Archive for free online training
Spruce Up your Online Presentation: Borrow from your Live Classroom Teaching Style
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Spruce up your presentation. Borrow from your live classroom teaching style to involve your audience, keep their attention, and provide much better take home value.
When you’re teaching online: How ‘passive’ is your presentation? Are you doing all the work? Are your attendees merely listening? When you’re teaching ‘live’: Do you have your attendees doing some work, either during or after your course? If so, it will be easy for you to ‘translate’ that to your online platform. Here’s one way to do that.
A Best Online Training Method: Use a Handout with Work to be Done
You probably use a handout or an outline when you’re teaching ‘live’. You may have special exhibits that you distribute during your live program. Why not do the same as you teach online?
Here’s one way to distribute information, get your audience’s attention and focus them on what you’re teaching in that moment when online. In the webinar I mention below, I created a handout for each participant with questions for them to answer as they proceeded in the webinar. I made the handout available at the beginning of the webinar.
As I proceeded in the webinar, I addressed a topic, and then provided some ‘time out’ for participants to decide how they could use that idea in their own course. By the time they finished the webinar, they had filled out a page of ideas on how to ‘translate’ that ‘live’ course to an online platform. See that handout with the masterclass video mentioned below.
Question: What work or handout could you provide to use as you introduce topics in your webinar? How could you involve students in completing the questions? How could you follow up with that handout? What about that handout would make you memorable?
To get dozens of tips on how to go online with confidence, see the video of my webinar Masterclass: How to Take your Classroom Online.
If you’ve sat through those boring online presentations, you know there’s lots of work we instructors need to do to improve our game online. I’ve created Mastermind groups to tackle this question. We’ll work in small groups to translate your ‘live’ classroom course to a dynamic, vibrant, effective online format. Email me at carla@carlacross.com or call me for more information: 425-392-6914. I’ll help you slay the dragon and become a master at online presentations!
Presenting Online: One Great Way to Keep Audience Attention
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Presenting online? Here’s a great way to keep audience attention.
Do you present or teach courses? You probably have done most of your teaching ‘live’–in the classroom. Though sometimes it’s hard to keep your attendees’ attention in the classroom, it’s much harder when you’re online.
Going from ‘Live’ to Online
Recently, I did a webinar on how to take your classroom online. In the pre-webinar survey, I asked attendees their biggest concerns. About 70% of the concerns were
how to hold the audience’s attention online.
No wonder.
One Great Method to Re-Focus Your Audience’s Attention
Think back through a ‘live’ course you taught recently. Remember a question you asked to launch a discussion? How could you get your audience’s attention and interest online with that question? Use the question as a poll.
How to Insert a Poll
Polls are a great way to gather information about your audience and use that information as a ‘bridge’ from one section of your course to another. It’s also a good way to capture an audience’s attention toward the beginning of the online session.
Where to place your poll:
At the beginning. You can start your course with a poll that will let you and your audience know important facts or opinions about your subject.
As a bridge between sections of your course. Think of a section of your course where you could gather information. For example, when I’m doing the webinar I’ve mentioned here, I ask attendees the amount of time they can concentrate online. Then, I use those poll results to start the section on ‘how to hold attendees’ attention online’.
Important: Be sure to relate the poll results to the topic you’re exploring.
How Many Polls?
In a 45-minute webinar, you’ll want to use 3-5 polls. Don’t overuse polls, however. They are becoming so popular that they’re in danger of being used too often. When that happens, people won’t respond.
Tip when using a poll: Write the poll question on a slide, so attendees can see the poll question before it comes up in the webinar. Or, if you aren’t using a ‘poll’ feature, you can write the poll in the chat box, and have your attendees answer in the chat box. Caveat: You can get overwhelmed with answers if you have lots of attendees!!!!
Other Attendee-Involving Strategies
You’ll also want to use other attendee-involving strategies like
- Questions
- Chat
- Games
- Small groups
- Activity plan
Translating your Classroom to Online Success Takes Some Work
By answering my questions above concerning your course, you can prepare that course for online ‘translation’. You’ll gain audience participation, audience accountability, and great feedback on your course.
Is Your Online Course as Spectacular as You can Make It?
If you’ve sat through those boring online presentations, you know there’s lots of work we instructors need to do to improve our game online. I’m creating Mastermind groups to tackle this question. We’ll work in small groups to translate your ‘live’ classroom course to a dynamic, vibrant, effective online format. Email me at carla@carlacross.com or call me for more information: 425-392-6914. I’ll help you slay the dragon and become a master at online presentations!
They’re Not Paying Attention! How to Hold Them ‘Captive’ Online
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They’re not paying attention! Here are two creative ways to keep their attention and interest when you’re training online.
From Classroom to Online–Not as Easy as We Think…..
Why? Because we’re not physically there. We don’t have that energy, that interchange that we depended on when we’re ‘live’ to hold their attention.The Problem: Not Enough Variety When We Teach
When we’re training ‘live’, we get away with using one or two training methods–mainly lecture and discussion. But, when we’re go online, just those two methods don’t suffice. In fact, a majority of my online training attendees say they lose interest, on average, in 5-15 minutes!
Two Creative Methods to Focus Your Audience’s Attention
- Get them up! Imagine it’s a usual day in your business. How many hours a day are you in training or meetings now online? Two–four–or more? You can’t help it–you get distracted and bored! And, if you’re a trainer, you’re probably more able to focus on the training than most!
I just saw a trainer give this assignment: “Get out of your chair. Go find something that has significance to you, regarding our topic. Come back and tell us why you chose that object.” The attendees loved the exercise!
How could you use that idea? If you’re teaching listing presentations, you could bring back a picture of your home and talk about what appealed to you. If you’re teaching how to create a database, you could bring back your Christmas card list (or a bunch of Christmas cards you’ve received).
This exercise does several things. It gets people out of their chairs! It refreshes their mind. It helps them focus on what’s important to them. Then, when you share the results with everyone, you start to build camaraderie with your attendees.
2. Send a box with things inside you’re going to use in your course–and don’t let people open it until they start your class. Isn’t that fun–and kind of mysterious? We all love to get boxes (Have you gotten a box from Amazon and had forgotten what you’ve ordered? Of course….). Doing this exercise helps you focus on your attendees and prepares them that they will have a different experience with you. Then, your box could include exercise, mystery objects–whatever creative things you can dream up to include.
Want more information and inspiration? Check out my prior blogs here for more strategies you can implement to provide variety and keep their attention.
Want more ideas? Watch my video below.
Want to watch the video of my webinar Masterclass: How to Take your Classroom Online? Go to www.carlacross.com, and press the Webinars and More Button. You’ll see the post with the video and the handouts available for you.
Let’s Work Together to Make your Online Course Awesome!
I’ve extended the registration period to June 30, so you can take advantage of the 2 for 1 registration. Don’t teach online until you have a tried and true ‘formula’ and have tested your results. You’ll have an opportunity to do both, with individual coaching from Carla Cross.
Two Effective Methods to Increase Attention and Online Learning
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Here are two effective methods to increase attention and online learning.
According to my informal surveys, real estate professionals and affiliates who teach say that holding students’ attention is a huge challenge when teaching online. In fact, instructors say that they are more concerned with holding students’ attention than any other consideration when taking their courses online.
How Long Can We Keep Our Attention Focused When We’re Taking a Webinar?
Woops! Most of our webinars are at least 45 minutes long!Instructor Are Good Learners…..
Would you agree that we instructors are good learners? So, if we lose attention that fast, think about our attendees!
What does that mean to us as instructors? It means we have to create methods to hold learners’ attention and increase their learning. These methods will be somewhat different, at times, from what we do when we teach ‘live’.
Method #1: Provide Rewards for Participation
I just finished a webinar on how to convert your classroom course to online (see below for how to access the video). I wanted to help attendees take these ideas and immediately apply them to their courses. I was concerned that, because there was lots of material in a short period of time, attendees could be overwhelmed and not know how to start. So, I promised I’d send my Big Ideas in a Little Book to the first 10 people who emailed me after the webinar, telling me what they were going to implement right away.
I will also follow up with my ten ‘winners’ to find out how they’ve implemented their ideas. This can form another blog or article, and give them some publicity (if they want it), too.
Question: What ‘reward’ could you offer to participants for finishing work, or promising to put to work some of the ideas in your webinar?
To the left is another example. In my Train the Trainer distance learning program (15 clock hours), I’ve created ‘badges’ that are rewarded for good work. This is just one way I can show that I appreciate the work and dedication of the participants.
Method #2: Provide Work to be Done During or after the Webinar
How ‘passive’ is your webinar? Are you doing all the work? Are your attendees merely listening? Or, do you have your attendees doing some work when you’re teaching ‘live’? If so, it will be easy for you to ‘translate’ that to your online platform.
Use a Handout with Work to be Done
In the webinar I mentioned, I created a handout for each participant with questions for them to answer as they proceeded in the webinar. I addressed a topic, and then provided some ‘time out’ for participants to decide how they could use that idea in their own course. By the time they finished the webinar, they had filled out a page of ideas on how to ‘translate’ that ‘live’ course to an online platform. (See the information below on how to get a copy of that handout).
Question: What work or handout could you provide to use as you introduce topics in your webinar? How could you involve students in completing the questions?
In my next few blogs, we’ll investigate more ways to hold attendees’ attention and increase learning.
Want to watch the video of my webinar Masterclass: How to Take your Classroom Online? I’ll have the video posted by Saturday, with the handouts. Go to www.carlacross.com, and press the Webinars and More Button. You’ll see the post with the video and the handouts available for you.
How I can help you go online with confidence:
- Contact me to see if a customized webinar series would work for your organization. We’ll work right through the organizational, teaching, and attention engagement challenges. 425-392-6914 or carla@carlacross.com
- Take part in my Mastermind Group. In a series of 4 Zoom meetings, over a period of 4 weeks, we’ll translate your course from classroom to online. You’ll have a chance to practice and get feedback, too. Investment: $499, and you can bring a friend FREE if you email me by June 20: carla@carlacross.com.
Two More Mistakes: Going from Classroom to Online
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Going online with your training is not just a matter of turning on the camera and talking. There are a different set of skills needed. Some of the things that work for us in the classroom do us harm online! In the previous blog, I discussed one mistake. Here are two more.
Mistake #2; Dawdling through the Time Frame
In your live classroom, you create rapport by spending time getting to know your audience. You have latitude in the amount of time you spend at the beginning of the class in introducing yourself, doing the warm-ups, and getting the expectations of the attendees. You probably have three hours to deliver your live class. Not so, in the online environment.
Solution: When you’re presenting online, you must move much faster through your preliminaries and get right to your topic.
Mistake #3: No Objectives for the Attendee
You know your subject. You could talk for hours! And, you’re a good talker. Your ‘live’ audiences appreciate your expertise and seem to be pretty attentive in a classroom setting—even if you ramble a bit. But, peoples’ attention spans shrink dramatically when the course goes online. Why? Because there doesn’t seem to be a reason for the event….no ‘what’s in it for me’? ‘What will I be able to do?’
Solution: Create at least one behavioral objective for your module (about 45 minutes). What do I mean by ‘behavioral objective’? What the attendee will be able to do as a result of attending your online presentation. Answering that question will give you structure and will suggest the exercises and discussions you’ll want to build into your online presentation.
There’s a simple, yet very effective formula for structuring any presentation–online or classroom. I’ll show you how to use that formula in my webinar coming up.
Your Online Course Can Be a Great Success
Avoiding these three mistakes will help you present in a much different venue from ‘live’. Admittedly, I’ve just scratched the surface of translating that ‘live’ classroom experience to a virtual environment. Online course creation, along with online presentation, is an art and a skill. Get started today to keep sharing your valued messages with your world.
A FREE Online Webinar For Online Course Presenters
On May 14, at 10-11 AM PDT, I’ll be presenting a webinar for those who train. Masterclass: How to Take Your Course from Classroom to Online.
You’ll learn how to create a great course structure and present your classroom course for a successful online event. This webinar is created especially for those trainers presenting to real estate professionals.
As a three-decade trainer of real estate trainers, I’ve learned the special presentation methods needed to keep and hold real estate professionals’ attention. I’ll show you how to include these in your online course structure.
Click here to register