Updated Oct 4, 2020
As you set up for your live, synchronous online classes, it’s nice for the students to have something to look at. I also play music from my Spotify lists to keep things lively. If you want to create an interactive Waiting Room slide – check out my tutorial below.
I want to clarify my language on “waiting room.” I interpret it with two meanings:
- The Zoom “Waiting Room” allows for some customization. You can upload an GIF, JPEG, or PNG that does not exceed 400px + customize the description up to 400 characters. >> Learn more
- The other “waiting room” is once the students have arrived into the session. This is what my Canva slide concept is designed for. To show the students your graphic, simply share your screen. As an added bonus, I suggest using Spotify or Pandora and play music while they wait. Be sure to check the box for “share sound” when you select “share screen.”
Here is an example of a 400px gif for the Zoom Waiting Room:
This is great! How do you add it to Zoom? I find that it only allows you the option to add a logo for the waiting room, which is too small to see.
I apologize for my delayed response. I think I need to adjust my language a bit for this piece. When I was referring to “waiting room” I was referring to the time when students are already admitted to the session but waiting for it to start. With that, all you need to do is share your screen and it will show your Canva slide. Customization with in the Zoom waiting room itself is more limited. Instructions are posted at https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115000332726-Waiting-Room#h_57118d8b-1498-4c4c-a520-f8a5815930a7. There you can upload a 400px max image, as well as customize the description (400 character limit). Hope that helps!