With the near onset of Spring (and we just had the official first day of Spring recently), I thought that this image was fitting. :) I can't wait for the warm weather, and I'm literally counting down the school days until Spring Break!!
As did the rest of you, I attended my first webinar experience this week (Tuesday evening, to be exact). Now, I ended up attending a webinar for school administrators that dealt with the importance of 21st century media (and how to incorporate it with the surrounding community). Even though I'm not a school administrator (and I don't really have aspirations of being a school administrator), I thought that this would provide lots of new insights and details... and it did!
Unfortunately, before the webinar got off the ground, there was about 15 minutes of troubleshooting, during which none of the participants could hear sound. This was very frustrating, as we couldn't see or hear the host of the presentation. We were able to chat with each other on the side panel, but we didn't know what we were supposed to be talking about. Also, it was hard to discern whether the people chatting on the side panel were trying to chat with the host or with the other webinar participants.
On a more positive note, this webinar discussed lots of different Web 2.0 features, including Twitter, UStream, gizmos.com (used to create avatars), Jing, YouTube, and GCast. The only technologies from this list that I had previously heard of were YouTube (which I, of course, use) and Twitter. One great suggestion that I learned regarding gizmos.com involves creating an avator to represent your school and/or your school mascot. The presenter stated that this would be a great image to upload onto the school's website and/or onto an EdLine page.
At one point, I commented on the side panel that all of these different technologies were exhausting, and the presenter said that I was suffering from the common "Web 2.0 Fatigue". I thought this was catchy, and it was an apt description of how I feel!! Although I love incorporating technology into my classroom (and I'm getting better at it day by day!), it can be exhausting to continuously learn, implement, share, and revise all of these Web 2.0 technologies.
So, my overall opinion regarding the webinar experience... It was great to try, and I definitely learned some interesting facts, but I doubt I will take advantage of these opportunities in the future. That's just my personal opinion.
Posts
Webinars can be a great way to learn about a topic that interests you. However, the success of the presentation relies on the talent of the presenter and the quality of the information and stability of the under lying technology. I have had good and bad seminars and good and bad webinars. Don’t let a bad first experience prevent you from trying again. :-)
ReplyDeleteKatie,
ReplyDeleteI also had a little trouble with my Webinar experience, but thought overall it was very beneficial. Sorry to hear about your experience. With your Webinar, did you think the inforamtion they presented about Twitters helpful? Lately,I seem to be hearing alot about Twitters, but have know idea what it is.
Katie,
ReplyDeleteWow, what a great experience. I'm so glad that you mentioned the overwhelming feelings you have, but the excitement of learning about and using new technology. I wish I had more time to devote to learning about and implementing technology. (I'm still waiting to participate in my first webinar, but have signed up for two.)
Hey there, and I agree with Jim (note: Freddie's such a teacher's pet). My webinar was on wikis, and although it wasn't live, I really enjoyed the experience. I felt ... I don't know ... like a professional. I guess it's because we spend so much of our time with students that I really enjoyed an adult conversation (I rarely speak to adults at school; for instance, I never go to the teachers' lounge).
ReplyDeleteTo me, the webinar is a great way to get info without the hassle of traveling to a seminar, missing school and having to do lesson plans, etc.
Although me likes to miss school every now and then ... :)
Also, Katie: I need help! I'd love to see what you've done so far with your wikis. Due to our trimester schedule, I'm not going to be able to introduce them to my students until a few weeks after spring break. Bummer. :(