Webinar. A funny sounding combination of “web” and “seminar” to create a keyword often used in today’s digital online marketplace to describe a useful and convenient teaching method that is becoming more widely relied upon in a number of industries. The theory behind the webinar is to provide a personal, face-to-face approach to teaching without the need for the teacher to actually be present in the room, but instead be seen and heard with the help of the latest video conferencing technology.

For teachers, this format can be quite beneficial in a number ways, the first being that it eliminates financial burdens that often present themselves when an expert is called upon to come to a school for training purposes. Instead, the school pays a flat fee per person for the webinar, which is provided live but may also be recorded for reference after the session has finished. In addition, certain webinar series are tailored to address specific issues or challenges within the educational sector that instructors and administrators are having trouble solving. Bringing in an outside expert to help foster solutions to that challenge can provide a fresh perspective on the issue, while also inviting participants who have taken the same webinar at multiple different locations to bounce ideas off one another for improved academic outcomes.

The webinar is a technologically advanced form of instruction that incorporates other facets of interaction beyond video conferencing, as online discussion forums, quizzes, and other forms of communication are combined to provide the most well-rounded and thorough syllabus for instructors eager to tackle pressing concerns in their own classrooms. These online teaching tools are affordable, simple, offer greater flexibility of learning, and they are easily accessible from a number of locations at once. The result is a rewarding and effective teaching experience that can include educators, parents leaders, and an even wider audience should it be necessary.

The Latino Family Literacy Project provides proven, cost-effective parent involvement programs and Webinar training for teachers to provide meaningful programs for English Learners.

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