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| 2009 Guam Quarter (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The good news is that doesn't have to be the case anymore. Webinar events from around the world can be viewed on your computer at no cost. That alone should be an eye opener for any school administrator! Webinars, or online seminars, can take different forms but usually consist of a presenter sharing slides with an audience. It may also be an interview or a workshop on a particular application. Most professions require continued training and re-certification, so webinars make a perfect choice for professional development. Some webinar sources for educators are The Global Education Conference, Classroom 2.0 Live, Future of Education, and SimpleK12. Google also offers events through their Google+ Hangout feature. The optimum way to participate in a webinar is to do so live as it is happening. Each of the sources above use a conferencing application to bring all of the participants together. Since the session is being conducted in a different time zone, it is important to know when events are happening at your time. Use a time-zone converter for that if the source doesn't provide on for you. If you can't make it at that time there is usually a recording of the session posted somewhere. YouTube and iTunes may have these non-live versions as well as the providers listed above. Some webinars require registration or may include a small fee, but there's plenty of material readily available for free. Sign up to receive notifications of upcoming events.
With webinar events, educators have access to great minds like Howard Gardner or Daniel Pink. Not only can you hear their presentation, but you may have an opportunity to ask them a question yourself. Online webinars are where I've learned about emerging ideas in education like Finland's educational system and the 21st Century Fluency Project. I keep a personal blog of the ideas I gain from these events and draw upon it often to shape my own professional beliefs. There are also marathon sessions offered several times throughout the year that will include multiple back-to-back webinars. Google's Education On-Air conference starts in a few days and you can look forward to a fantastic Global Education Collaborative conference in November.
The other resource found in webinars is the audience themselves. Most of the webinars list the participants and keep a running chat discussion going as the presentation plays out. You'll find people attend these sessions from all around the world. This side chatter can sometimes be more interesting than the presentation itself. Usually someone acts a wrangler and provides helpful links to what is being presented. Some of webinar software allow you to save the chat discussion in addition to the main presentation. This is helpful because it can be hard to keep up with the chat forum and listen to the presenter at the same time. The chat forum is a great feature because it lends to the community feel of webinars. Plus, you don't have to stay quiet during the presentation and you can get out of your chair when you want. Better still - get involved yourself. You can add your own comments to the chat discussion or "grab the mike" and ask the presenter a question at the appropriate time.
I think you'll find online webinars a worthwhile experience. Think of them as opportunities for personalized professional development. You'll learn new ideas and meet new people from the comfort of your own laptop. Of course, you may miss out on that all-expense paid trip to Arizona but you'll free up your time to do other things. This professional development that won't cost you a dime. Tap into the world's collective knowledge and join a webinar today. Online webinars are the perfect choice for professional development that won't cost you a dime.
