1.)  Do not wear white, black, very light  pastels, busy or shiny patterns.  Darker solids work best.  Light colors reflect light and can be blinding.  Bold stripes and plaids can appear to vibrate.  Black shirts cause to make a person blend in with the environment.

1.)  Be wary of your classroom’s lighting.  Too much light can be blinding.  Be sure to cover windows.  Too little light can make seeing the speaker impossible or  can make targets blend into the environment.  Zooming in on objects generally makes for a sharper picture by limiting light sources.

2.)  Avoid wearing jewelry that is noisy (rattles or clinks) cause this can be heard as you move around and can be distracting or can drown out what you want to be heard.

1.)  Remember to look into the camera, however difficult that may be, and maintain eye contact with your students.  Look at the camera often so people watching will feel like they are a part of the discussion, not watching a show.

1.)  Since movement attracts attention, do not move around too much and if you do, move gradually.  Sudden movements in any direction are visually distracting and can cause the camera to lose momentary focus of what is happening in a room.

2.)  Use slow sweeping eye movements.  Do not dart your eyes or stare at the floor, for this makes  you appear nervous.

2.)  Avoid “talking with your hands”.

3.)  Use the camera to zoom in on people’s faces.  This makes the contact more personal and is preferable to most people.  Looking at a large group makes it difficult to focus on the speaker and causes distractions.

3.)  Try not to move when someone else is speaking.

4.)  Be sure others in the room are not shuffling their feet, waving, tapping pencils or making other distracting movements.

5.) Movement is effective when transitioning from one part of a presentation or lesson to another.

1.)  Have all speakers introduce themselves at the start of their speaking role.

1.)  Be sure you and the other sites are aware of the structure of the meeting, i.e. what will happen, why and when.  Keep the structure simple and let the students know where you are in that structure as  you go.

2.)  Do not shout.  Rather speak in a strong natural voice.  People that are further from the microphone may need to speak up, but still, don’t shout.

2.)  “Mute” microphones when not in use in order to avoid unwanted audio.  However, be sure to alert other site(s) that you are going to do this, so as not to let them feel left out or to confuse them.

3.)  Avoid unnecessary noises, such as tapping feet or pencils, whispering, dropping pencils or crumpling paper.  You do not want to obscure the sound of someone speaking.

3.)  Control your own camera, NOT the other site(s).  Let them know if you are going to control their camera.  Decide before the conference who controls what camera and how this will be done. 

4.)  Consider repeating off-site questions or comments, or those from people far from the microphone, so other sites can hear.

4.) Be sure to know if certain areas of the room being shown are off limits to outside viewers.  Some areas have sensitive materials that outsiders should not see.

5.)  To as great an extent as possible, try to make sure all people are near a microphone, so they can ask questions which people at other sites can hear.

5.)  Take note of students, if in a classroom, who do not participate, and discuss this with them individually after class.  Try to get all individuals to be part of the experience.

6.)  Try not to pause mid –thought.  Because of the occasional delay in transmission, other sites may think you have finished and may unwittingly interrupt you.

6.)  Be aware that there is usually lag during these conferences.  Be sure to pause before and after questions or statements to allow other site(s) to hear what has been said and to think on the implications of these statements.

7.)  Maintain a moderate speaking pace, but try to vary your tone and pitch for emphasis.  If you speak monotonously, you may put people to sleep.

8.)  Do not read material out loud.

9.)  Remind individuals to use their microphones when necessary and to speak loud enough to be heard.  Be conscious of other site(s) and whether or not they can hear you or your speakers.

10.)  Eliminate all chatter that is not part of the program you are taking part in.  Don’t let others ruin what is taking place.