Zoom Programming

Type: Active
Age: High school
Optimal size: 11-20
Estimated cost: $26 - $50
Planning time: 2-5 hours
Frequency: One-time

Learning outcomes

• Demonstrate technology use that is safe, ethical, and responsible
• Leverage digital tools to broaden their perspective
• Think critically about digital tools and their uses
• Express themselves on a variety of platforms
• Display the ability to communicate with others

Instructions

Zoom is a video conferencing webiste and app.  Teen library workers are using Zoom to do programs such as:

• Hosting Dungeons and Dragons, Magic the Gathering, or Pokemon clubs they offered at the library.
• TAG meetings, creative writing clubs 
• Talent shows, open mic nights, or poetry slams
• At home prom
• Kahoot-Create your Kahoot game just like you did at the library. While in Zoom, use the "share your screen" option to show the questions. Teens can download the app or go online and play just like they do in house.
• Music lessons. If you offered guitar or ukulele lessons, you can still do them on Zoom.
• Book Club-We host our teen book club on Zoom.
• Author visits-Invite an author to speak just like you would do at your library. There will probably be a fee but it will be cheaper than in-person. 
• Cooking Classes. The Syosset Library is hosting a Mother's Day French Toast Casserole class on Zoom. 
• Craft or art classes- Have teens gather the necessary supplies before the Zoom and teach them the activity like you would if you were in the library. Try to choose supplies that teens will already have at home. If you have a small art club or craft club, you can snail mail supplies before the Zoom so that they are ready to craft!
• Hire an art presenter or an art teacher from your school district if you have an art club. 
• Scavenger Hunts-Make a bunch of index cards with random items you would find in a home. Hold them up and the first teen to hold up the item to the screen gets the point. We did this at my library and it was lots of fun.
• Staff Skills. Like my library, I am busy but we do have shelvers and circ clerks who need things to do. Ask if they have any special skills that they would like to teach over Zoom. It could be make-up tutorials, cartooning, hand sewing, origami, nail art, hair tutorials, etc. I asked my library's cataloger to run an intro to DnD over Zoom. 
• Paint n Sip-Once again, choose a picture and share your screen over Zoom so that your teens can see it. they can have their beverage of choice while they paint and chat with others.  You can have a registration and mail out supplies to your patrons so that they are ready to paint.

Evaluation

I know there's been some controversy over Zoom that random people are getting on or that some teens have said some racist comments to the presenter. There are ways to avoid that in Zoom.

• Don't share your meeting ID or password to the public onFacebook or other social media.
  • Instead, have teens DM you if they want to participate and share the info there. 
  • Get a list of participants names. If they are DMing you, they are probably using a username. Ask for their real first and last name when they register on DM and tell them to use their first and last name when they sign into Zoom
• Change the settings in Zoom so that teens have to go to a virtual waiting room before they can be on video. This way you can screen who is coming in.
• As the host, you can mute everyone. If someone wants to speak, they can raise their hand on screen and you can unmute them. 
• As the host, you can disable chats
• As the host, you can lock the meeting so that no else can get it.
• As the host, you can disable someone's video feed or you and remove them from the meeting.
• If you are inviting and author or presenter,  you can make them a host so that they can share their screen or manage the Zoom with you.
• Teens don't need to download an app if they don't want to. They can go to the Zoom website, click join meeting and they just enter the meeting ID and password you gave them.
• If teens are shy, tell them they don't have to enable their video, they can just chat or do voice.

Disadvantages of Zoom

• You can get a free account but you only get 46 minute meetings.
  • Check to see if your library has a Zoom account and see if you can become a user on the library's account.

Other Free Options:

• Google Hangout-Hangout can get dicey when there are a lot of people on the call. It can get laggy. 
• Discord-Discord is a bit tricky to get used to as a moderator/host. I recommend gathering somecoworkers and friends or teens to test it out. It's great but it takes some getting use to. 
  • Discord is an app and a website where your teens can chat or video conference. It is also invite only and it's FREE!

Netflix Party

• You can download the Netflix Party plugin and you and your teens can watch the same show at the same time and chat while you watch. Everyone has to download the plugin first.

Playingcards.io

• On this site, you and your teens can play a card game online. If you want to talk though, everyone will need to meet up on Google Hangout,  Zoom, Discord, Houseparty, etc.

Don't Forget at Instagram and Facebook

• If you are doing a presentation where you don't need other people on the screen such as a craft or cooking demo, you can useInstagram orFacebook Live. Teens can ask questions in the chat box.Facebook Live is great for author visits too. 
  • I just used Instagram Live to do a virtual author visit. On Instagram Live, two people can be on the screen at the same time. If you are hosting an author, you both can be on the screen and you can ask questions the teens are posting to the chat. Just don't do it on a Saturday night-too many people are on Instagram and the video feed will drop. You can also download your video and share it to Youtube or Facebook for people to watch later.

When you promote these programs, make sure you tell your teens to get permission from a parent first.