Remote Classes Hosted on Zoom
All driver’s ed classes are being taught remotely by a live instructor on Zoom. We recognize that virtual learning is different from traditional classroom learning. To help maximize your driver’s ed experience, we have developed the following resources and guidelines for our digital classrooms.
Remote Classroom Requirements:
- Students must participate in the entire 2-hour session on Zoom. We will submit the Zoom’s participation log as our attendance.
- Students under the age of 18 will need a parent/guardian to sign that their teen attended the full 2-hour session for every class taken remotely.
Our Digital Classroom Requirements:
- Participation – Students must participate in the entire 2-hour session on Zoom. Our instructors take attendance multiple times each class. Participation means responding to the instructor’s questions verbally or in chat, engaging in group activities & completing in class quizzes when offered.
- Parent/Guardian Requirement – Parents of students under the age of 18 must attend the parent class unless one was completed in the last 5 years.
- Signature Requirement – Students under the age of 18 will need a parent/guardian to sign that their teen attended the full 2-hour session for every class taken remotely. Students over 18 must sign their signature in the Student Portal after each 2-hour session.
- Legal Name as Display Name – Please make sure that your full legal name, as spelled on your Learner’s Permit, appears on your Zoom account. If you have a nickname you prefer to be called, you can add it after a dash after your legal name. Ex: James Smith – Jim
- Devices – Students must be on a stationary device, and it is recommended they be on a stable network. If a student is disconnected from class more than once, they will not be given credit for the class.
- Cameras On – During class, your camera must be on and pointed towards you on a stable/steady surface. Please do not point your camera at the ceiling of other areas in your room.
- Please Come Ready to Learn & Take Notes – You should be seated upright, in a quiet location, where you can remain focused and present for the duration of class. We recommend, and research shows, that using a physical notebook and taking notes by hand supports learning and recall.
- Show Up and Be on Time – You must be fully present for the entire duration of class in order to get credit. One scheduled break will be given mid-class. Attendance will be taken at the start of class, after break, and at the end of class – you must be active and present during these checks in order to be marked present.
- Avoid Digital Multitasking – We understand the pull to do things while in a Zoom meeting, like scrolling on your phone, playing games, or checking your DMs. We challenge you to focus on the class materials in the same way you will have to focus (without distractions) while driving.
- Our instructors have the discretion to revoke attendance for any of the following reasons but not limited to: tardiness, disruption, lack of participation, technology issues, leaving early, inappropriate language or behavior for a classroom setting.
How to Use Zoom Resources:
- Creating a Zoom Account
- Before you can use Zoom, you will have to create a free account. Click here to create your free Zoom account. You will need to enter your email address and birthdate.
- Downloading the Zoom App
- Once your account is created, you can download the Zoom app to your device. Click here to download the app. You can choose to download the app to your computer, mobile device, or as a browser add-on.
- Testing a Meeting in Zoom
- If you’ve never used Zoom before, it can be helpful to try it out in a test meeting first. This will familiarize you with what your classes will look like and how to use Zoom’s features. After you’ve set up a Zoom account and downloaded the app, click here to test out a meeting.
- Accessing Your Class
- A link to your Zoom classroom can be found in the student portal before your session. Just click the link and the Zoom app will open. Log in to your Zoom account, if prompted, and the Zoom app will open into your class.
- Rescheduling a Missed Class
- Need to reschedule a class you missed or need to move a class you’ve already scheduled? Check out this video!
- Changing Your Display Name
- For attendance purposes, please make sure that your display name is your full legal name, as spelled on your Learner’s Permit, prior to joining our classes. Unsure how? Check out this video on How to Change Your Display Name on Zoom.
- Using Zoom Virtual Backgrounds
- You can add images that block our your background while using zoom. Click here for instructions and FREE Zoom Virtual Backgrounds!
If you are unable to join a class: email [email protected]. While you wait for a response, please try troubleshooting with the tips below:
- Try to access the Zoom link directly from your Student Portal
- Try joining manually by visiting Zoom.us, sign into your Zoom account and click on “Join a meeting”. Enter the 10 digit code at the end of the zoom link.
- Message stating “internal meeting” or to enter in a password, please be sure you are logged into your Zoom account. Go to Zoom.us and click sign-in from the top right.
- Message stating “Waiting for host to start meeting”, it indicates that the instructor hasn’t opened the class yet. If it is before class starts, this is normal. If it is after the class is supposed to start, we may be having a technical issue. Please allow us a few moments to look into this. In the meantime, please log into the student portal to confirm you have the correct Zoom link.
- Disconnected from class and unable to rejoin, please contact the instructor at the email address or phone number they provided at the beginning of class. We will also attempt to contact the instructor to let them know you are waiting to get back into class.
- Attempting to join after class has started, unfortunately we will not be able to provide credit and the class will have to be rescheduled. You can reschedule class in the student portal.
If we are experiencing a technical issue that causes class to be unable to run as scheduled, the class will be rescheduled and you will receive an email with updated information. If you do not receive the email within 48 hours, please check your student portal or contact us for assistance.