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 live teleconference mode)

Pre-Webinar Checklist

Now that you have signed up for the webinar, please review the following checklist. Please note that some of these items are appropriate regardless of the mode by which you will be participating, and some apply only to those participating via the live webinar mode.

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. On the day of the webinar, once you are logged in to the webinar room, you can use the "Help" function on the right-hand side of your screen.
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, including the telephone number that all participants will use.
4. Please click on "Unable to Attend" on the webinar page for that particular webinar if you signed up but cannot attend.

Participants in the live webinar mode:

1. Run the Wizard to test your computer's capacity to support the webinar. We recommend you do this at least one day before the webinar. Webinars are hosted on WestEd's SchoolsMovingUp webinar site, which uses the Wimba Classroom software. If you need help with the Wizard, please call Wimba at 1-866-350-4978 or visit http://www.wimba.com/technicalsupport.
2. Some organizations use firewalls to block out chat features, such as those used by SchoolsMovingUp webinars. To test this function, click on the URL listed under "Live Webinar Address" on the SchoolsMovingUp page for that particular webinar. You will see the "Run Wizard" page. At the bottom of the page, use the link to "click here" to enter. Use the PARTICIPANT login. Type in your name only and please note that NO password is required. If you have problems logging onto this site, please contact a member of your IT group and ask him/her to open the port to this secure site.

Live Webinar Instructions

On the day of the webinar:

1. Click on the URL listed under "Live Webinar Address" on the SchoolsMovingUp page for that particular webinar. We suggest you do this 15 minutes before the webinar begins.
2. On the day of the webinar click on the “Live Webinar Address” URL above, which will bring you to Wimba Classroom’s "Login" page. Use the PARTICIPANT login. Type in your name only and please note that NO password is required, then click on "Enter." If you have already run the wizard, go straight to the live webinar by using the "click here" link at the bottom of the page.
3. You will be placed in the appropriate room and see the message, "Welcome to the SchoolsMovingUp Webinar Room."
4. At the time of the webinar, call the toll-free conference call participant number listed on the SchoolsMovingUp page for that particular webinar.
5. Please press *6 on your phone keypad to mute your phone line in order to reduce background noise.

Live Teleconference with Presentation PPT/PDF Instructions

1. Before the webinar begins, download the presentation PPT/PDF. For the PDF version, you will need to open the file via a document viewer. We recommend Adobe Reader, which is free to download at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.
2. At the time of the webinar, call the toll-free conference call participant number, which is listed on the SchoolsMovingUp page for that particular webinar and included in the reminder email.
3. Please press *6 on your phone keypad to mute your phone line in order to reduce background noise.
4. During the webinar you will also be able to ask questions by sending an email to: eventhelp@wested.org.

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 you have Run the Wizard to test the capacity of the computer that will be used on the day of the webinar.
2. Set up and use a very good speakerphone. SchoolsMovingUp webinars use a conference call for the audio portion of the presentation. Although we ask the presenters to be loud and clear, their voices do vary.
3. Mute your phone by pressing *6 so that other participants will not hear background noise from your group.
4. Download, print, and make copies of the presentation PPT/PDF in advance so that each group member can take notes.
5. Download, print, and make copies of the webinar resources in advance and share with group members.
6. 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).
7. 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.
8. 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.

Webinar Archive Checklist

Archives are posted one day after the live webinar. To access the archive, please do the following:

1. Login to SchoolsMovingUp and go to the particular webinar archive that interests you.
2. Run the Archive Wizard to test your computer's capacity to support the webinar. (Please note that this is different than the live webinar Wizard, so you need to run this Wizard if this is the first time you are viewing an archive.)
3. Click on the "Wimba Archive URL" and enter your name into the PARTICIPANT field. Please note that NO password is required. If your computer passed the Wizard, the archive will automatically load and play within a few seconds.
4. The presentation slides will automatically advance for you, and you will see and hear everything as it happened in the live presentation. To view only the sections that are most important to you, you can move through the slides within the archive by clicking on the name of a slide in the Navigation Window. You can also use this feature to highlight portions of a webinar as part of your own on-site professional development. The Navigation button also appears on the bottom left-hand corner of the screen when you login.
5. If you encounter any technical issues while viewing the archived presentation, please ensure that you have run and passed the Wizard that is appropriate for the archive. One common problem might be that your browser has its pop-up window blocker turned on. For this and any other technical difficulties, please contact Wimba at 1-866-350-4978 or the Wimba Support Center. If you have any other questions about viewing the archive, please email eventhelp@wested.org.
6. If you are unable to view the webinar archive, you can download the slideshow presentation and follow along with the MP3 audio file, posted on the SchoolsMovingUp page for that particular webinar.

Tips for Viewing Webinar Archives

1. Use the archives and related resources with a group of colleagues. You may wish to listen to the archive with a group of colleagues and discuss the content as the presenter poses questions or raises points of interest. Make sure each person has a printout of the presentation PPT/PDF and handouts. You may want to designate a facilitator or discussion leader who will review the presentation ahead of time, mark places for the group to pause and reflect, and add additional questions relevant to the group. You may also have each member review the archive ahead of the discussion, and select one or two pertinent points to review with the whole group.
2. Use the archive interface to view certain sections of the archive. The archive interface allows you to move through slides within an archive by simply clicking on the name of a slide in the Navigation Window on the left-hand side. It will then begin playing the audio at a specific point in the presentation. This way you can stop the presentation periodically so the group can discuss the content, as well as enable your group to view various sections of the presentation.
3. Review the comments and questions posted by participants during the live online webinar. This can be done either while watching the archive or separately reviewing the "chat log" if it has been posted. Participants share their insights and suggestions on the chat log during the online presentation.
4. Use any of the polls or reflective questions posted in the live webinar as part of your own professional development. You may wish to compare your results and responses with results and information shared by live webinar participants. Poll your group first, then view the results of the archived group. These slides are also a good point at which to check the chat log to see how other participants reacted to the polls.
5. Use the archives and related resources for your own professional development. Most of the suggestions provided above are also appropriate for an individual. For example, we suggest you download a copy of the slideshow presentation as well as any accompanying resources before listening to the archive. You can take notes on the printout as the presenter discusses each slide. You may also view the questions asked by participants during the presentation and view answers posted by other participants. You can stop the presentation to take notes, view participants' comments, or move to specific sections of the presentation.