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October 2020
Online on time Tips for connecting to Zoom classes with minimal issues Lily Thomas
O
thomalil000@hsestudents.org
ver 80% of Americans face a daily tech struggle, according to a poll by technology support company Asurion. From scratchy audio to frozen videos, technology issues commonly occur during Zoom meetings. With the current hybrid schedule, teachers still rely on Zoom to teach their online students. As Zoom becomes more widely used, more tips and tricks have been brought to light, which range from keyboard shortcuts to a beauty filter. There are also features such as breakout rooms, virtual backgrounds and video filters to enhance the Zoom calls. Technology issues With some students at school and others at home, a range of technical issues may occur. Librarian Renee Isom said audio issues are a common Zoom problem for both students and teachers. A lot of the time, my teachers will be talking and they’ll cut out at important parts of the conversation and then I don’t know what’s going on,” sophomore Mayalyn Graves said. To combat this problem, Isom recommends properly restarting computers and keeping them up to date. Sometimes, these audio While in her backyard on Oct. 3, senior issues can be a result of poor Wi-Fi connections. Technology specialist Amy King encourages students to use Sofia Solis tests out the Zoom beauty filter. The photo on the left is without the the Chrome browser to access their Zoom links. I have been kicked out of meetings because I lost connection,” filter,and the photo on the right is with the junior Ben Crowe said. “There’s points where everything freezes filter. Photo used with permission of Sofia Solis. on my end and I can’t see or hear anyone.” To improve Wi-Fi connections, Isom suggests limiting how many devices are connected to the Wi-Fi at one time. For example, using your phone to stream a show while on Zoom will negatively impact connection, so it is best to limit the use of other devices to optimize internet speed. Closing unneeded programs and tabs may also improve connection. In the case that Wi-Fi cuts out in the middle of class, one solution could be using a phone to communicate the issue to the teacher via email or attempting to join the Zoom call on your phone. According to King, using a phone to participate in the Zoom call can also be a good option if computer microphones and speakers do not work well. General tips and tricks There are several ways to navigate Zoom via keyboard shortcuts. The “push to talk” option utilizes the spacebar to temporarily unmute a microphone. The combination of keyboard buttons for each shortcut varies based on the type of computer, but some shortcuts include turning video on or off, raising or lowering a hand and opening the
