Tech Talk: Cultivating Connection with Zoom Meetings
Tech Talk: Cultivating Connection with Zoom Meetings
Welcome to "Tech Talk," where we will feature an ongoing series exploring how technology can help your garden club bloom! In our first installment, we're diving into a tool that has become essential for staying connected: Zoom meetings.
Our Steel Magnolias Garden Club (SMGC) in Zebulon embraced Zoom a few years ago when in-person gatherings took an unexpected pause during quarantine. Our resourceful president ensured we continued to meet virtually by setting up Zoom meetings–We even held our annual Christmas ornament exchange online!
Even now that we're back to tending our community gardens and gathering in person, we've found that offering a Zoom option continues to enrich our club. It allows members who can't physically be at club meetings to still participate in our meetings and stay connected to our shared passion.
Many of you have likely already encountered Zoom, whether hosting or attending events. Setting up an account is straightforward. Today, we'll share a few tips and tricks our Technology Committee has learned to make our Zoom meetings successful and enjoyable for everyone.
Getting Started with Zoom: Planting the Seeds for Success
Designate a Zoom Administrator: Our club has a Technology Committee, and the chair is responsible for setting up the Zoom meetings.
Account Options: Basic Zoom accounts are free but limit meeting durations to 40 minutes. For longer meetings, consider a Pro Plan, which currently costs $15.99 per month or $160 per year.
Scheduling Made Simple: Once you've registered for a Zoom account (free or paid), scheduling a meeting is easy. Simply click on "Schedule" and follow the intuitive prompts.
Here’s a quick guide to scheduling your first meeting:
Go to the Zoom website and set up or sign into your account
Click on "Meetings."
Select "Schedule a Meeting."
Choose the desired date and time.
Adjust any other settings as needed.
Click "Save."
Once saved, you can copy the meeting link and share it with your fellow garden club members. For more detailed instructions, Zoom offers a comprehensive guide: https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/getting-started-with-meetings?id=zoom_meetings_guide
Club members that attend online can click on the meeting link to join the meeting. They do not need a Zoom account to join.
Essential Equipment: Cultivating a Smooth Experience
Computer: You'll need a computer to run the Zoom meeting.
Chat Monitor: We have a designated person who monitors the "chat room" during our meetings. Members joining via Zoom can type their questions and comments here, and the monitor ensures these are addressed during the meeting.
Camera: To allow our online attendees to see what's happening in the room, we use a camera on a tripod. Another dedicated person manages the camera, adjusting its position as needed to capture the speaker or activities. You can certainly use your phone camera for this! Zoom also provides reviews of various cameras you would like to purchase one: https://www.zoom.com/en/hardware/?pageSize=12&page=1&collaborationtools=meetings&hardwaredevicetype=cameras
Tripod: We highly recommend using a phone or camera tripod (available for under $30) to ensure a stable view for your online participants.
Speakers: Although not required, using auxiliary speakers connected to the laptop helps ensure that Zoom attendees can clearly hear the speakers in the room.
Collaborative Documents: During our in-person meetings, we often use a projector to display speaker documents and the club agenda. These same documents are attached to the Zoom meeting invitation email. The Zoom administrator also shares their screen to display these visuals for our online members.
Screen Sharing: To share a computer screen with Zoom attendees, look for the 'Share Content' button on the Zoom meeting control panel. On the device you want to share from, open Zoom and select 'Share Screen'.
Closed Captions: Background noise in the meeting room can sometimes make it difficult for Zoom attendees to hear the speaker clearly. Turning on Zoom's closed caption feature can significantly improve accessibility. Here's a link with instructions: https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0058810
Meeting Notes: Zoom also offers a feature to capture notes during your meeting. You can find instructions here: https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0057699
Basic Meeting Etiquette: Cultivating a Respectful Online Space
Here are a few simple guidelines we follow to ensure our hybrid meetings run smoothly:
Announce Yourself: Whether you're speaking in the physical meeting room or joining via Zoom, please announce your name before speaking. This helps everyone follow the conversation.
Microphone Awareness: If you're attending in person and want to speak, be mindful of the location of the Zoom computer's microphone and try to face that direction.
Food for Thought: Nurturing Your Hybrid Meetings
Here are a few additional points to consider as you integrate Zoom into your garden club meetings:
Speaker Materials: When inviting a guest speaker, ask if their presentation materials can be shared with members, both on Zoom and online.
Online Attendance: Make sure someone takes attendance of the members joining via Zoom.
Online Voting: Establish clear protocols if your club needs to conduct votes online.
Standard Operating Procedures: Develop Standard Operating Procedures for running Zoom meetings so that multiple members feel comfortable managing the technology.
Zoom Orientation: Consider hosting a Zoom orientation session for all club members to help everyone become more familiar with the platform.
Whether you choose to host fully online meetings or use Zoom to connect remote members to your in-person gatherings, we hope this introduction to conducting online Zoom meetings has been helpful.
In our next "Tech Talk," we'll be digging into another essential technological tool: setting up a club email and navigating current privacy standards. Stay tuned, and happy gardening!