Zoom allows for participants to choose emojis and symbols that will appear in the upper corner of their video windows. With this feature, students can react to what you say, raise hands, give a thumbs up for understanding, and more.

Sometimes, Zoom sessions feel less personal than a traditional classroom. But, there are some things you can do to help students feel at ease and have some fun before or during class:

• Virtual Backgrounds: Have students choose fun backgrounds for their video screens. They could be seasonal, related to class topics, or just for fun.

• Before Class Chat: Some instructors open their Zoom sessions early but do not join themselves until class time. This gives students the opportunity to chat with each other as they wait for class to begin.

• Show and Tell: Let students show off a pet, kid, or something else they'd like to share from their home environment. Students love to see faculty members share a bit of their personalities and home life, too!

Breakout rooms can be a great tool to aid with collaboration, participation, and group work in your courses. Zoom allows hosts to pop in and out of breakout rooms to check on student work. Use this feature along side one of these collaboration tools, and you'll be able to follow along with your students as they complete activities in their breakout rooms.