A personal assistant can perform time management tasks for you. But if you do not have one then there is nothing to worry about. You can easily have a solution by using Google Calendar on your Desktop.The need to organize is a part of human nature especially if you are at some important position in a company; even if that is not the case, there are many people around you who expect you to remember their birthdays, wedding anniversaries and other related stuff. With the pressure of work or studies, it is physically impossible for a person to keep track of so many dates. Many of you must have had the embarrassing experience of making a commitment with your wife or a close friend for dinner or shopping and then having to cancel it because of any important meeting that was scheduled weeks ago and that somehow slipped your mind.
The desktop Google calendar helps you organize yourself in a better way. It has a number of features other than just being a plan calendar which ensure smoothness in your day to day planning. The most important feature in this regard is that it connects to your Google calendar directly, so all you have to do is to update your online calendar while checking your emails. You can put in birthday reminders, events, meetings, appointments and wedding anniversaries reminders etc. in your calendar. You will get emails and reminders on your desktop about all the upcoming events. But there is a problem here; the Google calendar on your desktop is read only meaning that you cannot update it directly like a number of other desktop applications. The editing, deleting and adding of new events has to be done from Gmail calendar.CLICK here to Download
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Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Distance Learning Courses
No time for professional education after joining a job’, ‘Attending regular classes for higher education is monotonous’, ‘Learning by reading books is a past habit, ‘No mood for study after return from work’, ‘Job is the first priority and study the second’, ‘Not going for a regular professional development course because it is expensive’. These are merely unacceptable excuses in the present age of distance learning or online learning.
Distance learning is the preferred and popular medium of higher education in the present Internet dominated world where distance is an unheard word. Distance learning means learning away from an institute but in close touch with instructors of the institute online. Distance learning means learning at home and on the move by going online. It is better defined as learning wherever and whenever.
No need to visit the campus of an institute for regular classroom learning keeping all other works aside. No need to go abroad to study a course at any foreign university. No need to quit job in order to join a course for further professional development. No need to cram the daily schedule by including a fixed time for regular study. These are the exclusive benefits of distance learning.
Distance learning makes higher education easy and fun. Higher education by distance learning is much less strenuous than campus based learning. You don’t need a teacher to give you lessons by illustrating a theory on blackboard as in classrooms. A complete departure from the traditional teaching and learning system in classrooms, distance learning courses are studied through e-learning materials.
E-learning the base of distance learning programs is practical, interactive and engaging to the core. E-learning study materials are developed by integrating image, graphics, audio and video with text in harmony. Learning through such study materials is highly impactful for the brain and mind as it entails watching, reading and listening at the same time.
Having a desktop or laptop or notebook with Internet connection, you can go through the e-learning based course materials anywhere. E-learning study materials come also recorded in CDs and DVDs which you can use for learning purpose, without access to the Internet. Through distance learning, education is extremely comfortable and convenient. Learning at relaxed pace is relaxation in itself.
A1StudyCenter has opened the door to the education of RDI UK and KSOU for Indian students through distance learning. You can be assured of researched study materials and consistent online tutor support if you enroll on a course at RDI or KSOU through A1StudyCenter. A1StudyCenter helps individuals to undergo the online admission process easily. It takes care of their needs, addresses their queries and provides them with all requisite information.
Distance learning is the preferred and popular medium of higher education in the present Internet dominated world where distance is an unheard word. Distance learning means learning away from an institute but in close touch with instructors of the institute online. Distance learning means learning at home and on the move by going online. It is better defined as learning wherever and whenever.
No need to visit the campus of an institute for regular classroom learning keeping all other works aside. No need to go abroad to study a course at any foreign university. No need to quit job in order to join a course for further professional development. No need to cram the daily schedule by including a fixed time for regular study. These are the exclusive benefits of distance learning.
Distance learning makes higher education easy and fun. Higher education by distance learning is much less strenuous than campus based learning. You don’t need a teacher to give you lessons by illustrating a theory on blackboard as in classrooms. A complete departure from the traditional teaching and learning system in classrooms, distance learning courses are studied through e-learning materials.
E-learning the base of distance learning programs is practical, interactive and engaging to the core. E-learning study materials are developed by integrating image, graphics, audio and video with text in harmony. Learning through such study materials is highly impactful for the brain and mind as it entails watching, reading and listening at the same time.
Having a desktop or laptop or notebook with Internet connection, you can go through the e-learning based course materials anywhere. E-learning study materials come also recorded in CDs and DVDs which you can use for learning purpose, without access to the Internet. Through distance learning, education is extremely comfortable and convenient. Learning at relaxed pace is relaxation in itself.
A1StudyCenter has opened the door to the education of RDI UK and KSOU for Indian students through distance learning. You can be assured of researched study materials and consistent online tutor support if you enroll on a course at RDI or KSOU through A1StudyCenter. A1StudyCenter helps individuals to undergo the online admission process easily. It takes care of their needs, addresses their queries and provides them with all requisite information.
Benefits of Distance Learning Courses or Correspondence courses
Distance Learning Courses or Correspondence Courses have emerged as a new evolution and has greatly affected the people from all over the world. Distance Learning Courses have gained much popularity and the reason behind this is its various advantages. Earlier, Correspondence Courses were dependent on mail-in based system and those who wanted to pursue these courses had to communicate with their teachers through mail. All the study materials and assignments were sent through mail. But now with the development in technology you can easily pursue these courses. In order to get a degree through Correspondence Courses all you need is just a computer with internet connection.
Distance Learning Courses provide you with the opportunity to continue education according to your convenience. Correspondence Courses are now being preferred by more and more people as these courses equip the individuals with highly specific skills which can be helpful for their career advancement. Actually, the main objective of Distance Learning Courses is to provide education to people from every walk of life irrespective of their age. Anybody can pursue education through Correspondence Courses. There are courses for individuals belonging to different age groups.
Another important advantage of Distance Learning Courses is that you can study at anywhere and at anytime without leaving your other responsibilities. It provides the flexibility of time and location; you can even study from the comfort of your home as there is no need to attend regular classes. You can study at a time when you feel comfortable. Correspondence Courses are very beneficial for those individuals who are already working but need a special qualification for promotion in job or career advancement. They can pursue Distance Learning Courses along with their current job and fulfilling all their obligations.
Distance Learning Courses provide you with the opportunity to continue education according to your convenience. Correspondence Courses are now being preferred by more and more people as these courses equip the individuals with highly specific skills which can be helpful for their career advancement. Actually, the main objective of Distance Learning Courses is to provide education to people from every walk of life irrespective of their age. Anybody can pursue education through Correspondence Courses. There are courses for individuals belonging to different age groups.
Another important advantage of Distance Learning Courses is that you can study at anywhere and at anytime without leaving your other responsibilities. It provides the flexibility of time and location; you can even study from the comfort of your home as there is no need to attend regular classes. You can study at a time when you feel comfortable. Correspondence Courses are very beneficial for those individuals who are already working but need a special qualification for promotion in job or career advancement. They can pursue Distance Learning Courses along with their current job and fulfilling all their obligations.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Technology in Environmental Education
In a world where we are frequently exposed to controversial high-tech headlines about self replicating miniature robots, attempts to download human brains into computers, and cars with night vision and heads up displays, (note) I am often asked what does technology have to offer environmental educators and their students? When it comes to technology, we are of two minds. We hate TV, but we have a favorite show. We hate deforestation, but we love beautiful wood-grain furniture. We hate electronic eavesdropping. But we love it when it's used to capture a fiendish criminal. Technology. We love to hate it. We hate to love it. (note.) In the next few pages, I will explore the philosophy and examples of how we try to embrace (if not love) Technology in our programs at IslandWood.
In a recent survey of environmental centers, Bethany Lesure found the most common reasons for integrating technology into educational programs are "audience demand", "State Ed. Requirement", a way to "Reach Out", and that "Kids Relate" to technology (Lesure, 2002). While these are very pragmatic reasons, I would argue that we need to be more deliberate in our choices � after all, isn't much of Environmental Education about considering the consequences of one's actions? (note.)
Integrating technology into our educational programs provides students with additional tools to enhance their learning. So you might wonder, "What are the benefits of taking this approach to help students explore and understand the world around them?"
Technology supports our efforts to appeal to different learning styles. With a variety of learning tools, students can understand their experiences through verbal, written, spatial, quantitative, and/or graphical means. As a result, many more students become engaged in the learning process.
Technology supports our multidisciplinary approach to learning. Integrating different disciplines helps students combine their mathematical, logical, scientific, linguistic, artistic, and social knowledge to make their lives and interactions with the world clearer.
In a recent survey of environmental centers, Bethany Lesure found the most common reasons for integrating technology into educational programs are "audience demand", "State Ed. Requirement", a way to "Reach Out", and that "Kids Relate" to technology (Lesure, 2002). While these are very pragmatic reasons, I would argue that we need to be more deliberate in our choices � after all, isn't much of Environmental Education about considering the consequences of one's actions? (note.)
Integrating technology into our educational programs provides students with additional tools to enhance their learning. So you might wonder, "What are the benefits of taking this approach to help students explore and understand the world around them?"
Technology supports our efforts to appeal to different learning styles. With a variety of learning tools, students can understand their experiences through verbal, written, spatial, quantitative, and/or graphical means. As a result, many more students become engaged in the learning process.
Technology supports our multidisciplinary approach to learning. Integrating different disciplines helps students combine their mathematical, logical, scientific, linguistic, artistic, and social knowledge to make their lives and interactions with the world clearer.
Technology in EducationE
Many people warn of the possible harmful effects of using technology in the classroom. Will children lose their ability to relate to other human beings? Will they become dependent on technology to learn? Will they find inappropriate materials? The same was probably said with the invention of the printing press, radio, and television. All of these can be used inappropriately, but all of them have given humanity unbounded access to information which can be turned into knowledge. Appropriately used-- interactively and with guidance-- they have become tools for the development of higher order thinking skills.
Inappropriately used in the classroom, technology can be used to perpetuate old models of teaching and learning. Students can be "plugged into computers" to do drill and practice that is not so different from workbooks. Teachers can use multimedia technology to give more colorful, stimulating lectures. Both of these have their place, but such use does not begin to tap the power of these new tools.
In this area, you will find descriptions of how computers can be used to stimulate and develop writing skills, collaborate with peers in foreign countries, do authentic kinds of research that is valuable to the adult world, and do complex kinds of problem solving that would otherwise be impossible.Read More
Inappropriately used in the classroom, technology can be used to perpetuate old models of teaching and learning. Students can be "plugged into computers" to do drill and practice that is not so different from workbooks. Teachers can use multimedia technology to give more colorful, stimulating lectures. Both of these have their place, but such use does not begin to tap the power of these new tools.
In this area, you will find descriptions of how computers can be used to stimulate and develop writing skills, collaborate with peers in foreign countries, do authentic kinds of research that is valuable to the adult world, and do complex kinds of problem solving that would otherwise be impossible.Read More
The Web of Knowledge: Vision, Design, and Practice
The Knowledge Web (K-Web) is an interactive tool for understanding and inspiring the creation of ideas, and for vividly demonstrating how our world is a direct result of ideas and events of the past. Students can trace the profound influence not only of Aristotle's logic, but also see how perspective in painting literally changed the way we see the world, or how the invention of the car would not have been possible without the perfume bottle. By flying through its unique 3D nested globes, which combine space and time into a single intuitive construct, users can explore how seemingly unrelated people, places and disciplines interrelate in unexpected and unpredictable ways to produce our world.
The first section of the article, The Vision, traces the origins and socioeconomic importance of the K-Web. Patrick McKercher sketches what the K-Web will do, including how it will be enhanced by virtual reality in the second section--The Design. Andy Rogers and Judy Bonne conclude with a discussion of the involvement of teachers, and suggest why and how the K-Web can be integrated into the classroom--The Practice.Read More
The first section of the article, The Vision, traces the origins and socioeconomic importance of the K-Web. Patrick McKercher sketches what the K-Web will do, including how it will be enhanced by virtual reality in the second section--The Design. Andy Rogers and Judy Bonne conclude with a discussion of the involvement of teachers, and suggest why and how the K-Web can be integrated into the classroom--The Practice.Read More
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Mobile Tv Elite - Cell Phone and iPad app! (view mobile)
How To Create iPhone Apps With No Programming Experience
Discover how to create iPhone apps easily with no programming experienced required. Learn from some of the top iPhone app developers to get your app created now.
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Saturday, August 20, 2011
How are students learning programming in a post-Basic world?
True, Windows 7 includes PowerShell, a scripting language, and Mac OS X comes equipped with AppleScript and command-line access to Unix (on which OS X is based). But there's no one lingua franca across the entire community of personal computer users to serve as a default starter language (although you can still acquire a few forms of Basic, some of which are listed in the sidebar "Free Starter Languages," at right).Read More
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Online Instructional Technology Courses
Kaplan University, the school below with the highest overall ranking, is effective at equipping students via its instructional technology courses to be successful instructional technologists, electronics technology instructors, computer information systems instructors, Information technologys, etc. and connect them to future employers. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, at present there are 124,480 people employed as instructional coordinators alone in the US, and their average annual salary is $61,270. Education, training, and library employees make on average $49,530 per year and there are about 8,488,740 of them employed today.
Instructional Technology Organizations
International Society for Technology in Education »
California Educational Technology Professionals Association »
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education »
Association for Career and Technical Education »
Florida Distance Learning Association »
American Association of University Women »
National Science Teachers Association »
Universities Space Research Association »
Mississippi Technology Association »
Association of Information Technology Professionals »More information Here
Instructional Technology Organizations
International Society for Technology in Education »
California Educational Technology Professionals Association »
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education »
Association for Career and Technical Education »
Florida Distance Learning Association »
American Association of University Women »
National Science Teachers Association »
Universities Space Research Association »
Mississippi Technology Association »
Association of Information Technology Professionals »More information Here
Online Technology & IT Degrees:
The world of computers and information technology is one that is always on the move, with continual advancements designed to make life easier both in our personal and business lives. These technologies are ones that we have learned to rely heavily on, and because of the dramatic rise in demand for this technology over the last couple of decades we have also seen a rise in the demand for professionals within this field.
Anyone wishing to enter a career in computer and information technology will find a range of suitable degrees and courses that can help them in securing this career. Those already working in a computer and IT related field can also benefit from these courses, as they can aid career progression within this area.
Some of the courses available in technology and information technology include:
Clich for more information Click for more
Anyone wishing to enter a career in computer and information technology will find a range of suitable degrees and courses that can help them in securing this career. Those already working in a computer and IT related field can also benefit from these courses, as they can aid career progression within this area.
Some of the courses available in technology and information technology include:
Clich for more information Click for more
iPhone 4 – Redefining Mobility in Education
This journal, Educational Technology and Change, is built in a WordPress web publishing environment. I hesitate to call it a “blog” because people tend to immediately close on it and can’t see that WordPress is no more a blog than the smartphone is a phone.
I’ve had my iPhone 4 for about two months, and it’s already changing my view of what it means to be connected. WordPress and iPhone, together, are redefining the publishing landscape for me. They’re not only placing publishing in the hands of the many, but they’re making it possible for them to do it from anywhere at anytime. It’s no longer a matter of waiting until I can get to a computer with web access. Instead, I have it with me at all times wherever I am, eliminating the waiting altogether.
I can now write an article using the built-in notes application and a Bluetooth wireless keyboard that I originally purchased for the iPad. In fact, I’m writing the first draft of this article on the iPhone. A couple months ago, I would’ve scoffed at the idea of composing on a screen the size of a credit card. Impossible, I would’ve sworn. But I’m doing it now, and I find it just as comfortable as my laptop or desktop.
But the clincher is mobility. The iPhone is tiny: 4.5″ x 2.3″ and less than half an inch (0.37″) thick; it weighs 4.8 ounces. It can easily fit in my shirt pocket, the backpocket of my jeans, etc. The most comfortable method for me is a little leather case that hooks onto my belt. I can quickly hook and unhook it, slide it to the front, side, or back, depending on the activity. It’s as much a part of me as a belt, and it doesn’t restrict my activities.
It charges quickly and goes for hours without recharging. The spec sheet claims up to 10 hours on wi-fi, but some have found that this is very conservative. For me, it’s never run down despite constant use throughout the day. I simply plug it in overnight, and it’s good for an entire day.
I no longer have to lug a backpack holding a notebook computer, an extra battery, an AC adaptor with a tangle of cables, and a wireless USB modem. The batteries were always a hassle. I had to make sure they were both juiced, and over time they’ve lost their capacity to hold a charge. Now, I can barely get an hour out of each, and replacements are expensive and often unreliable.
read more
I’ve had my iPhone 4 for about two months, and it’s already changing my view of what it means to be connected. WordPress and iPhone, together, are redefining the publishing landscape for me. They’re not only placing publishing in the hands of the many, but they’re making it possible for them to do it from anywhere at anytime. It’s no longer a matter of waiting until I can get to a computer with web access. Instead, I have it with me at all times wherever I am, eliminating the waiting altogether.
I can now write an article using the built-in notes application and a Bluetooth wireless keyboard that I originally purchased for the iPad. In fact, I’m writing the first draft of this article on the iPhone. A couple months ago, I would’ve scoffed at the idea of composing on a screen the size of a credit card. Impossible, I would’ve sworn. But I’m doing it now, and I find it just as comfortable as my laptop or desktop.
But the clincher is mobility. The iPhone is tiny: 4.5″ x 2.3″ and less than half an inch (0.37″) thick; it weighs 4.8 ounces. It can easily fit in my shirt pocket, the backpocket of my jeans, etc. The most comfortable method for me is a little leather case that hooks onto my belt. I can quickly hook and unhook it, slide it to the front, side, or back, depending on the activity. It’s as much a part of me as a belt, and it doesn’t restrict my activities.
It charges quickly and goes for hours without recharging. The spec sheet claims up to 10 hours on wi-fi, but some have found that this is very conservative. For me, it’s never run down despite constant use throughout the day. I simply plug it in overnight, and it’s good for an entire day.
I no longer have to lug a backpack holding a notebook computer, an extra battery, an AC adaptor with a tangle of cables, and a wireless USB modem. The batteries were always a hassle. I had to make sure they were both juiced, and over time they’ve lost their capacity to hold a charge. Now, I can barely get an hour out of each, and replacements are expensive and often unreliable.
read more
Ranking Online Education Programs
U.S. News & World Report announced last week that it was expanding its program of college ranking with a new category for online universities and programs. The announcement from editor Brian Kelly sounded upbeat, nonpartisan, and helpful. “Later this year, U.S.News & World Report will be publishing an expanded directory of online education programs with more detailed information including rankings and other searchable data.” The goal, says Kelly, is to help students make more “informed choices” about an online program. The survey questionnaires will be sent out next week (mid July) and will ask schools to provide information. The questions in the survey, Kelly promised, “are based on academic and industry literature reviews, as well as consultation with numerous heads of online degree programs in multiple disciplines.”
My own experience with the U.S.News rankings is limited and specific. As my first year of law school drew to a close, I realized that I wanted to transfer to another school — for a variety of reasons, both personal and academic. The school I was attending was ranked in the top 25 law schools in the country. The school that attracted me, because of its location and its focus on international law, ranked more than 50 places lower. And yet when I told the dean at the school I was currently attending that I was thinking about transferring and asked her about a reference, she was impressed that I had gotten into that school.read more
My own experience with the U.S.News rankings is limited and specific. As my first year of law school drew to a close, I realized that I wanted to transfer to another school — for a variety of reasons, both personal and academic. The school I was attending was ranked in the top 25 law schools in the country. The school that attracted me, because of its location and its focus on international law, ranked more than 50 places lower. And yet when I told the dean at the school I was currently attending that I was thinking about transferring and asked her about a reference, she was impressed that I had gotten into that school.read more
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Online Education Technology: The New Frontier
Online education has come a long way since the advent of the Internet. Gone are the days of completing an assignment online and then printing it off and mailing it to the professor via snail mail. Also gone are the days of communicating online with professors solely through slow email programs. Nowadays, online education is much more streamlined. From interactive video conferencing to podcasts, instructors and students have access to numerous technologies that speed up and enhance their online communication.
Clich for more information
Clich for more information
Online Education Technology: The New Frontier
Online education has come a long way since the advent of the Internet. Gone are the days of completing an assignment online and then printing it off and mailing it to the professor via snail mail. Also gone are the days of communicating online with professors solely through slow email programs. Nowadays, online education is much more streamlined. From interactive video conferencing to podcasts, instructors and students have access to numerous technologies that speed up and enhance their online communication.Clich for more information
E-learning
E-learning is essentially the computer and network-enabled transfer of skills and knowledge. E-learning applications and processes include Web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual education opportunities and digital collaboration. Content is delivered via the Internet, intranet/extranet, audio or video tape, satellite TV, and CD-ROM. It can be self-paced or instructor-led and includes media in the form of text, image, animation, stClick here for morereaming video and audio.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Click Here and Earn More Free of coast
So what is ClickMeeting?! ClickMeeting is a new online conferencing platform. But I’m guessing you’d like to know how it’s different from the “others”, right? Before we dig into the details, let me point out some of the highlights (course, they’re all highlights!) I’m sure you know how meetings usually go in your company. People slowly filing in, documents circulating around the table, lots of mumbling. Should we wait for so-and-so? After some discussion, it finally begins. Things go well for a while, then the “off topic” questions and side chat takes over and, before you know it, everyone has to run to their next meetings! Web conferencing is the ideal solution to the ubiquitous problem of long, unproductive meetings. With ClickMeeting, presenters have complete control of the audience interaction, multimedia, collaboration – even the branding. The platform features two products, ClickMeeting and ClickWebinar, designed to provide the best format for your business needs. Let’s take a quick look at both. Meetings If you want to bring key people together and make decisions faster, use Click Meeting. Host unlimited online meetings of up to 25 people, no matter where they are, right from your desktop. ClickMeeting’s there when you need to collaborate, educate, and promote your business. Or when you need to respond to opportunities and ever-changing market conditions. Save on travel time and costs and make sure you’re not leaving key people behind because they’re hundreds of miles away. Now you can put all that money back into your business. Share your desktop, files and applications with attendees, discuss and brainstorm on the fly. From new product concepts, to Web site planning, to sales training and updates, you’ll make progress because everyone will be on the “same page”. Share a specific part of your screen, use drawing tools to illustrate your ideas, and make annotations as you receive input from the group. It’s interactive, but orderly! Chat with other attendees to exchange thoughts and ideas. There’s also a private chat option, so you can ask questions and discuss the topic with key people to get results straight away. Webinars If you need to present a product demo to a prospect, partner, or customer, organize a training session for the new office, or hold an online event for your employees, ClickWebinar makes it quick and easy. Invite up to 1000 people without the hassle and cost of reserving a room at a hotel or convention center. With ClickWebinar, your secure room is virtual and always available. And did you know that by expanding your reach with the help of web conferencing software you can increase your meeting ROI by about 1623%?* Share your desktop and applications to make sure everyone’s working on the same thing at the same time. No need to prepare printed handouts or waste time struggling with the overhead projector. You just upload your materials before the event and show them to your audience at the right time. Manage audience interactions. You decide who should speak and when, who should present, and who can see what. There’s no shouting, no unexpected questions, no meeting room chaos. You can now focus on pure, orderly communication. That’s when productivity happens. Brand your events I told you ClickMeeting was different… easier to learn and manage. But there’s one more really important differentiator. Both ClickMeeting and ClickWebinar allow you to fully customize your meeting room with your brand. You can change the colors, add your logo and graphics, even customize your meeting URL to make it easy for attendees to remember. There’s also an option to embed your branded meeting room on your website. So your meetings and webinars become part of your brand and differentiate YOU from the competition. How reliable is ClickMeeting? All this comes with secure access to the meetings, so you can be sure you have total control over who attends. And the best (yes, another best) thing is that there’s no software to install. No matter which browser or operating system or computer you’re using, you can instantly access your meeting room or join a meeting in progress. You can also be sure that the transmission is reliable, as ClickMeeting and ClickWebinar are hosted on a cloud of servers (don’t ask me about the technical details, but I’ll get someone who knows about this when we get into this). What I do know is they work together to provide optimal service at all times, no matter how often you hold online events. So that’s the “meat” in this hearty serving of online conferencing services. And don’t worry, we’ll soon get to all the details, but let’s take it step by step (I hope you’re curious by now). If you can’t wait or want to try it for yourself, then I have good news. You can test-drive the platform for 30 days totally free. Just go to www.clickmeeting.com and sign up. Then please let me know in the comments how you like it.
CLICKMEETING
Webinars – What, When and How Long? With today’s multitasking work styles and short attention spans, it’s essential to plan meetings and presentations so you grab and hold your audience’s attention. You need to allow enough time for each section, as well as for the entire event. This is especially important to avoid those “drop outs” who become bored quickly. It’s your job to make your event interesting and interactive, with enough breaks to keep the energy high. Before we give you some proven ClickMeeting tips and tricks, let’s check out… What the Experts Say. We asked Marta Eichstaedt, webinar expert, business coach/consultant, and certified online trainer, how she determined the proper length. This is what she advised us: “The length of a webinar depends on the goal we want to achieve. There are, however, some rules and techniques that apply. In general, when used as marketing tools, webinars should last between 30 and 60 minutes. This length should take into account time for interaction with your audience. Training events can last longer. For example, I organize online workshops for trainers who want to run their own online training series. These workshops take 90 minutes and the whole course includes 7 meetings. The attendee group is really small (maximum 6 people) and there is a lot of interaction and activities performed by the attendees themselves. However, even with highly interactive workshops, I wouldn’t recommend exceeding two hours per session. Another example is an extended conference like the Social Media Success Summit which comprises 4 weeks of training in weekly or biweekly webinars, each lasting about 45 minutes. They hold three webinars a day, with 20-minute breaks. The whole event is about 20 different webinars altogether and this format turns out to work best for this topic and audience.” After hearing from the experts and, based on our own experience, we can conclude that webinars typically last around 60 minutes – about the length of an installment of your favorite TV series. This also makes it easy to fit in most of your attendees’ calendars. What should a webinar include The crucial thing is to plan your content so that it’s interesting and allows enough time to cover the essential topics and activities. And practice! Here are some tips to consider: Polling. This tool provides both feedback and interaction. And the best thing is you can continue speaking while your attendees answer the questions, then quickly sum up and present the results with an animated chart. Alternate tabs. Use tabs to quickly switch between content (just make sure to upload the documents etc. before the webinar). This will keep your audience entertained without wasting your time (and there’s nothing worse than making your attendees wait until your PowerPoint uploads). Pace yourself. Don’t rush, making it difficult for the attendees to follow you. Try to find that perfect balance whereby you cover all the material, capture feedback, and make some decisions. Now this may take some practice. But it’ll be worth it. Hold a Q&A session at the end. Wrap up at least 15 minutes early to let people ask questions. Don’t forget to put this in the meeting agenda as this is a popular item with attendees. Then they’ll be sure to stick around till the end. When to schedule a webinar? There are as many date/time preferences as there are people, so it’s best to use your own judgment and follow a few common-sense rules. And always think about your audience first. Think of when you like to attend webinars – Monday is usually when people are busiest after the weekend and a lot of unexpected projects pop up. The same can be said about Fridays, plus you have the “TGIF” factor. So sometime around the middle of the week is probably best but, as I said, this is not a strict rule. As for time of day, one factor to keep in mind is that if your audience is international, you obviously need to pick a time when the greatest number will be able to attend, regardless of time zone. Of course this, again, depends on your audience so the best thing to do is place yourself in their shoes. If you run a series of webinars, you can always poll your attendees or prepare an online survey and ask your audience what days and times they prefer. This is likely to be true for other people who might join your webinar, too.
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