How to get the most out of our sessions on Zoom
We hope this page will helpful to participants in our Befriending Volunteer Training, Good Conversations sessions and Power of One seminars.
Although many people have become familiar with using Zoom since the Covid 19 lockdowns, many others have not had the opportunity, or perhaps just used it to join and leave sessions without using any other functions.
To get the best from our training sessions, there are a couple of other simple functions you will benefit from knowing. Please open Zoom and try these out for yourself in advance. You’ll look like an expert on the day!
Joining
Ideally you will have booked your own session on our EventBrite page. You will need to make a note of the sign-in details for that booking, as you may need to return there to find the link to join the Zoom session. Just click the link and follow the instructions on screen.
In some cases, you may receive a confirmation email after booking which includes the Zoom link, in which case you may find it easier to keep that email handy, and avoid the need to go back to EventBrite.
Either way, this may open Zoom in your web browser, or it may ask if you want to open it in the Zoom app. Either if fine.
Please choose to “Join with video” when asked.
As you enter the session, you may be asked to wait. Please be patient, as, although we start the session early, we have preparations to make to welcome you, and so we often use a “waiting room” facility while we are doing that.
Breakout rooms
If you are invited to go into a “Breakout Room” a box will pop up on screen. Just click on the button that says “Join”.
When the time is up, you can wait for the count-down to expire, or click on “Leave breakout room”. Careful not to click on “Leave meeting”, or you will have to start all over again!
Mute and camera
Depending on what device you are on (a computer is always best), you will see buttons somewhere on screen:
- to “Mute” – with a microphone symbol next to it – please use this if you have noises in the background at your location, and always during any videos that are shown
- to “Stop video” – with a camera symbol next to it – you may need that in some activities, or if you want some privacy for a moment during the session.
The general ettiquette is to leave your microphone MUTED most of the time, except when asked to participate, and leave you camera ON most of the time, for the benefit of the facilitator and other participants.
Polls and surveys
You may be asked to answer a Poll during a session. Just tick the answers as you see fit.
You may be asked to complete a survey as the meeting ends. Please help us by doing this. If you are part of a Befriending scheme, it will also form part of your organisation’s safeguarding by registering your attendance at training.
Chat
You may be asked to add information in the “Chat” at some stage.
Click “Chat” in the main window to type in information visible to all partipants.
If you need to send text to one participant only, you can hover over their picture, a blue button with three dots ( … ) will appear, and you can click “Chat” in the list that drops down. Only that participant will see the message.