Developing a Virtual Conference
Liz Kolb
University of Michigan
@lkolb
Copy of Presentation & Liz’s Contact: Send a new text:50500
In Message:Kolb
Concerns with K12 professional development for teachers?
http://tinyurl.com/952a2be
Current PD Concerns
• Cost• Event not Process• Majority Rules• Lack of Community
My specific Problem
• Thousands of UofM School of Education Alumni– All over the world
• No way to keep them connected and give them PD
• State requirement for teacher training: virtual teaching
Experience #1
• K12 Online Conference
http://k12onlineconference.org/
Experience #2
Michigan State Face-to-Face Education Technology Conference
Experience #3
Idea…
=
Potential for Schools
• Develop community of learners• Involve parents, community, alumni• On-going PD at your own pace• Authenticity• Low to no cost• Express yourself
Must by Synchronous…
• Real time collaboration• Archived for Self Pace• Networking Possibilities
0
Step 1: Committee
• Looked at websites for other conferences• Form a committee of teachers, community
members and students• Develop simple goals• Determine time frame• Determine budget = 0• Conference theme/focus
Step 2: Investigate FREE Virtual Rooms
Vyew
Live Minutes
Yugma
Brainshark
Anymeeting
StartMeeting
DimDim
Synchronous Rooms for Free
• Google Hangout (on air)
10 total
YouTube
Once recordings are in Youtube (from Hangouts OnAir) you can annotate, comment and edit!
Supplement Larger Sessions
Elluminate.com (Blackboard Collaborate)
Step 3: Developing a FREE Website
Step 4: Data Collection Google Drive
• Registration Forms• Call for Proposals• Sessions at a Glance--Spreadsheet• Post Session Surveys• Post Conference Surveys
*Embed into Conference Website
Step 5: Extras
• Offer free CEUs• Virtual Job Conference
Step 6: Advertising the Conference
Google+ Events
Twitter Feed
Send to all advertisers at once
PixelPipe
Reviewing and commenting on proposals
Session Sign Up Google Calendar
Discussion Form
• Google Groups
Preparing Presenters
• Video Tutorials• Encourage them to use Google
Presentations or Screenshare
Conference Moderators
Students
Conference Moderators Protocol
Before Sessions• Email your Presenters by May 13th • Introduce yourself• Tell them you will be introducing them via their bio that they submitted• Offer to help upload materials, moderate chat room, answer Elluminate or Hangout
questions (send by May 21st)• Ask them to send you a copy of their presentation (back up!) (send 24 hours prior to
session)• Remind them that you will be in their session 20 minutes before the presentation• Remind them that they can practice with Elluminate via the link that was sent to them
in their email.
In Session• Log in 20 Minutes before the session begins• Upload Movies (first…they take the longest)• Upload PowerPoint and Images• Upload Moderator PowerPoint (if not integrated into presenter PowerPoint)• Have weblinks ready to copy and paste to chat room• Test your microphone• Test your presenters microphone• Welcome participants as they enter (remind about CEUS---long in for all 60 minutes with full
name)• Click on Record button if not already going• Start on time (use timer if you like)• Click on Mic• Go over Moderator Introduction Slides• Remind them that information for CEUs are posted on the 4T Conference Website• Introduce the speaker (with bio)• Click OFF the mic for yourself so the speaker can present• Moderate chat room as needed (compile some questions that you can ask presenter at end if
there is time)• End of presentation…click on Mic and ask presenter questions (if time)• Paste in link to presenter evaluation in chat room (Evaluation links for each presenter are in the
Google Schedule on the 4T Schedule Page http://4tvirtualcon.soe.umich.edu/?page_id=54 ), find the link for your session and paste it into the chat room.
• Thank presenter and participants• Reminder participants to “close out” of session
Hints and Tips
• Moderator in every conference room • Moderator practices with session presenter prior to
conference• Online tutorials (screencasts we use
Screencastomatic.com) and live tutorials for presenters• Record every session (Hangout to Youtube)• No more than 3 sessions at one time• Have 15-30 minutes between sessions• Offer CEUs if possible• Mobile Apps work for most of the Google tools
Funding Options
• http://www.getedfunding.com/ • http://grantwranger.com • Local companies• Google Donate Widget