What is Zoom?

Zoom Basics What is Zoom?

Overview | Get a Pro Account | Settings | Two Ways to Use Zoom |  Controls & Features | Help

 

Zoom iconZoom is an application that lets you conference online from your phone or home computer (audio with a microphone or phone). TechConnect Zoom is the pro version of Zoom that is free for California Community College faculty and staff.  You don't need a webcam to Zoom, but it's nice to have one.  

Once connected, you can talk, share screens, chat, and more, so it's useful for meeting with students for office hours, presentations, group conferences, feedback, etc. There's even a breakout room feature that allows you to put students into small groups and then bring them back for large discussion.  Sessions can be recorded (with clickable transcripts!). 

Students don't need an account to join your Zoom room.  All they need is a link!

TechConnect offers free Zoom training (register for Zoom training). Links to an external site.

Get a free pro account

If you already have a free Zoom account, you will need to upgrade to the PRO account, which is free for California community college faculty.  Contact CCC Confer Tech Support at support@ccctechconnect.org to merge your accounts. 

To set up a new pro account:

  1. Use a browser like Firefox or Chrome to go to conferzoom.org Links to an external site.
  2. At the top of the page, click Sign Up
  3. Fill out the form. Use your gcccd.edu email address to show that you work for a California community college.
  4. You will receive an email to verify your email address. Follow the instructions. You will also receive an email providing getting started links.

Change Settings at conferzoom.org

The first time you use TechConnect Zoom, use a browser like Firefox or Chrome to go to conferzoom.org Links to an external site. and Sign In to access your website portal account page. Navigate to the tabs on the left, then go through each tab to view your choices. Take a few minutes to get familiar with the options that are offered in TechConnect Zoom. After setting up your profile and choosing your preferred settings, you can use the website or the Desktop App to schedule, join, or host instant meetings.

Profile Settings

    • Consider adding a profile picture.
    • Setting a personal link gives you a more friendly web address (zoom.us/my/janesmith instead of zoom.us/my/0493273).

Once your account is set up, you can start a web conference. You can practice by yourself to become familiar with it. Try it on your phone or tablet too. The best way to get to know Zoom is to play around with it. You can’t break it!

Two Ways to use Zoom

You can use Zoom with the TechConnect navigation link in Canvas or via Conferzoom.org Links to an external site..  TechConnect Zoom in Canvas has some nice features like Quick Launch and Scheduling, as well as an associated Appointment app called Student Connect, and many teachers like the convenience of managing Zoom from Canvas. 

TechConnect Zoom in Canvas (recommended)


Use TechConnect Zoom within Canvas

You can add a TechConnect Zoom link to your Canvas class to allow students to easily connect to Zoom from Canvas.  This is easy for students to use and is harder to hack since students have to sign in to join the meeting.

Set up TechConnect Zoom in Canvas

Carefully go through these steps so it will work properly:

  1. Make sure you have a gcccd ConferZoom account:
    • Sign in to your account at conferzoom.org Links to an external site.
    • Navigate on the left to 'Profile', then scroll down to 'Sign In.' Under "Sign in Email," you should have your gcccd email account listed.
    • If your account is not linked to your gcccd email, contact CCC Confer Tech Support at support@ccctechconnect.org to merge your accounts. You will not be able to access TechConnet Zoom in Canvas otherwise.
  2. Confirm your gcccd email is connected to Canvas.
    • Sign in to your Cuyamaca Canvas account.
    • Your Canvas primary email address needs to be the gcccd.edu email address that you used to get the Zoom account. You can check that in your Canvas Account Settings.

  3. Enable TechConnect Zoom in your Canvas course.

Now that TechConnect Zoom is enabled in Canvas, you can schedule regular meetings from Canvas and more.  Students can click the TechConnect Zoom button in the course navigation to join meetings. 

Here's a video showing how to schedule meetings:

How to Schedule Zoom Meetings in Canvas with the TechConnect (Confer) Zoom App Links to an external site.How to Schedule Zoom Meetings in Canvas with the TechConnect (Confer) Zoom App

Appointment Booking 

The old ConferZoom had appointment booking - now this is in a separate app called Student Connect. You can follow the same procedure to add Student Connect to your course navigation. (Settings > Navigation in Canvas to enable StudentConnect.)

Student Connect Instructor Guide Links to an external site.

Web Portal (conferzoom.org)


Conferzoom.org

Login at conferzoom.org Links to an external site. and explore these options to manage your meetings.

Schedule and Start Meetings

Click Meetings to schedule meetings or start a meeting.  If you want to make things super simple, you can use your Personal Meeting Room and share the link to that room on your Canvas homepage.  The only issue with this is that anyone with the URL can join, and you may want more control over your meeting attendance.  For more control, you can schedule meetings by clicking Upcoming Meetings and Schedule Meetings.  This will give you a unique link for each scheduled meeting. 

Here's a video demonstration:

How to Scheduled Your Remote Class Session in TechConnect (Confer) Zoom Links to an external site.How to Scheduled Your Remote Class Session in TechConnect (Confer) Zoom

Invite Students

To invite people to your meeting, you can send them a meeting invitation.  Just click the Copy Invitation button next to the meeting and then paste it into an e-mail or a Canvas Page.  You could also copy and paste your Personal Meeting ID  from your Profile page.  When students click the link, Zoom will download an app the first time they use it and they will join the meeting.   Participants can connect from a computer, tablet, or phone. 

Here's a video overview from Steve Perry at Palomar College:

conferzoom.org meetings Links to an external site.Convert Face to Face to Online Zoom Part2 third

Zoom Controls and Features

This 10-minute video explores Zoom meeting controls like mute and chat. 
Meeting Settings Links to an external site.

Here are some highlights:

  • You and students can toggle between Gallery view and Speaker View.
  • Scroll your mouse to the bottom of the screen for options:
    • Participants - shows who is in the meeting
    • Chat - lets you and student text each other (to whole group or individuals)
    • Share - lets you share with everyone what you are seeing on your screen (slides, images, documents, etc.).
      • You can share one window or your whole screen. Sharing the whole screen allows you to switch windows without stopping and starting the Share. 
      • One of your window options is Whiteboard, which allows you (and everyone if you allow) to write and draw.
      • Both you and participants can share (if advanced sharing options has been set to allow this)
      • Once you share, you can also give or get control of the mouse (remote control)
      • Stop Share when you are done.
    • Record - lets your record the session. In about an hour, you can share the recording with a searchable and clickable transcript.
  • Other fun options: Virtual Backgrounds, Polls Links to an external site., and Breakout Rooms Links to an external site..
  • If you have a deaf or hard-of-hearing student, contact DSPS Links to an external site. well in advance to arrange for interpretation. 

Troubleshooting & Support

Some folks have reported unwanted people joining their meetings.  Here's how to prevent crashers from joining your meeting Links to an external site..

Audio

If you can’t hear others, first make sure your speaker is on. 

Move your mouse to the bottom left in Zoom to get to audio settings.  Try Test Speaker & Microphone.  If you don’t have a microphone or can’t get it to work, choose Switch to Phone Audio and use a phone to talk and listen. 

If your students are having trouble, ask them to open chat.  You can use the whiteboard to suggest this if they can't hear you. 

 

 

Want Help?

ConferZoom Support

Support website - TechConnect Zoom Links to an external site.
support@ccctechconnect.org
www.cccconfer.org Links to an external site.