Use an iPad or iPhone For a Whiteboard in Your ZOOM Virtual Classroom

 Are you teaching from home while your document camera is at school? Trying to use a whiteboard behind you but worried that the text is too small for kids to read? Just wish you had more functionality for your whiteboard, like bringing in PDFs to annotate in your meeting?

If you have an iPhone or an iPad, you can share screen in your ZOOM meeting and connect your Apple device to the meeting! 

As I was starting to write this post, I actually remembered ZOOM has had this functionality for at least 9 years! When I was first given an iPad2 by my district in 2011 I used to connect my iPad to my desktop computer so I could go through examples while I stood out of the way of my students, in the back of the room!

Worried your iPad/iPhone might be too old? This screenshare feature works with any device that can run the ZOOM app - my iPad mini is at least 7 years old! 

Here's the tutorial:

Bitmoji Buttons for your Canvas Homepage or Class Website

 

Why have "normal" buttons and links on your Canvas homepage or class website when you can bitmoji them instead?! Here's how I did it using Canva.com (or the Canva app). If you want a copy of my Canva file to use as a template, shoot me a message on Twitter (@chuckcbaker) or Instagram (@mrcbaker4math)

UPDATE: 8:04pm

I found later on IG (via TikTok) that for any even easier approach (with less customization), you can just type "CIRCLE" in the search on Bitmoji and you get several options with a similar effect. 

https://www.tiktok.com/@terrificteaching/video/6863173611008658694

Google Voice for Your (Virtual) Classroom

Google Voice is a FANTASTIC tool to use for contacting parents (or anyone, really) while shielding your personal phone number from the public (or just your syllabus. LOL)

Besides simply having a separate number to give out to students and parents on my syllabus, I also enjoy using Google Voice for:

• Texting with families instead of calling
• Whether your parents don't pick up the phone or you yourself would prefer texting, its fantastic as another channel of communication that doesn't require parents to signup for something else (like Remind or Classtag)
• The freedom to communicate from my laptop OR my cellphone (or you could also use a tablet)
• You can place a call right from your school laptop using on the Google Voice app (or use your smartphone, the old-fashioned way)
• Voicemails (and a transcription of the recording) that come straight to my email
• If the transcription is good enough, (which it usually is), you can get the gist of what the parent needs without having to listen to the voicemail at all!
• Screening calls
• This setting prompts callers to say their name before it connects to you, so you can answer the call with confidence that if there's a conversation you need more time to prepare for, you can still send that caller to voicemail.