Virtual Visits

Virtual Visits

During the Corona Virus Pandemic and quarantine we switched from an in person to an online class model. The response was largely positive so we have continued conducting classes via Zoom with the option to have in person classes if preferred.

Our classes are typically 1.5 to 2 hours long but we’ve found that 2 hours can be a long time to sit in a Zoom meeting. If you find this to be true as well, you also have the option to split your two hours up into twice a week meetings of an hour each. See how you feel and if you think you’d like to try two shorter meetings instead please let your tutor know. Some families don’t have the availability for two classes a week and simply would prefer one, shorter class. That’s fine as well.

Your Online Safety and Comfort

• You will have a personalized Zoom room password that will be shared only with your class participants
• Mute on entry will prevent your classmates from hearing or being distracted by your environmental background noise
• Your information and any communication will only sent over encrypted communications and firewall protected networks: All of our tutors have been given access to email addresses under our parent institution, Northern Essex Community College. They can send SRF forms and Zoom invites to you using this email address if you prefer. Your privacy is important to all of us.

We will pre-schedule your classes to ensure that the security features are turned on, and that your tutor has host controls. It is a recurring meeting so it opens whenever they click start.

The password and the link for the will be the same every time so save the email to reuse every time.

The coordinator sets herself as an alternate host in case she’s needed for tech support but, generally speaking, she won’t intrude on your classes.

Classes are set to automatically record so that you can review them later. The coordinator will forward you links to the recordings as they become available. If you do not wish for your classes to be recorded you can email us and request to opt out.

Please check your internet connectivity before class to make sure that your signal is strong.

Zoom has a test meeting available at this link: https://zoom.us/test and we recommend using this feature before your first class so you can get comfortable with the platform.

If there are ever technical difficulties that can’t be sorted out in the moment, please feel free to move class over to Skype or Face Time until it can be sorted out.

Please reserve your class time so that you can be present and attentive in your zoom meeting. Make sure that you are stationary in a safe and comfortable environment.

Best practices for virtual visits:

• If you have access to one, you’ll get the best results from a laptop or desktop computer with a webcam
• If you are using a webcam, position the camera near your screen so that you can see each other and make eye contact at the same time. Direct eye contact is important in ASL and the direction of eye gaze can instantly change the meaning of a sentence!
• If you are using a phone or a tablet, turn your device horizontally aka. the long way. This will ensure that the person watching has the largest possible view of you with no wasted space around the video.
• Sit near enough to the camera that you are visible from the waist up, with about a foot of space to your left, top, and right. This will give you room to sign without getting cut off.
• Keep an eye on yourself in the video conference. Are you still in the frame? Are you getting cut off? Is the cat blocking the view? Are you as tiny as an ant? Is the camera looking up your nose?
• Kids and pets LOVE to explore and play with cameras, and who can blame them? There are so many silly things you can do with a camera! If you’re using a phone or tablet, we suggest putting it up on a shelf or a counter, out of reach, and sitting a little further back so everyone can be seen.
  Zoom has a chat feature! Of course, the goal is to sign and not depend on English, but open that chat feature in case you and your tutor need to write back and forth or share internet links!
• Ever wondered why all the interpreters you see at events and on the news are wearing plain black or navy blue? The color and the pattern of the clothing you wear when signing impacts how easily people can see your hands! The best clothes to wear for visibility are clothes without any patterns, in a color that contrasts with your skin tone. If you have dark skin, beige or white are best practice. If you have light skin, black and navy blue are preferred. And consider removing your makeup. Natural makeup is no big deal, but the colorful or exaggerated kind can be distracting. If you have long hair, that might fall in your face and hide your eyebrows and expressions, pull it back. If you have facial hair, consider trimming around your mouth. ASL has these grammatical features called non-manual markers that include making shapes with your lips. Don’t let your hair silence you!