The Meeting OWL camera features a near-360 degree view of your classroom, and has the built-in ability to automatically zoom in on whoever is speaking, making it especially helpful to online students during in-class discussions.  Learn more in our general introduction to the Meeting OWL.

The following instructions will help you get up and running.  

NOTE:  The Meeting OWL will always be on, so long as it is plugged in.

After connecting your laptop or logging into the classroom computer: 

• Launch Zoom (or your preferred video conferencing program, the instructions here for Zoom are very similar to what you’d need to do in another app.)

• Find and select the settings cog (⚙)  in the upper right portion of the Zoom home screen:

  

• Look for and choose the following: 

• Video: 

• Choose Meeting Owl Pro Camera in the Camera drop down menu 

NOTE: It may take a few minutes for the Meeting OWL to establish communication with Zoom - a grey screen with an OWLLabs logo (as pictured above) will appear in the video settings section while it establishes a connection.

• After you see the video connections established, visually check the video playing in this video settings screen.

Make sure it is actually coming from the Meeting OWL (as opposed to a different camera in the room) and that it looks as expected.  The Meeting OWL focuses on where sound is coming from, so you may want to try directing your voice towards the OWL, so that it locates and focuses on you.

• • Under My Video, Select “Mirror image”- this is the most natural way of seeing yourself, as if you were looking at a mirror-- this does NOT affect what you’re students see, it will not be mirrored for them.

IMPORTANT: Please don’t attempt to move the OWL tripod.  If you need help, please contact us.

• Audio: 

• Choose “.... (Meeting Owl Pro)” in both the Speaker drop down menu and the Microphone drop down menu
  

• Click or tap Test Speaker. You should hear a chime emanate from the OWL. Click or tap Stop.
  

• Click or tap Test Microphone.  Speak a few choice words. The application will record what you say and play it back to you from the Meeting OWL.  

• Uh-oh: If you do not hear the chime, or your voice is not played back to you, or you do hear these things, but not coming from the Meeting OWL, check that the OWL is selected in both the Speaker and Microphone drop down menus (see above.)  Also check for the following:

• Red lights illuminated on the base of the Meeting Owl? This indicates that someone pushed the Meeting OWL’s Mute button. You would also see the following icon in the center of the video feed coming from the OWL in Zoom:

To unmute the OWL walk over to the Meeting OWL and press the following button located on the base of the OWL:

Exit the Settings section of Zoom, and the Meeting OWL is now ready for you to start your Zoom meeting.

"It won't turn on"

We hear this a lot.  There are three common reasons to keep in mind:

Common reason #1:  If you're using a laptop, you have not connected it to the smart classroom.

Common reason #2:  Hurry up, will you OWL!?  If the Meeting OWL has has been off in sleep-mode for "a while," it can sometimes take a few mintues to boot back up. (Another reason why the Meeting OWL should always be ON).  When this happens, you'll see a gray screen in Zoom...

...which eventually will go away and show you the video feed.

Common reason #3:  Check that power cord coming from the base of the OWL and re-plug it if necessary.

Need Help?

Here's how to get it.