We will be adding to this guide regularly. If your question isn't answered below, head over to the #help-desk channel on CTEBVI's
Slack for realtime support.
Setting up and using Zoom
All of our conference events will take place on Zoom, so you'll want to make sure you have the latest version installed, and that you have a stable internet connection. You will need Version 5.3.0 or higher to navigate
the Virtual Exhibit Hall.
You can download or update Zoom for free from this link.
To check what version of Zoom you have, click your profile image at the top right of the Zoom window, select "Help," and select "About Zoom."
After downloading Zoom, you will need to double click the downloaded file to run the installer.
If you haven't used Zoom before, you can follow this brief tutorial on how to join a Zoom meeting.
Once you have Zoom installed, you can make a test call to be sure your setup is working properly.
Zoom's internet speed requirements recommend approximately 2
Mb/second upload and download speed for full functionality in a group video chat. This is a relatively low requirement, and Zoom will also work at slower speeds than this. You can test the speed of your internet connection by following this link.
Setting up and using Slack
Since we are not able to be together in person this year, we've adopted Slack to support the vibrant CTEBVI community outside of our scheduled conference events. Slack is where we can have casual conversations, trade contact info, get
announcements, and ask questions. Think of it as the hotel corridor outside the workshop sessions, or the café where you bump into a long-time colleague or make a new connection. The CTEBVI Slack workspace will remain available before and
after the conference weekend.
Follow this link to join CTEBVI's Slack workspace, and to download the free Slack app. You can also use Slack in your web
browser.
After downloading the Slack app, you may need to click the above link one more time to be directed to CTEBVI's workspace.
Once you're up and running, here are a few tips:
In the side panel, you'll find a list of channels, such as "corridor-conversations" and "help-desk" that you've joined automatically. A channel is like a chat room or group text thread on a particular subject.
At the bottom of the Channels list, there's an option to "Add channels." Here, you can browse and join additional channels, such as "transcribers" or "job-listings," based on your particular interests.
You can also create a new channel on a topic of interest to the community.
Below "Channels," you will find "Direct Messages." Here, you can send a private message to anybody on CTEBVI's Slack. This is a great way to trade contact info or have a one-on-one conversation. You can also add
more than one person to a Direct Message thread.
You can start an audio or video call using the phone icon at the top of the Direct Message window, and you can attach files or share links using the icons at the bottom of the message window.
If you would like to mention someone in a channel, include the "@" symbol followed by the person's user name in your message. That person will receive a notification that you mentioned them.
You are welcome to invite others who may be interested to join the CTEBVI community on Slack.
The best way to get familiar with Slack is to jump in and start using it, and you can always ask other people in a channel for help. Slack also offers tutorials to help you get started. To learn more about Slack's accessibility features, check out this article from AFB.
Attending Virtual Workshops
Each workshop session will have a dedicated Zoom link hosted by CTEBVI. Below is some general information about virtual workshops:
Prior to the beginning of the conference, you'll receive an email with Zoom links for each of the sessions you are registered for. You will also receive info to call in to the session by phone.
If you'd like to view or update your schedule, you can go to the conference registration page, click on “Already Registered?” at
the top of the page, and log in to access your schedule.
Each workshop will also have a dedicated Google Drive folder for handouts or any other materials the workshop presenter wishes to share with attendees. You will receive links to these folders along with the Zoom links for each of your
registered sessions.
All sessions except for the Youth Institute will be recorded by default. Workshop recordings will be available to CTEBVI members after the conference weekend, but will not
be available on the public internet. Presenters can choose to opt out of recording if they wish.
Every workshop session will have a CTEBVI volunteer monitor present to help the workshop run smoothly. Your workshop moderator will introduce themselves at the beginning of the session, and you can message the moderator using Zoom's
chat function if you have any technical issues or questions during the workshop.
If you would like more detailed information about the session format or Zoom functionality, please feel free to read the section for workshop monitors and presenters below.
Workshop Monitor and Presenter Info
In addition to the presenter(s), each workshop session will have a CTEBVI volunteer monitor. The role of a workshop monitor is to support the presenter by monitoring the chat for questions, helping to navigate basic Zoom functionality and
screen sharing, and messaging CTEBVI’s technical support if necessary. This is so that the workshop presenter(s) can focus on the workshop and not on technical concerns.
Below you will find a video recording of our Workshop Monitor Info session, which details the role of a monitor and demos Zoom functionality. Following the video, you will find a text summary of the main points covered.
Before the Conference
Conference attendees will receive an email with Zoom links for all sessions they have registered for.
The meeting password is embedded in the link, so attendees will not need to enter the meeting password separately.
Call-in numbers are included this email in case anyone has issues with internet connectivity.
Attendees will receive a daily schedule reminder email on each day of the conference.
Workshop presenters will receive an separate email from the CTEBVI Workshop Chairs containing:
A Google Drive link where you can upload your workshop materials
Resources for creating accessible PDFs and PowerPoint presentations.
Before the Session Begins
Each meeting will be open 15 minutes in advance of its scheduled start time.
The meeting is recorded by default. The host can pause or stop the recording at any time using the controls in the upper left of the screen, or using the recording controls in the meeting toolbar at the bottom of the screen. There will
be both a visual and audio notification for all attendees when the meeting is being recorded.
Breakout rooms are not recorded.
Camera and microphone are off by default for all attendees when joining the meeting. Host microphone is on by default.
If you have any tech issues, use the help-desk channel on Slack for the quickest support.
Monitors are encouraged to check in with presenters in advance to ask about their plans and requirements for:
Sharing slideshows, videos, or other media
Running polls (if applicable)
Encouraging and fielding attendee questions and discussion.
Host Permissions
A CTEBVI Admin will come into each meeting during the 15 minutes before the session starts and assign the monitor as the meeting host.
Hosts are not assigned in advance, because this requires you to be a member of the CTEBVI Zoom account, and an email address can only be associated with one account. This way, hosts and co-hosts will not be required to switch their email
from their home organization.
Once the monitor has host permissions, they can make the presenter(s) a Co-Host.
Choose "Participants" from the meeting toolbar, find the presenter's name, choose "More" and "Make Co-Host"
Rename yourself to include "(Workshop Monitor)" after your name, so that participants can identify you easily as the monitor, and can direct any questions to you in the chat.
Introducing the Workshop
At the beginning of the meeting the monitor should:
Introduce yourself as the monitor for the workshop
Mention that verification of attendance will be done for those seeking CEU hours, and that a certificate will be issued following the conference.
Encourage participants to sign up for Slack; they may continue the workshop discussion afterward on Slack by messaging one another or creating a channel dedicated to the workshop topic.
Mention that the workshop is being recorded; all recordings will be available to CTEBVI members after the conference. To become a member or renew membership, visit the CTEBVI Membership page.
Mention the session format that you have agreed upon with the presenter.
In general, participants should enter questions in the chat, and the monitor can direct these questions to the presenter. Presenters and monitors may decide the format on a session-by-session basis. All participants are also
encouraged to continue the workshop discussion afterward on Slack by messaging one another or creating a channel dedicated to the workshop topic.
Introduce the presenter.
Security and Best Practices
As a meeting Host or Co-Host, you have the ability to:
Mute all participants
Enable or Disable participants' ability to unmute themselves after they have been muted
Disable a participant's video
Remove a participant from the meeting if necessary (once removed, a participant will not be able to rejoin the meeting using the same Zoom login)
End and lock the meeting in the case of an emergency.
These options are available under the Security icon at the bottom of the screen. Options are also available by hovering over a participant's video window, or by choosing "Participants" and hovering over an individual
participant's name.
By default, participants can unmute themselves after being muted by the Host or Co-Host. The most common purpose for muting all participants is to assist participants who have inadvertently enabled their microphone.
However, you and the workshop presenter(s) can decide to tailor these settings to the needs of your workshop. Consider whether the session is:
A smaller, or more participatory workshop. In this case, you may want to encourage participants to enable their video, and to retain the ability to unmute their microphone when appropriate.
A larger, or solely presentation-focused workshop. In this case, you may want to disable audio and direct all communication to the chat.
In the unlikely event that a participant is behaving in a way that is disruptive or inappropriate, you can use these controls to disable that participant's audio or video, or to remove them from the meeting.
The Meeting Toolbar and Zoom Functionality
The "View" option in the upper right of the screen lets each individual attendee choose how they would like presenters and participants to be displayed on the screen.
Speaker View displays the active speaker, and Gallery View displays a grid of up to 16 people per page.
You can Pin or Spotlight presenter(s). Participants can use the Pin feature to change their individual view, and Hosts can use
the Spotlight feature to change the view for all participants in the meeting.
The meeting toolbar is the menu at the bottom of the Zoom window. It has the following options:
Mute/Unmute Microphone Icon. The options arrow on the right of this icon displays audio settings, and is where you can select sound input and output devices.
Start/Stop Video Icon. The options arrow on the right of this icon displays Virtual Backgrounds and Video settings.
There is an optional Tipping Point 2021 Virtual Background for workshop monitors you can download by following this link. If you decide to use this
background, you will need to uncheck "mirror video" in the Virtual Backgrounds settings to display the text correctly.
Chat & Reactions Icons.
Participants can post questions, comments, and shared resources in the chat. The monitor can then field questions to the presenter.
Participants can send a chat message to everyone in the meeting, or privately to an individual participant.
If the presenter was unable to get to all the questions, or if the session was very productive and would benefit from further discussion, you can encourage participants to message the presenter on Slack after the session, or to
create a new Slack channel on the workshop's topic.
Share Screen Icon.
Either the presenter or monitor can control a slideshow or video.
Best practice is to have the file downloaded onto your computer, and run the presentation locally, rather than playing from a cloud service.
You can choose to share your entire screen, or a single application window. If the media you are sharing includes sound, be sure to select the "Share Sound" checkbox on the bottom left when selecting which view to share.
Polling must be set up in advance of the meeting by a CTEBVI Admin, and can be launched during the meeting by the meeting Host or Co-Host. If the presenter would like to include polls in the session, please send a
message to David on Slack, or post a message on the help-desk channel.
Breakout Rooms allow small group discussions or activities during the workshop.
You can set the number of Breakout Rooms, and automatically or manually assign participants to rooms.
You can broadcast a message to all participants in a breakout room.
Closing a breakout room notifies participants, starts a 60 second timer, and then brings all participants back into the main workshop session.
You can disable the countdown timer and make other changes from the Settings icon in the Breakout Room window.
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