Best Practices

  • First, you need to familiarize yourself with the Basics and Security. These are essential.

  • You may also want to have knowledge of recent Updates.

Essentials

Hosting Tips

  • Be sure participants know how the tech works - how to ask questions, mute, etc.

  • Encourage participation through activities or discussion (including Interactive Tools in Meet)

  • Sharing a Slide Deck is nice, but take full advantage of screen sharing. Go to websites and navigate. It doesn’t have to be static.

  • Single speaker is nice but discussion is better

  • In large groups, consider muting mics and video. In small groups, keep videos up - helps keep things personal and keep students accountable.

  • Plan break times / stretch; 30-60 minutes breaks

  • Review your expectations and procedures regularly!!

  • Hosting Large Remote Events

Hardware

In addition to webcam and possibly headset/earbuds

  • Learn about audio feedback and how to prevent it.

    • The easiest way is to use a headset so your audio isn't picked up by your microphone.

    • Laptops, Chromebooks, webcams, and even phones tend to have noise cancellation built in, so they are usually safe to use without headphones.

  • Have a second monitor. You can have your teaching materials and meet on one, with your shared screen on the other. Use WindowsKey+P, then choose Extended Display.

  • Alternatively, have a second computer, or tablet. MUTE the mic and speakers on one of them, or you will get feedback!

  • If you need to demonstrate hand-written or drawn things (like math problems), check out our section on Whiteboards & Document Cameras, below.

Welcoming Slides

  • Have a welcoming slide or instructions

  • Use this Slide Presentation as a template if you wish. Includes music slides!

  • See below for Making a Slides Kiosk and for Looping Music

Make a Slides Kiosk

A slides kiosk is a repeating, self-playing slideshow to loop prior to the event.

  • You need to Publish your slideshow to do this. Click File > Publish to Web

  • Choose how quickly you want it to advance (I use 10 secs)

  • Check the box for “Restart the slideshow after the last slide”

  • Load that link in another tab, and close your presentation.

  • In Google Meet, select Present Now and choose A Chrome Tab.

  • Pick the tab for your presentation.

  • Doing it this way helps smooth out the animation and makes video/audio play smoothly.


Inserting Audio

  • First you need an audio file. This feature in Slides lets you insert audio, not create.

    1. Audio files need to be in MP3 or WAV format

    2. You can record your own audio using something like Audacity, or download copyright friendly music from places like www.bensound.com

    3. Or you can download music from YouTube using this website

  • Then add the audio to Google Drive and share it so Anyone With the Link Can View

    1. Go into your slideshow and choose Insert > Audio

    2. Navigate to your file in Drive and choose it

    3. Next, change the settings on the Audio file: Auto playback, 30% volume, Hide icon, Loop Audio.

  • If you want to combine multiple audio tracks into one, you can combine them with https://audio-joiner.com/

Audience Feedback & Response

Whiteboards & Document Cameras