How To: Webinar

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Webinar Image

What is a Webinar?

A webinar is a web-based seminar.  Since the term was introduced early to the mainstream it is sometimes used to describe any online meeting.  Precisely, you could attend a webinar and receive a lecture-type experience, host a webinar and be in charge of delivering information via an online lecture platform, or attend on online meeting and be expected to interact with the host and other participants.  Often the term webinar means different things to different people, so it is always good to start with a clarification of your role in any online meeting or webinar beforehand.

Technology

Web-based platforms host webinars.  Some have different features and benefits from others, but the basics are:

VIDEO, the host shares his/her image and it is polite of you to share your image as well.  The exception would be if where you are would be either distracting or has people in the background who should not be on camera (minors).

 

Participants need a laptop/computer to view the audio portion of a webinar.  Participants need a camera to share in the video portion of a webinar.

AUDIO, the host always shares his/her audio.  In some settings, your audio may not be turned on at all, or it may default to muted and you may turn it on when you need to speak, or it may default to on.  It is courteous to KNOW if your audio is on or muted and to mute accordingly.  Unless you are speaking to other participants in the webinar you should be muted.

 

Participants need earbuds, headphones, etc. to participate in the audio portion of a webinar.

Two popular webinar PLATFORMS in Hall County now are Zoom and Microsoft TEAMS.

Hosting a Webinar

Preparation

The host must set up the webinar within the platform in advance if the audience os unknown or other preparations need to take place in advance (guest speaker).  Invitations are often emailed but can be messaged via platforms such as Microsoft Teams.

The Day Of

Visually inspect and test any large displays projecting the webinar and have audio devices ready and tested for large audiences watching one display.

 

Remind participants if they are viewing individually on their laptop to update their devices, know the time and location of the event, and have the proper audio/visual equipment needed to successfully participate.

Right Before

All hosts should meet in the webinar platform right before the webinar to test everyone’s access and equipment.  Pass the hosting back and forth as a test for the actual webinar.

Attending a Webinar

 

Timing

If you are a participant to a webinar allow yourself plenty of time to be settled in front of your display in advance of the start of the webinar.  Know the date, time, and duration of the webinar in advance for your planning.  Log in a few minutes early in case there is an update to the platform you need to perform.

Settings

Some webinars default participants to audio and or video off.  It is polite to turn on your video once the webinar starts and keep your audio muted unless you are speaking.

If your audio is off, look for

 

other opportunities to participate with the host and other participants.  Often there is a chat feature in these platforms; note if the chat message goes to everybody or can go to just certain participants/the host.

Enjoy!

The opportunities for webinars is expansive; look for webinars from professional organizations and educational vendors. Happy Webinar-ing!

Online Video Learning Infographic

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Creating on Chromebooks

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We were fortunate to host Brian Buffington, Director of Instructional Technology at Pioneer RESA.
Brian joined us October 16th & 18th at the Hall County Instructional Support Center to work with us on Creating with Chromebooks.

Brian shared a Google Doc with the group which contained our agenda:

 

 

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Canvas Training Updates

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Canvas Training has been updated!

Hall County School District offers many ways to learn about Canvas by Instructure, our learning management system (LMS).

Learn Canvas Face-to-Face

Five iterations of face-to-face training:

  • June 3, 4, 5
  • August 14, 15, 16
  • October 2, 3, 4
  • January 28, 29, 30
  • March 3, 4, 5

Each iteration offers Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced training. Each training contains activities directed by an expert from Canvas and the training contains activities that show participant competence.

Training Descriptions:

Beginning – Course Basics, Canvas Commons, Course Settings, Modules, Creating Content/Accessibility, Communication Tools, Assignments

Intermediate – Assessment Tools, Outcomes and Rubrics, Group Work & Collaboration, Gradebook and Speedgrader.
PREREQUISITE: Beginner Canvas Training or Growing with Canvas in Hall County online course (found in Catalog)

Advanced – Agenda to Include: managing assessments, group work and collaboration – Google and Office, mastery paths, getting starter with Badgr.
PREREQUISITE: Intermediate Canvas Training

Learn Canvas Online, on your Own

Online, Asynchronous Beginners Canvas course. Each month this course offers a way to work through the content on your own. See your BLaST leader for a reminder of how to sign-up in Catalog for a course as needed.

September 2019 Online Course

 

Learn On Demand with Canvas Experts

Canvas Training Support Services

You can watch videos or sign up for future, live webinars. These webinars have one expert who shows you what to do in Canvas and one Canvas expert who runs the chat window answering your questions.

You need to Authorize this, much like you did the first time you used Google within Canvas.

Make sure once you are logged in to look through the Learning Library and Training Calendar (below).  Your My Learning section is a listing of the sessions you have signed up for, with an option to reschedule.

Register for Live Webinars

Ther remain many ways for educators in our district to learn about Canvas.

Follow this blog for more information and to keep up on the latest face-to-face training on our calendar.

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NewsELA supports #LiteracyforHall

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NewsELA Supports #LiteracyforHall

NewsELA is a district subscription which focuses on 3-12 grades. NewsELA combines real-time assessments with leveled content from daily news sources and nonfiction publishers, Newsela makes reading to learn relevant, interesting, and effective regardless of interest or ability. Access is via a tile on LaunchPoint for both teachers and students. Class rosters are pulled in from Infinite Campus, or you can group students into “Classes,”

Ready to Use NewsELA

For beginners, consider an Onboarding Workshop. Our “login method” is Clever/ClassLink:

Login Method Clever ClassLink

If you want a start-up walkthrough, consider NewsELA Educator’s Center. You will want to know that under “Set up Classes” we use Clever. This would be ideal to share in your PLC.

Consider becoming a NewsELA Certified Educator either on your own or in a certification course eLearning runs in June.

NewsELA Training

Watch for redelivery from colleagues who attend training sessions at the district level. Make sure your Blended Learning Support Team (BLaST) members and/or leader knows you are interested in future training on NewsELA. Stay tuned for a webinar offering the second semester!

Your BLaST leader will also have the bit.ly session resource files shared at each out our recent training:
NewsELA bit.ly links for Session Resources

These links were shared in the session and then shared to the BLaST leaders in Teams.

Start with What you Have

Do not wait for a full class set of Chromebooks. Blended Learning strategies encourage you to use the station rotation model when you have less than a 1:1 classroom. NewsELA would be a perfect station!

NewsELA in varied Tech Settings Graphics

Ask your local BLaST leader for resources shared at the session – the link to which was shared via Microsoft Teams to them.

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Summer 2019: Tools and Blended Learning

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In our 4th year of Blended Learning June offerings, we are excited to offer Hall County teachers access to professional learning around the most effective tools to use in a blended learning setting. Online offerings open May 30th and blended offerings start the first face-to-face training day.

All face-to-face training is at the Hall County Instructional Support Center, 2750 Atlanta Highway, Gainesville, GA 30504.

*teachers are not eligible to participate in certifications if they already hold that certification.

Canvas Apps

Canvas Foundational Courses: K-12 Hall County Teachers, 90 spots, $450 paid for completion
Blended format: Leveled to current Canvas instructor experience, this training provides one day of face-to-face training with a Canvas Trainer. To complete the course, finish two days worth of learning, submissions, peer reviews, and assessments online.

brainpop app

*BrainPOP Certification: K-8 Hall County Teachers, 50 spots, $300 paid for completion
Blended format: This training provides one day of face-to-face training with BrainPop. To complete the course, finish one more day online.

thinglink app

*ThingLink Certified Educator Certification: K-12 Hall County Teachers,
20 spots, $150 paid for completion
Online format:
Submit to ThingLink before June 14th.

nearpod app

*Nearpod Certified Educator Certification: K-12 Hall County Teachers, 20 spots, $150 paid for completion
Online format:

Submit to Nearpod before June 14th.

newsela app

*NewELA Certified Educator Certification: K-12 Hall County Teachers, 20 spots, $150 paid for completion
Online format:

Submit to NewsELA before June 14th.

flipgrid app

*FlipGrid Certified Educator (Level 1 & 2) Certification: K-12 Hall County Teachers, 20 spots, $150 paid for completion
Online format:

Submit to FlipGrid before June 14th.

*teachers are not eligible to participate in certifications if they already hold that certification.

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