Green Decorative Wheat

Remote Teaching Checklist

Know Your Technical Support Options

  • How to get Zoom Support
    • Consult 萝莉社's Zoom pages for information
    • Consult for other information
    • Submit a for technial problems
    • Identify friends, family, peers who can provide technical support and guidance

Initial Setup Tasks

  • Check your Zoom or other account
  • Ensure your software is up-to-date
    • Open your Zoom app, look for 鈥渃heck for updates鈥� in the dropdown menu, apply any necessary updates
  • Prepare your broadcast space
    • Set up in a place you can control distractions such as unwanted noise
    • Ensure you have adequate lighting with your primary light source in front of you, not behind you
    • Set your camera at eye level or slightly above
    • Locate a microphone and test with your system
      • AirPods, iPhone earbuds, etc. work well with many systems
      • Purchase a microphone if necessary ($100 is a good price point)
    • Ensure durable connectivity
      • If possible, use an ethernet cable rather than WiFi for your connection
  • Consider security
    • If HIPAA compliance is necessary, investigate your web conferencing interface carefully
      • Zoom offers a HIPAA compliant version, but the 鈥渞egular鈥� Zoom Pro license is not HIPAA compliant
    • If using Zoom, plan to ensure Zoom security
      • Set up a waiting room for your Zoom class
      • Consider only allowing 鈥渧erified users鈥� in your session
      • Restrict video and screen sharing in the defaults
  • Get Comfortable
    • Test new systems with a peer until you feel comfortable

One Hour/Thirty Minutes Before Each Class

  • Maximize your internet strength and consistency
  • Shut off any apps/systems that use an internet connection for the duration of your time online. This includes other people in your household using streaming services like Netflix and internet gaming.
  • If connectivity seems to be a problem, try running a speed test at .
    • Speeds necessary to run your call vary by system, but can be used as guidelines
  • Test the system
    • Login to the web conferencing program you are using (eg: Zoom, Collaborate, etc.)
    • Test microphone and camera, including uncovering your camera
    • Test the Share Screen function to ensure your PowerPoint, software, or other materials share properly
  • Prepare to teach
    • Locate and communicate your supporting digital materials
      • Open up any PowerPoints you intend to use
      • Locate all other digital documents you plan to reference/hand out
      • Communicate with students about what materials they should have on hand, and provide them if necessary
  • Plan for student interactivity and engagement in your class session with at least one interactive element per class session. EG:
    • Load in any polls you plan to use
    • Plan how you will use breakout rooms for smaller-group discussions
    • Plan how you will choose students to call on during the session (eg: randomly? By alphabet? Pre-assigned?)
    • Identify 鈥淐hat Questions鈥� you can post in chat for session-long comment.
    • Plan to use an icebreaker, even with established classes. 
  • Check your dress and visage
    • No heavily patterned clotings such as shirts, ties, scarfs
    • Remove eyeglasses if not necessary to see during the session
    • Make any other necessary adjustments
  • Turn off distractions
    • Shut your door
    • Mute your phone
    • Turn off computer apps like Outlook and Messages/texting
    • Tell others in your space that you should not be disturbed

During Class

  • Set expectations and make recommendations
    • Encourage, but do not require, students to use their video/camera
    • Encourage students to use 鈥済allery view鈥� interface
    • Ask students to mute unless they are speaking
    • Explain to students how you would like questions to be asked (eg: unmute and interrupt you, put them in the chat, save them for the end)
    • Communicate any other expectations and recommendations
  • Presentation Skills
    • Look at the camera, not at the screen when possible
    • Do not self-denigrate when you have technical problems or are unsure how to do something technical in your class. 
      • Everyone experiences these sorts of problems, so model acceptance and openness to learning new skills
    • Only share your screen when necessary for context/content. Otherwise, rely on your video feed of your face
      • Tip: humans are naturally drawn to and mimic faces, not PowerPoint slides
    • Use student/attendee names when possible
    • Take advantage of the medium by sharing web addresses, files, etc. during your presentation
  • Classroom management
    • Use breakout rooms regularly for small group discussions
    • Remember to use at least one of your planned interactivity choices
    • Focus on student understanding, not content delivery, in your live class time

After Class

  • Make notes about your experience immediately
    • What worked in your session and why?
    • What failed in your session and why?
    • Capture ideas about improvements for next time right away
  • Get student feedback at least twice
    • Request feedback at the end of early class sessions to make 鈥渙n the fly鈥� changes
    • Request feed back again at the end of your time with a cohort to make structural changes
  • Three-four times a year, reach out to the Office of Instructional Resources to ensure your training is up to date.