One of the volunteer hats I wear is being a Zoom host and account administrator. I manage the account settings, schedule meetings and download and distribute the recordings for small nonprofits. It is a geeky-techie thing and I like it. It allows me to be involved with others and I feel like I am giving back to the community.
The opportunity to train as a Zoom administrator was a direct result of the pandemic. I couldn’t visit libraries, schools and civic organizations to present topics or share in poetry readings. Back then, I felt I needed to learn Zoom if I did not want to fade away from the public eye. I needed to learn Zoom for the organizations I represented and for the people I liked and loved to survive while in the clutches of pandemic isolation.
The internet saved me from obscurity. I attended Zoom training sessions, presentations and meetings and improved my video and audio presentation skills. I spent hours recording, deleting and reciting my work and reading biographies. I trolled YouTube for Zoom tips and memorized short cuts. I increased my knowledge base regarding my assistive technology. I helped other people to improve their skills.
It is 2023 and thanks to being a good self-starter and being self-reliant , I am a Zoom administrator for small business and personal accounts. I reached past my comfort zone and met my goals. I did not overreach and this is essential to be successful.
Here is a poem I wrote about video conferencing platforms.
Zoom and Zap
By Ann Chiappetta
Prior to the pandemic
I got zapped with the Zoom app.
Now I zig and zag, click and tap
Interact on the Z
Meetings and webinars
Zoom zooming zoom
Unstable connections
Am I unmuted?
Get the got it button
Waiting for host
Virtual connections
continue after the pandemic ends.
☄️