ETS Brownbag: Ghost Proofing Your Online Session with Zoom Polling

Online via Zoom

ETS October 2026 Brown bag Discussion/Demonstration
Ghost Proofing Your Online Session with Zoom Polling

Winter is coming… and with it, those unexpected days when you might need to pivot to a synchronous online Zoom class session. Yes it happens.

Zoom room with cameras off

When you open your Zoom room, you might face a terrifying sight: a screen full of black boxes.
Here’s the real question: How do you Ghost-Proof your online class? 👻

Enter Zoom Polling and Online Etiquette!

In this month’s Educational Technology Services (ETS) Brownbag Demonstration, we’re taking the fear out of virtual teaching and demonstrating how to turn passive observers into active participants.

What We Will Cover:

  • 🎃 Engagement Foundations: Set online ground rules early, handle the "cameras on"  and use Zoom Avatars as a low-pressure alternative for camera-shy students.
  • 🎃 Pre-Planned vs. On-the-Fly Polling: Learn how to set up questions in advance in Zoom  or spin up quick polls in the moment when a teachable moment strikes.
  • 🎃 Mini-Quizzes & Attendance: Use polling as low-stakes knowledge checks to gauge comprehension and easily pull post-session logs for attendance
  • 🎃 Live Demo & Best Practices: Watch a quick step-by-step walkthrough of launching polls and sharing anonymous results

This workshop/demonstration is open to COE faculty, staff, and graduate assistants.

Contact:
Rosalia K. Reyes-Webb
rosalia5@umd.edu

Website:
View all upcoming ETS workshops