There is not much to know: when you join the meeting (instructions below) you will be in a “waiting room” and one of us will let you in the meeting quickly, we hope. (If you are stuck in the waiting room for more than a minute, try texting or emailing Mike.)

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    When you get in from the waiting room you should be able to see and hear the proceedings automatically. You might be asked whether you wish to receive sound by computer/internet or by phone: the computer/internet audio is usually the best choice.

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     Your device will have options about turning on your camera and microphone if you wish other people to see and hear you. This is optional. It is best to keep the microphone off most of the time; otherwise everybody in the meeting hears each other‘s doorbell, pets, sirens, breathing, etc. There are onscreen options to mute and unmute yourself as necessary while you watch and listen to our meeting. On computers (not phone, not tablet), Mike strongly recommends that you use zoom's “Window” menu to select “Always Show Meeting Controls” so your mute/unmute button remains visible. 

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     People will see your computer's name in an onscreen list of participants and might not know who you are. (Some of Mike's students came into online classes this Spring bearing their parents names.) You may change your onscreen name in the participants list. (Hover over it and press the “more” choice.) In one of Mike's classes, eight kids and Mike all changed their onscreen names to “Theo” to amuse student Theo.

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     Zoom offers quick illustrated introductory tutorials for more information.