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Zoom has a new Focus mode that is perfect for teachers with annoying students
Focus mode puts the spotlight on the room’s host.
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The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns meant office workers, teachers, students, and more had to adjust their routines tremendously. For many, it meant getting used to being on Zoom and Google Meet calls for both meetings and virtual social gatherings.
Now, Zoom is rolling out a new feature that could be great for a lot of people, but especially teachers that are trying to wrangle distracted students.
Called Focus mode, it essentially allows the teacher (or any host and co-host) to see video of the other students and people in the room, while listeners can only see their own video feed and that of the host.
Listeners will only see the name of other listeners, as well as any emoji reactions they use.
The host can turn the feature on and off as they wish, which could be nice for meetings where half is spent talking about serious things, before turning Focus mode off for the casual moments.
Overall, it’s a solid addition to the Zoom platform. While many schools are planning for full reopenings this fall (some students have already gone back), an increase in COVID-19 cases could lead us right back to where we were a year ago.
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Editors’ Recommendations:
- You can now take Zoom calls right from Facebook’s Portal TV
- Google Meet now lets you add video backgrounds to your calls
- Microsoft Teams is now offering 24-hour web-based video calls for free
- Facebook booted over 300 Russian accounts claiming COVID vaccines turned people into chimpanzees
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