If you want to get something done, just begin.
In all my daily activities, visions, ideas and hopes, practically every day I think, oh yes, there’s another theme for a blog article.
So let’s just jump right into the middle.
Co-hosting Zoom Meetings
This morning I co-hosted a guest series of educational presentations on character education.
Actually, I didn’t have anything to say. I was just asked to co-host.
So what I want to share today is what I actually did during this short one and a half hour meeting.
What does it take?
1. I entered the meeting room at ten minutes before the advertised starting time as suggested.
Now, since this is my blog, I will generally try to keep it all about me, without necessarily naming the other individuals involved.
Sometimes they don’t like to be in the public eye. In fact, perhaps this event was an exclusive training for those involved.
However, since I will be publishing my raw recording on my Ozlilly YouTube channel, you will quickly be able to figure out who I am talking about.
I guess you’ll be able to figure out all the rest by watching the recording.
However, I’ll continue listing here my contribution as the co-host for transparency.
2. Next I mentioned that I was not co-host and requested the right to record.
3. Eventually I was also made co-host and
4. Then I was also given the right to record the meeting.
5. Some participants started entering the waiting room, so I began letting them in.
6. I spotlighted the speaker, knowing this would be relevant for my recording, not really sure what effect it had on all the other hosts and co-hosts. There seemed to be a number of them.
7. I confirmed audio when the speaker asked if we could hear them.
8. I confirmed screen share when the speaker started their presentation.
9. Then I muted microphones which were still on when people entered or re-entered the meeting throughout.
10. I continued admitting guests.
11. I continued muting people.
12. I asked the moderator to turn the camera on while speaking (without success) hoping to spotlight them for a better video recording quality.
13. I spotlighted the speaker a number of times, while somebody else took the spotlight away, bringing us all into gallery view. Considering that some people prefer to stay anonymous, I thought this was not so wise, as then all the participants names were on the screen. Not my issue.
Clarify these question before you start the meeting
So my reflection for the technical aspects of the meeting are:
- It is a good idea to clarify before the meeting starts, what the security or privacy settings are.
- Is it a public or private meeting?
- Are the participants approving publication of their identity? If not, I would suggest that they be told before the meeting begins, to keep their cameras off and to use a neutral label on their name.
- Will the moderator be on-screen? If so, make sure the camera and internet work. If not, decide what picture you want to show. This is a video i.e. visual programme, so be aware of what the recipients are perceiving.
I found it extremely difficult to even comprehend what the speaker was saying when I had no image to relate to. I wanted to see their face. A picture depicting what they were talking about would have done as well.
Hence, I was constantly spotlighting the speaker, even when they were not speaking, to take away the focus from a black screen, or a bunch of people who don’t want to be seen, yet have their names clearly visible.
So, that’s it. I’ve done my immediate feedback. I’ll get on to some of the other projects I’ve done. Maybe I’ll be posting retrospectively here as I play “Catch-up”.
Don’t allow yourself to get distressed by what others are doing, or not doing. Focus on what you can do, and be sure to BEGIN doing something.