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Zoom: A Simple Way to Reach Face-to-Face and Remote Students

Using Zoom Without Cynap

Are you in a classroom with no camera or Cynap? Do you want to keep your technology set up as simple as possible but still need to be able to teach both face-to-face and remote students at the same time?

  1. Create a scheduled Zoom meeting for your class, making sure you set it to auto-record to the cloud.
  2. Connect your laptop using the cable (HDMI, VGA).
  3. On your Control Panel, under your projector(s), choose the cable you plugged into. This will show your laptop on the screen for your students.
  4. Ensure your laptop display is not in Mirror Mode by unchecking Mirror Displays (Mac) or choosing Extend Across Desktops (PC). (Note: often, PowerPoint will automatically extend your desktop so that you get Presenter view on your laptop and the presentation on the projector.)
  5. Launch the Zoom app on your laptop.
  6. From the Zoom app, choose Share Screen.
  7. If you will be playing a video, make sure you check the box for Share Computer Sound.
  8. Choose the projector screen to share. This will normally be Screen 2. If you do not see Screen 2, ensure your laptop is set to extend the screen, rather than mirror or duplicate. It is best to share the entire screen, rather than just a PowerPoint because this will let you share web pages and other information without having to re-share your screen.
  9. Select Share.

Using Zoom on Cynap without a Camera

If your classroom has a Cynap but does not have a camera in the classroom, you can still connect with your remote students. Follow the instructions below. You can still connect your laptop, document camera, or other device and share that to your students. When you are not sharing your screen remote students will see your default Zoom screen, which will be your name or your picture.

Launch Zoom on Cynap:

  1. Ensure you are in Mirror Mode by choosing this option on the Control Panel.
  2. On the the Cynap screen, tap the screen and select [+] button.
  3. Choose WebRTC.
  4. Log into your Zoom Account by selecting Create or Edit Account. You will need to use Two-Factor Authentication each time you log in.
  5. Select your scheduled meeting and choose Start.
  6. Choose Join from your browser.
  7. Select Join Audio by your computer.
  8. Select Start Video to turn on the room camera, if available.

Sharing Your Laptop on Zoom:

  1. To show your laptop screen to both remote and in-class students, select Share Screen in the Zoom window.
  2. Tap the menu at the bottom of your laptop screen and choose the enlarge button. This will expand your laptop to be shown to the entire class.

Using Zoom on Cynap with a Camera

If you wish to use the camera in your classroom, you can turn on video through your WebRTC Zoom session. This will show the camera in the classroom. To adjust the camera, look for the camera controls. https://classrooms.utk.edu/camera/

Launch Zoom on Cynap:

  1. Ensure you are in Mirror Mode by choosing this option on the Control Panel.
  2. On the the Cynap screen, tap the screen and select [+] button.
  3. Choose WebRTC.
  4. Log into your Zoom Account by selecting Create or Edit Account. You will need to use Two-Factor Authentication each time you log in.
  5. Select your scheduled meeting and choose Start.
  6. Choose Join from your browser.
  7. Select Join Audio by your computer.
  8. Select Start Video to turn on the room camera, if available.

Sharing Your Laptop on Zoom:

  1. To show your laptop screen to both remote and in-class students, select Share Screen in the Zoom window.
  2. Tap the menu at the bottom of your laptop screen and choose the enlarge button. This will expand your laptop to be shown to the entire class.

Best Practices for Reaching Remote Students

Cameras

Cameras in the classroom can be useful because they allow your students to see your face. However, do not rely on the camera to show screens or whiteboards. A person standing in front of a screen will be in focus, but the screen itself will be washed out to online students. Writing is very difficult for remote students to view on a whiteboard from the camera. We recommend that instead of using a whiteboard you connect the document camera so that your in-class and remote students have the same experience.

Audio

Remember that in classroom microphones will help your remote students hear you better. These microphones can be used with Zoom on Cynap or on built-in computers in the podium. If you are using your laptop and not using Cynap, then you will need to rely on the built-in microphone in your laptop.

Document Cameras

We recommend you use a document camera, rather than a whiteboard for annotation. When using Cynap, you can connect the document camera to your Cynap so that both in-class and remote students can see the document camera and get the same experience.  If you are using your laptop, you can set up the document camera for in-class students and then you can connect your phone to your Zoom session and use the camera on the phone to show items you have put on your document camera.

How to Use Your Phone as a Document Camera

If you want to do this method, but also need a document camera, check out our knowledge base article on how to use your phone as a document camera. You can set up the document camera in your classroom to show to students in the class. Then, set your phone up to use that camera to show to your students over Zoom.

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