Calgary ladies – Join me for lunch today at the Coast Plaza Hotel

June 14, 2011

Last month a colleague invited me to join her as a guest at the monthly ladies luncheon of the Calgary group of the Progressive Group of Independent Business Women. I accepted and enjoyed the experience thoroughly. As someone who makes her living doing contract work in education and non-profit, I don’t always consider myself a business woman… more of a freelance educational contractor. This year, I’ve been asked (asked!) to share what I know about educational technologies with small business people. After the lunch last month, the organizer, Julie Chandler, asked me if I’d be their speaker this month and tell them about webinars. I was honoured and of course, I accepted.

I’ve been doing webinars since 2005, but have really started to incorporate them into my work in early 2010. Since then, it seems I’m giving webinars and e-learning classes on all kinds of topics, for all kinds of educational and literacy organizations. I love it, because it gives me a chance to combine two of my passions – technology and education.

I have a soft spot for helping women of all kinds learn and grow. I have found that many people are keen to learn the nuts and bolts about webinars and how they can use them to advance their organization, whether it’s a non-profit or a small business. (In my experience, many small businesses operate like non-profits because their owners are so passionate about what they’re doing that money comes second.)

So if you’re among those people who wants to learn more about webinars in simple, easy-to-understand terms, join us today at the Coast Plaza Hotel for lunch. It’ll be fun!

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Social Media in a Family Literacy Program

May 21, 2011

Yesterday I was in Edmonton for the Food for Thought conference put on by the Centre for Family Literacy. A group of 42 literacy coordinators, practitioners and other professionals packed the workshop room to learn about how to use social media in a family literacy program. We talked about:

  • How to set up a Facebook page
  • What to put on your Facebook page
  • How to use Twitter including how the “@” and “#” or hashtags work
  • How to use Hootsuite

I gave a live demo of Twitter and Hootsuite. I showed how to mention other people and how to use hashtags to find topics you’re interested in. We also shared tips on how to use programs like Hootsuite to schedule updates and tweets and make social media more effective.

We also had a wonderful discussion about how to have a Facebook page without having it tied to a personal Facebook account. That was new for me. I have a couple of Facebook pages for different things that I do, and the only way I’ve ever built them was through my personal account.

For me, it was great learning to know that there are newer options available that don’t require an individual to have an organizational page tied to their name.

Here are the juiciest tips I shared from my own experience using social media:

Top Tips for using Social Media in a Literacy Program

Use social media as a way to reach more learners

There are some learners, particularly younger ones, who are digital natives. They have grown up with technology and may even be turned off by the idea of “old school” reading and writing. By stepping into the world of social media, you can meet those learners where they are today. You won’t reach all learners that way, of course. But it does open the doors to reaching those who might otherwise dismiss traditional literacy programs because they don’t relate to them.

Decide where you want to be on the “privacy continuum”.

Different people have different needs and comfort levels with posting personal information on the Internet. It is OK to be private… or even fib just a little bit, while still being authentic. We talked about how to figure out where people fit along the continuum and that no matter where that is, it’s OK.

Post regularly

Using a service such as Hootsuite can help you to streamline your social media activity, so it takes less time. I shared that had scheduled a number of Tweets before I left Calgary so that I was covered until I got home.

Think about sharing and helping others

We talked about how to use social media as a way to give and share resources. We looked at pages from a variety of literacy organizations. I pointed out how social media is meant to be a social, and reciprocal, activity. I recommend that people “like” pages of other organizations they support.

Avoid the “Incessant Ask” or “push”

One mistake non-profit organizations make when they use social media is to post a constant barage of requests for funding or donations, or just post about their own programs. The idea of social media is to engage with others, not push information on them, or worse yet, push unending requests for money at them. Re-posting, re-tweeting and sharing others’ information is a good thing!

Create conversations

Social media is just that – social. It’s a place to engage with others… talk with them. Ask questions. Be interested. Keeping a good balance between giving and taking, as well as giving and asking, are key points to keep in mind.

Say “Thank You”

I showed how to track “@” mentions and why it is important to say thank you when others re-post or re-Tweet your material. You may miss the odd one here and there, but overall, making a concerted effort to show appreciation when others like and share what you do, goes a long way in creating positive relationships and making you a good digital citizen.

I just loved working with this group. They’re passionate, engaged and ready to help one another out at a moment’s notice. Thanks to everyone who attended the session, shared and engaged with us!

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

How ESL and other Language Schools Can Use Webinar Technology

April 30, 2011

The word webinar is being used today to refer to all kinds of online training and virtual presentations.

More and more literacy and language schools are adding a component of e-learning to their programs. It’s the 21st century way to learn!

Webinars are relatively easy to put on. Some of the language is a bit different from face-to-face environments, so it’s helpful to know that instructors, facilitators and teachers are mostly referred to as “presenters” in the webinar environment. Students, learners and clients are generally called “participants”.

Both presenters and participants need to have basic technology and computer literacy in order to take part in a webinar. This may mean that your current teachers and facilitators require some training before moving into an e-learning environment. Your participants may benefit from an orientation prior to the content to familiarize them with how webinars work.

Assuming that both parties have the technology literacy to move forward, here are some ideas on how you can make the most of webinar technology in your organization.

For Participants

Online group classes

Bring participants together in an e-learning class not only to teach them new content and skills, but also to learn how to work together in an online environment.

Online tutoring

Do you have learners in rural and remote areas? Or single parents who find it hard to get a sitter? Online tutoring provides a way for otherwise isolated learners to connect with tutors from the comfort and convenience of their own home. This is a super way to reach out to people who might otherwise not engage with learning.

Information sessions

If you offer information sessions about your programs in a live setting (your office space, a public library or elsewhere), you can adapt your content and host virtual information sessions. Information sessions are for prospective students and have a slight marketing component. A word of caution though… don’t try to “sell” in a webinar. Instead, demonstrate your expertise and what makes you unique.

Orientation sessions

When you bring new students into your organization, do you give them an orientation on  what to expect and how things work there? Photos, maps, and other materials can also be used in an online environment to give a virtual orientation. Though I’m a big fan of doing live webinars, this is one that you could record and use over again.

Pre-arrival workshops

If you offer classes for international students coming to learn English as a Second Language, an online pre-arrival workshop can be very helpful. Using photos, you can demonstrate what kind of clothes to bring (e.g. warm sweaters and winter boots), photos of the airport and what it will look like when they arrive, photos of what a typical airport arrival day looks like, and whatever other information you’d like them to know before they get to the program.

Follow-up workshops

Webinars are a great way to keep relationships going once the opportunity for face-to-face interaction has passed. A value-added webinar one month after the course ends is a super way to stay connected. Use the next upcoming holiday as a theme for your class and have everyone learn about it in the virtual classroom. In cases where participants already know one another, the online interaction is usually fun and very dynamic.

For staff and volunteers

Volunteer information sessions

Do you like the idea of having virtual teachers or tutors? Then set the stage by offering online information sessions for prospective teachers and volunteers about your organization. Review the programs that you offer, the opportunities you and the benefits of working with your organization. This is a great time to have current staff members and volunteer tutors chime in with what they love about working with you!

Volunteer training

Do you train your staff in intensive sessions that jam in loads of information? You can break it up into a series of online training workshops. The material is easier to absorb if you divide it into “chunks”. If you have ongoing workshops, your volunteers get ongoing training, which keeps building their skills. As an organization, ongoing training for them means you give offering them something back for their time and expertise.

Staff development workshops

Do your staff currently get all their professional development at an annual conference? I love conferences because of the chance to connect with old friends. But wouldn’t it be great to offer ongoing training and development for your staff throughout the year? The cool thing about this is that you don’t have to organize all the sessions yourself. Check out the Centre for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC). They specialize in  offering online PD for educators. They have literally hundreds of programs to choose from, ranging from free to expensive.

For the community

A Virtual Open House

Share what you do with the community, your stakeholders and donors through a virtual open house. Include photos of your facilities and your staff. A video that uses digital storytelling to celebrate the success of your learners makes it even more dynamic.

These are just a few ideas for literacy and language programs to use webinars in their organizations. I’m a big fan of using this technology in the non-profit and educational sectors. It offers a lot of value for everyone – staff, volunteers, learners and students, as well as community stake holders. How many non-profits still lag behind when it comes to their own technology literacy? Implementing the use of webinars positions your organization as a leader in terms of technology. You lead by example, showing others how virtual and online learning is an important part of 21st century of education and professional capacity building.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Social Media for Language Programs – Free conference

April 22, 2011

Yup, you read that right. My friend, Evan Rubin, and his colleagues at San Diego State University’s Language Acquisition Resource Centre (LARC) are busy planning the 2011 Social Media Workshop. They invited me to present at the 2010 Social Media conference where I gave a session on Using Skype in the Second and Foreign Language Classroom. I also attended a number of other sessions and their quality was outstanding.

This year, Evan has put together a stellar line-up that includes 5 full days of sessions, August 8-12, 2011. There will be everything from keynotes and presentations to hands-on practice and exchanges of ideas. We’ll be looking at performance-based assessment, e-portfolios, blogging and a whole host of other social media for language education.

The best part? It’s free, all of it! People in San Diego can attend the live sessions and the rest of us can join in via webinar from all around the globe.

This is a fantastic way to get yourself revved up for the new school year, get energized, share and learn. Go. Register now. Tell Evan I sent you. (It’s not like I get a commission or anything… It’s free after all.)

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

10 Tips for Success as an Online Learner

April 15, 2011

Some of the same principles that apply to face-to-face learning also apply online, but the activities are different:

1. Arrive early

In the same way that you would budget time to find a parking space, walk to your classroom and get settled for a face-to-face training session, you need to arrive early for an online learning session. Your “arrive early” activities include:

  • Logging on
  • Testing your audio and mic
  • Saying hello to fellow participants and the facilitator

Plan to arrive 10 to 15 minutes ahead of your scheduled start time. That way, when the session starts, you’re ready to go.

2. Just say “No” to distractions

In a face-to-face learning environment, you can’t do laundry, answer the door, cook lunch, deal with staff questions, answer inquiries, staff the front desk or do any number of other activities that would detract from your learning. Create a “learning sanctum” that is free of distractions and allows you to be fully present during your e-learning session.

  • Turn off your telephone(s).
  • Put a sign on your door that says “Do Not Disturb”.
  • Go to the bathroom before the session starts.

3. Be An Active Learner

What are the qualities of an active learner in a bricks-and-mortar classroom? Someone who pays attention, doesn’t distract other learners, doesn’t allow themselves to be distracted and seems genuinely interested. The same thing applies on line:

  • Listen actively
  • Ask questions
  • Take notes (See the next point…)

4. Take notes – in a way that makes sense for you

Whether you use  a traditional notebook and a pen or a word processing program, taking notes is an important part of learning. It helps you capture the main ideas and embed them in your brain. Notes also give you something to refer back to later on.

Not everyone is comfortable taking notes on a mobile device or hearing a keyboard click as they’re listening. Other people may get hand cramps if they hold a pen too long. Don’t get too caught up in the idea of using technology for everything. How you choose to take notes is incidental. The important thing is to do it. Write down key points to help you remember them later.

5. Engage with other participants

You wouldn’t sit in a classroom and not speak to anyone else would you? Make a point of engaging with other participants. Ask questions, make comments, give kudos where they’re due. Remember that, just like you, those are human beings who are sitting in front of their respective screens. More than anything, humans crave connection. Try to connect personally with at least one other person in your session, if you can.

6. Go Green

E-learning provides a tremendous opportunity to be environmentally responsible. Experiment with reading on line. Test different font sizes and document sizes to find what works for you. Try not to print out every single handout, or .pdf file.

Digital materials are often meant to be interactive. If you print them, you lose the interactivity and web links may not show up in your print out.

7. Organize Your Stuff

In the same way that it’s frustrating to have a messy bookbag or a binder with papers falling out, it can be just as frustrating to have your digital materials scattered all over the place.

Set up folders and sub-folders on your computer to organize and store your files, course materials and handouts. Not only will this help you find it more easily later, it will also help to “make it yours”. Synch between devices to keep everything current.

8. Share and be social

Share online links to other resources. Explore online bookmarking sites (e.g. Diigo or StumbleUpon) to store and share interesting resources you find. If you’d like more resources or information, ask others to share with you. Be sure to thanks others who share interesting and helpful resources with you.

9. Be patient and kind

As in a traditional classroom, there are likely to be learners who are less capable than you… and others who are more capable. In an online environment, this applies as much ability with technology, as it does to the content. Think of comfort and ability with technology as a continuum. People will be scattered all along the continuum. Be patient with those who aren’t as far along as you.

10. Find reasons to celebrate and have fun!

Remember when you were a kid in school and you got a gold star from the teacher? Humans respond well to positive reinforcement, regardless if it is face-to-face or online. Successful online learners look for opportunities to compliment and notice others’ progress. They are also self-aware and self-realized learners who acknowledge their own progress. Cheer on others when you see them making leaps and bounds and give yourself a pat on the back when you do a good job. Remember, learning is supposed to be fun!

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

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