Information for Students about Zoom

Welcome and thank you for being a part of Drawing America.

In this turbulent moment we want to help create a sense of connectedness for our members. Video meetings not only allow us to connect with each other for educational purposes, but they also further a sense of community that is so important. 

To reduce the frustration that can come from working with new technology, please take a moment to read the information below. It will help you get acquainted with our video meetings. If you have any questions, you can reach us here.

We can’t wait to see you inside!

Drawing America

As far as video conferencing goes, Zoom is very user-friendly. Many of our members have been surprised that it worked for them after one or two tries.

However, as with anything new, it takes a little time to learn the ropes. Our very first piece of advice: be patient. Allow yourself a little time to get the hang of it. It is completely worth your while to do so, we promise. 

If possible, use a desktop or laptop. They are the easiest to control, and of course, provide you with the largest image to interact with or work from. If either is not available, a tablet works well. A phone works well, but can be so tiny that the group aspect can get a little lost.

Try to get the best WiFi connection you can. For many of us, that means being in a certain area of our home or office. To test your connection, go to this site and run the test. If it is weak, test in a different room. It will elevate your experience, though almost everyone we worked with has had a good connection. 

When you enter a meeting, your video and audio are off. You may turn them on as we cannot control your camera and audio, but this is not mandatory. Look for the Video and Audio buttons on your screen.

The whole joy of connecting with others in these circumstances is seeing each other. There will be a button on your screen (in different places, depending on your device) that says either Gallery View or Speaker View. WE RECOMMEND GALLERY VIEW. That’s the view with all the faces.

One of the best parts of these sessions is sharing work. During our breaks we share our work (you don’t have to). It is truly a joy to see each other’s work. When called on, you can place your work in front of your camera. We will enlarge your view for the rest of the participants.