zoomiquette

The word etiquette is defined as, "The practices and forms prescribed by social convention or by authority."

From the time we are little, we learn concepts of manners and politeness.  We have choices around this; we can be rude, in which case we are known as rude, and we lose social capital in the form of relationships and opportunities. Observing social customs establishes us as people worthy of kindness and respect. People like to treat us in the ways we treat them.

Right now we are in new territory.  We get the idea that we shouldn't track mud into the house or the classroom, but there isn't really a handbook for how we should conduct ourselves on Zoom. I'm interested in your ideas. If you have any suggestions for ways of participating that will make it easier for us to communicate as a group, please comment to this post. I'll update this with your ideas along the way.

To get the ball rolling, here are a couple suggestions:

• Make a good decision about whether/how to use video. I think you should be in charge of whether your camera is on or off.  A lot of our course is going to run on trust, and I'm not in the babysitting or surveillance business, so if you're playing poker with your stuffed animals while the camera is off, I'm going to assume that you are also going to get around to understanding what we're talking about and demonstrating that understanding on your course blog. If you do choose to join us on video, please make sure that you're proud of your appearance and whatever shows up in the background. Try not to light yourself like an interrogation suspect or a campfire ghost story teller. ***Most of our meetings will be recorded and embedded on this site, and you want to be proud of the you that the internet sees.***
• Mute your microphone. I want to hear from each and every single one of you. And, when you think about it, if there are 36 people in our class, and all of the microphones are on, we're actually listening to the background noises from 36 different sets of rooms. WOW! That's too much. So start with your microphone muted. You are welcome to chime in (yes, I mean you can interrupt me) at any point with a question or comment. 
• Use the chat. Some teachers are threatened by students passing notes or making observations while the group is together. I happen to like it. 36 minds going at once is a powerful force, and if I'm on a roll, you may need to jot down your thought or question before you forget it. And, if you want to make fun of something you hear, go right ahead -- we all need a little humor these days. Just don't be offended when you read or hear my comeback.😝
• Be patient and kind. This is the most important thing on my list. All of us are operating with a large amount of weirdness these days, and that can create a lot of stress and anxiety. This first day of school is unlike any other, and my favorite thing about it is that we will be able to say we did it together. 

What else can you think of? I look forward to reading your comments. See you soon!