As I mentioned in my last blog post, it’s been a pretty hectic couple of weeks at my household with the back to school preparations.  What I didn’t mention was throughout all of this, I’m also making my preparations for back to school.  

Not of course in the same way that my 15 year old son is, I’m on the flip side.  I’ve been an instructor at Red Deer College where I teach 3 courses for their online Virtual Assistant Certificate Program. I’ve held this position now for approximately 4 years and I have to tell you that I love every minute of it.

There is such an amazing energy in these virtual classrooms.  The enthusiasm and excitement that the students bring with them every term is completely infectious.   One may think that in a virtual classroom this may somehow get lost, but the tools that we use are really quite ingenious.

The system that we use to teach our online courses is called Elluminate® (http://www.elluminate.com/).  It allows real time interaction in a webinar type environment.  Student can utilize a chat feature, or use their mics for voice interaction. There is also a nifty whiteboard that allows you to upload your course PowerPoint’s.  You can also use the webcam feature so the students can place a face to the name!  It provides an awesome interactive and collaborative learning environment.

One feature that I love with Elluminate® is the ability to take “internet field trips” with my students. Yes, you actually can go on virtual fieldtrips…its fantastic!  There is a great web tour feature that allows you to guide your students through various websites of your choosing and a wonderful way to promote discussion on various topics.

Now Elluminate® isn’t necessarily for just academic purposes, it’s a fantastic tool to use for team meetings, group coaching, anytime you need a real time collaborative working environment! 

So, if you have the need for such a tool check them out, they provide a free web conferencing room for up to 3 users.  A great way for you to test before buying! 

Enjoy!