The Zoom (and related systems) Learning Curve...

[mamselle]

I've assisted with Zoom calls in several settings, as well as WebEx, and related programs. But this is the first time I'm using it for my own teaching (private music students). I thought it might be useful to have a focused thread on how people are usng it now, and what they're finding out: a "learning circle for those on the learning curve," if you will.

I've a few things to share; chime in with likes, dislikes, new things just discovered (good or not), etc.
(This is long, skip to the overview at the bottom  if that's more of interest).

1. I've usually set up calls for group meetings in a meeting space. Background is not an issue.

But my home music space is distracting, and I can't sit at my own keyboard at the moment (foot injury still an encumbrance for a week more) so I looked into "virtual backgrounds," thinking to use a picture behind myself.

Arrgh! Who knew that a "green screen" was an actual, physical curtain that was green? All the instructions I ran across alluded to it in passing, without further explanation. Finally, looking up something else, I found the clue, and discovered it doesn't have to be green anymore, just any flat color.

But then the projected virtual background flickered so much my head seemed to be afire...so I just used the plain red curtain I'd found, and that worked. (I'm glad I set aside a couple hours the day before my first student's lesson for set up!

2. I forgot how many hand-written pages my beginning students have: I'd  ask them to hold their music up to the screen to check things! I don't usually carry copies for myself: I look on theirs as they play. So...

Note to self: request scans/photos of all those pages (2-3/student) for next lessons this week!

3. It took time for each family to position the laptop so I could see both the student and the keyboard. Fortunately, I'd asked for an extra 15 min. in advance for setup, and they'll all know for next time.

4. I followed our usual progression through warm ups to exercises to their pieces, but it's harder to do spot analysis of theory points: I can't just point with a pencil to a chord, we have to be sure we're talking about the same notes first!

They'll get better at reading measure-numbers....!

5. The first time was fun, but I can already see how it could go a little flat after a bit, so I'm going to think about how to build in more interactions in things like note -reading challenges, theory ideas, etc.

More planning per lesson needed than usual, at least for the moment.

6. Spin-offs like focused theory discussions might work out, and ties to online sites (especially for older students) for music appreciation and history might work, so I'm also pondering those.

There might be some win-win-win results here, and I may offer materials to those doing home-schooling, which I've often considered.

ZOOM Overview: If you poke long enough, Zoom might tell you what you need to know.

But its instructions are just weirdly arranged to me...they answer things you're not asking and ignore the typed-in questions' keywords as badly as the old CHE search function ever did.

Parts of one function are governed from sub items under three different menu headings, and important pop-ups have no link, just an arrow beside a dumb icon which has no logical tie to what you're looking for.

It's like the interface was designed by squirrels.

But the sound, timing, and detail were good--I could correct fingering errors, for example, from the visuals--so I'll keep using it for now since I have free access to the Pro level via another connection.

Might check out Skype or another format as well, but I plan to use it again this week, for now.

You?

M.

[ergative]

My university's system allows for virtual backgrounds without a green screen. It asked me for permission to install a plugin, and then it was fine.

I then put in an image of the bridge of the Enterprise-D for my virtual background.

My teaching isn't interactive like yours, mamselle, so I just record lectures, which is fine. I presume that as I get more sophisticated I'll be able to do things like use the virtual whiteboard to write on a board, rather than depending on pre-written powerpoint slides, but so far it's fine. For demonstrating the use of software, the screen-sharing recording is very good.

[mamselle]

I'll look up the virtual whiteboard, that could be very useful. Thanks!

    I'll also look to see if there's an app online somewhere like the one you describe for the virtual background.

What kind of teaching/presentational prep did you do that was different from your usual prep for classes, if any?

I kept in mind the things that are often repeated here re: virtual interviews: there were no distractions for me to look off-screen at (and a couple times I saw my students look at their screen--it seemed as if they wanted to be sure I was paying attention, so I'd look right back at them and smile so they'd know I was...so that is indeed important.)

I like the allusion to Star Trek--we're indeed on an unknown journey!

You're right, too, about this being a different kind of lesson than a lecture--more like a math class with the continual feedback loops needing to be kept alive.

M.

[polly_mer]

I prefer Skype for one-location-to-one-location discussions.  We invested in a Kinect for the Xbox years ago so Blocky could do a Sunday afternoon video chat with his grandparents.  Thus, we have that Kinect in a fixed place for good viewing and just ensure that a squirmy child is in the view.  His grandparents have likewise set up a standard viewing place and that works out.

At work, we've all been converted to WebEx this week.  Standard norms for meetings at multiple sites that might help other beginners, regardless of platform, include:

• Mute your mic/phone unless you're speaking.  The background noise from 20-30 inputs is incredible even if everything is quiet in each location.
  
  
• As people call in, if a person shows up as Call-In #123, that person or the host can click the moniker and rename it to be the appropriate person.  If too many Call-In <number> happen simultaneously, going around the virtual room and seeing which moniker showing speaking when a given person speaks allows the group to quickly figure out who has which moniker.  Chat interactions on who is present and who should speak next can also help sort out the monikers.
  
  
• Because everyone except the speaker is muted at any given moment, use the equivalent of the speaking stick.  Either request to speak by raising your virtual hand or type a question/very brief comment in the chat format.
  
  
• As speaker, call on someone by name and wait a literal count of 20 to have them respond.  It takes time to realize that was your name, remember how to unmute the mic, and then have the system respond. 
  
  
• Unless you are the speaker or have been asked to share video, turn off your video input.  That's saves bandwidth for everyone, which means that perhaps the slides being shown or the screen being shared will come through for everyone instead of cutting out.  I participated in one seminar this week in which I got to hear the speaker the whole time on my landline call-in, but I only saw about half the slides because the connection wouldn't support all the video.
  
  
• Find out with IT what type of connection you should be using.  We were originally told to use the VPN for everything.  It turns out that WebEx will connect just fine from my employer-supplied laptop without the VPN on.  Several of us lost video during that seminar because we were on the overcommitted VPN instead of just our local internet connection.  We found out later that several of the things for which we were told to use VPN are better without it now that we have all 12k of us working from home and needing to replace the in-person meetings with WebEx meetings.  My security-minded employer is now recommending that certain applications be run on a normal internet connection to reserve VPN bandwidth for other less-secure applications.
  
  
• I don't even have a camera hooked up to my employer's laptop[1] and I won't be getting one.  For what we're doing for most meetings, being able to share screens while talking into a telephone is good enough for nearly everything.  Seeing each other is not much value added, even if we're just talking with no visuals so we see the host's avatar on the screen.  We had a pretty good phone-mostly panel interview this week when it turned out the cameras just wouldn't feed for everyone including the applicant.  The screen held the questions from one person's computer, we used the chat function to sort out who goes next in asking the questions, and we had a very nice chat with the candidate.
  
  

[1] Until about 18 March (Wednesday), the official policy was that every device (computer, laptop, tablet, smart phone) that came camera-enabled had to go to the special office at work to have that camera be removed/physically disabled as a security measure.  We also had all the microphones similarly disabled. 

Thus, my three-year old laptop has a blank space where the camera was originally installed.  This week, we were allowed to pick up external cameras and microphones from the IT depot while supplies lasted if we were quick enough to do it when we were still allowed to physically be on campus.  We have now been officially told to stay home unless we were individually contacted by the big boss' delegate as an individual exemption with a specific task to perform on a given admissions schedule to the campus.

[mamselle]

Wow, thanks! very helpful.

The hints about what to have on and off, and what's expendable are especially useful for larger groups.

I'll also be looking up the Kinect/Skype options.

Others?

Has anyone used Zoom/Skype/something else to run a virtual classroom with live feedback/Q-A?

What was that like?

M.

[polly_mer]

I'll post the Twitter thread using Zoom to teach math here as well: https://twitter.com/ef_math/status/1240289696330051586

Mention is made that the paid version of Zoom allows breakout rooms that were useful to have students work in small groups.

[mamselle]

Thanks!

I just had feedback from one of my families, saying I need better lighting on my face.

The kids said I looked like a "Zoombie."

M.

[AvidReader]

Mamselle,

My childhood friend (not on here) is a piano teacher (I am not) and started Zoom lessons today for the first time. She mentioned that she has been having trouble hearing pitch in some of her lessons--she can't tell whether the notes are correct or whether they are distorted from the video. Since you mention that sound was good, could I ask what setup you are using to listen to your students?

AR

[mamselle]

I had earphones on, which I usually do because of outside noise.

My laptop isn't very fancy or high-powered, so that wasn't an issue.

I was on Zoom,

The one thing I was missing was having the music in hand for a few of the pieces. For those I found it harder to make corrections, but only because I could hear there was something wrong but couldn't always (in the more modern/atonal/chromatic pieces) tell quickly what the right note should be.

For those, I just said things like, "What about the notes in m. xxx? Can you check to see if you're playing all those correctly?" which puts the burden back on them to do their note-reading correctly anyway (ahem!) and doesn't give away the game that I might not have the right answer to tell them outright.

I'm working towards getting all their music this week, although there are a couple pieces I won't yet have.

If she has the "pro" version, it's also possible to record the lesson and go back over it.... that might also help.

I think the earphones might make the most difference, though.

If you PM me, I'd be glad to forward an email address if she'd like to trouble-shoot further, too.

M. 

[wellfleet]

I'll be teaching via Zoom and also making short videos to try to move some teaching to asynchronous platforms. I have a new quarter starting next week, some of my students will be stuck in other time zones, and most have kids at home, so I'm trying to provide a lot of options.

On the advice of a colleague who teaches via distance a lot, I ordered a ring light and a lapel mike from Amazon. I hate myself less on video when the lighting is better and I'm not wearing headphones. Overall, I think I spent about $50 and am glad I did. The ring light even has a clip for your phone right in the middle, so it's easy to look directly at the camera when you record, which is something I suck at when using my laptop camera.

One hint? If you're on camera in a meeting where others can see you, don't wiggle your laptop around. That's instant nausea for some of us, as I learned at last week's staff meeting. Stable surfaces, please!

[AvidReader]

Thank you for your thoughtful and extensive response, Mamselle! I will pass on your recommendations and also your very generous offer.

AR.

[mamselle]

No problem!

Today starts the second round of Zoommusiclessons...new findings:

1. Fast playing occasionally runs into the "Pavlova Problem," in which the existing camera speeds are slower than the moving body (or in this case, hands). Films of the dancer show a blur every time she turned, because she was turning faster than the camera could catch.

I can parse in between fingerings in most cases, but it was interesting to see that there were pixelated moments between sounds at times.

2. The quality of the microphone on the student's end of the transmission may be the biggest factor in audibility. I realized that all my students are either children of computer/tech-y/software geeks, or are the geeks themselves, and they all have pretty good computers--even the kids.

So the reception on my end is processing what was a fairly decent capture to begin with....it might be worth finding out what kinds of laptops your friend's students have and seeing how they can ameliorate the quality of the mic's pickup from their end....turn up the volume on the receiving end, etc.

3. For the music I didn't have, it worked quite well for the student to use their laptop's camera (apparently there's an easy app to make this work) and take a picture of the music right then and there.

I brought it up on my phone, turned the phone sideways (I don't care what all those other folks say, it works...interthreaduality...) and could scroll down to read the music fairly easily. Having the phone on hand was helpful, too, when one of the sign-ons didn't work, we called directly and sorted it out.

4. I usually avoid stirring when I'm listening to my students to help with their concentration. But while on camera, they can't see if I take brief notes while they're playing, which lets me start compiling a hands-on record of where they are and what they're doing. (I usually just carry that around in my head.)

I also let them know that I think we are looking at a possible 6-months' project here, and asked for their feedback, what they'd like to be working on over the long haul, etc. Having the notes helped me think of how I'd answer those questions, too.

M. 

[apostrophe]

Another Zoom tip that I don't think has come up so far--you can keep all audio muted even during discussions and just have the current speaker hit the space bar. Once you release the space bar, mute resumes.

[Cheerful]

On the advice of a colleague who teaches via distance a lot, I ordered a ring light and a lapel mike from Amazon. I hate myself less on video when the lighting is better and I'm not wearing headphones. Overall, I think I spent about $50 and am glad I did. The ring light even has a clip for your phone right in the middle, so it's easy to look directly at the camera when you record, which is something I suck at when using my laptop camera.

Glad it's made your work easier.  Universities should be paying for such things.  They should ship the equipment to all teaching online or provide a stipend for profs to order directly on their own.

[WidgetWoman]

Another Zoom tip that I don't think has come up so far--you can keep all audio muted even during discussions and just have the current speaker hit the space bar. Once you release the space bar, mute resumes.

Oh my goodness, can you tell me how to set this up? That sounds like an amazing trick!