If you are using Zoom for online, distance, virtual learning than tools like Share Screen, Whiteboard, and Annotations are great components to consider adding as part of your overall engagement strategy in your virtual classroom.
I hope this blog is a start to help you make the most of your tool. If your school is using Zoom for Online Learning, you can increase student engagement by getting them actively involved in the learning process.
Let’s say you want students to engage in a warm-up activity or brainstorming session, share your Whiteboard and have students annotate the screen. In the video above, I walk you through how to Share you screen, whiteboard or annotate in Zoom. I also explain how to do this from the student's (participants') end.
One thing I love using the whiteboard feature for in Zoom is Graffiti Walls. These are great for any ages Pre-K- 12 (and even adults). Students can do this with you in the main meeting room, or they can do this on their own in breakout rooms.
The great thing about Zoom is you can do this same thing when you are sharing your screen. Let’s say you want to share your Google Slides presentation or Powerpoint, or ANYTHING (even a Youtube video). So long as the annotation tool is on.
Please note that when sharing an Application like Google Slides or anything else, , if you go to your next slide, the annotations will follow. So if it is an annotation you need to save, be sure to save it (and you can even prompt students to save it, and then clear the board before going to the next slide. To save, click the download Save button on the toolbar all the way on the right. It will save by default on your Zoom folder on your desktop.
It will take time for you and your students to get comfortable using these tools but overtime it will become second-nature just like writing on a chalkboard. I have created Quick Reference Guide that you can use and/or share with your students to give them visual instructions on how to do this.
This guide is available for download below.
The small extra time it will take to download these guides and send them to your students will save you tons of time down the road not having to repeat instructions over and over again.
So that’s a brief overview of a great way to get students engaged in your virtual classroom. Try it out in your live sessions and let me know how it goes by commenting below.