Make the Most of a Webinar

The following will help you make the most of your SchoolsMovingUp webinar experience:

• Pre-Webinar Checklist
• Live Webinar Instructions
• Live Teleconference with Presentation PPT/PDF Instructions
• Tips for Small Group Participation in Webinars
• Webinar Archive Checklist
• Tips for Viewing Webinar Archives

(See Ways to Participate for questions about participating in the live webinar or accessing an archived webinar).

Pre-Webinar Checklist

Now that you have signed up for the webinar, please review the following checklist

All participants:

1. Make sure you know the correct time for the live webinar in your time zone. All of our webinars are listed in Pacific Time. You can use this website, http://www.timezoneconverter.com, to determine what time the webinar will begin in your region.
2. Email any questions, technical or otherwise, about the webinar to eventhelp@wested.org. Emailing at least one day before the webinar will ensure that you get the timeliest assistance.
3. Watch for an email reminder at least one day prior to the webinar. It will let you know the presentation PPT/PDF is available for preview and downloading and will provide a list of the instructions about how to participate.
4. Please click on "Unable to Attend" on the webinar page for that particular webinar if you signed up but cannot attend.
5. If you plan to hear audio over your computer (Voice Over Internet Protocol), make sure your computer has working speakers. Otherwise, make sure you can be on both the Internet and the telephone at the same time.

Live Webinar Instructions

On the day of the webinar:

1. Click on the URL listed under "Live Webinar Address" on the right-hand side of the SchoolsMovingUp page for that particular webinar. We suggest you do this 15 minutes before the webinar begins.
2. Audio will be streamed over your computer. Please contact us should you wish to hear audio via the phone..

Tips for Small Group Participation in Webinars

Webinars are primarily designed for one person to sign up and participate. However, often a small group of staff members would like to listen to the live webinar together. To make the most of your group experience, we suggest you do the following:

1. Make sure your computer has speakers, and that you hook up external speakers.
2. Download, print, and make copies of the presentation PPT/PDF in advance so that each group member can take notes.
3. Download, print, and make copies of the webinar resources in advance and share with group members.
4. Use a projector to enlarge the screen of either the live webinar or the presentation PPT/PDF downloaded to a computer (if in teleconference-only mode).
5. Assign someone in advance to be the point person for completing the interactive polls and/or typing the responses and or questions/comments from the group.
6. Plan either a pre-webinar or follow-up discussion as part of the webinar. Use site-based issues to guide the discussion. You can also use the archive or the sound file of the webinar to prompt the discussion. The archive allows you to navigate through the webinar to see the sections of the presentation that were most relevant to your group.
7. If you select the telephone for your audio, set up and use a very good speakerphone. Although we ask the presenters to be loud and clear, their voices do vary.

Webinar Archive Checklist

Archives are posted one day after the live webinar.

1. To access the archive, simply go to the particular webinar archive that interests you and follow the instructions. The archive link is in the white box at the top of the right-hand column
2. If you have any questions about viewing the archive, please email eventhelp@wested.org.
3. If you are unable to view the webinar archive, you can download the MP4 media recording posted on the right-hand side of the SchoolsMovingUp page for that particular webinar. Alternatively, you may download the PDF of the slideshow presentation and follow along with the MP3 audio file.

Tips for Viewing Webinar Archives

1. Prepare to view the archive:
   • See "Downloads for Your Own Use" in the white box below the archive link.
   • Download and print out the PDF of the slideshow, chat log, and any accompanying resources.
2. While viewing the archive, you can:
   • take notes on the printout as the presenter discusses each slide.
   • view the questions posted by participants during the presentation and view other participants' answers. (These are also in the chat log).
   • stop the presentation to take notes, view participants' comments, or move to specific sections of the presentation.
3. When viewing with a group of colleagues:
   • If possible, designate a facilitator or discussion leader to review the presentation ahead of time, mark places for the group to pause and reflect, and add additional questions relevant to the group.
   • While viewing the archive, group members can take notes and discuss the content as the presenter poses questions or raises points of interest.
   • Alternatively, you may have each member review the archive ahead of the discussion, and select one or two pertinent points to review with the whole group.