As we travel the country, we’ve presented seminars from Southern California to upstate New York, and all points in between. But, what if your California group wants us to present a seminar and we happen to be in Florida at that time? That’s when we use an online meeting software called Zoom. It allows the audience to see and hear us and we can see and hear the audience. We can display powerpoint slides as well as demonstrate on our smartphones. In some ways, it can be even better than being there in person.
It’s gotten a lot easier
We have been in technology training and support since the ’80s when personal computers were brand new. Back then we had classrooms where we taught hands-on business software as well as how-to-use the technology.
We would occasionally address large audiences at special events. Today, most of our hands-on teaching is about smartphones and our live audiences are Technology Clubs, senior centers, and groups large and small of RVers gathered at a Rally.
Technology and Computer Clubs rely on educational presentations to sustain their memberships. That’s where Live Remote seminars with Geeks On Tour can help.
Live Remote vs. Recorded for Club presentations
Recorded tutorial videos can be a good addition to any meeting agenda. We have a couple of great ways clubs can use our recorded content.
- View episodes of our YouTube show, “What Does This Button Do?” in whole or in part. They can be projected, paused, and discussed. The Show Notes facilitate the discussion. The episodes run from 40 minutes to an hour and there are 184 episodes so far.
- Watch videos from the Learning Library of tutorial videos. Short, single-topic videos, teaching a single topic or feature. There are over 600 of these tutorial videos. You do need to have a Geeks on Tour premium membership to access all of these videos.
If we are traveling through your area when you have a meeting or event on the calendar, we’d love to present in person. Audience size doesn’t really matter. It’s the interaction and Q&A we think are important.
If we’re not traveling thru your area, we offer Live Remote seminars using Zoom Meetings. With the proper hardware and planning, a Live Remote is (almost) as good as us being in the room. As an added bonus, the seminar is recorded and available afterward.
You probably already have the minimum hardware needed to make it happen.
- a good, fast Internet connection
- a screen and projector setup
- sound system for computer audio and PA
- Sometimes it’s a big-screen TV connected to a computer. That’s enough for you to see and hear us.
A camera and microphone make it possible for us to see and hear you the audience, the facilitator and the all-important Q&A interaction. Most laptops have built-in cameras and microphones. An external USB camera and mic will probably look and sound better and may be easier to place for better effect.
Using Zoom
Zoom (zoom.us) is a software to create online meetings. It’s a two-way conversation. A host (that’s us) starts the meeting and guests join in at their end. The software is easy to use and it works well under most conditions. A good, stable Internet connection is important at both ends of the connection.
You’ll see our faces as well as our screens for demonstrations. We try to make it as interactive as we can.
A little preparation is important. We always do a test run before to check the connection and equipment. We’ll teach you what you need to know about using Zoom.
For our online Live Remote Seminars, we use Zoom to connect to the club’s presentation computer. That computer will also have a camera and microphone attached. A club facilitator should stay close to monitor the connection and repeat any audience questions if necessary. We should be able to see and hear the audience at our end.
Check out our planned route and calendar. Get in touch if you would like a Geeks On Tour Live or Live Remote appearance!
Ready to give it a try? Let us know! There is no charge for the seminar, but the club should have a premium Geeks on Tour membership in order to access all the other materials.
Our current list of popular seminars is on our website geeksontour.com/seminars
Another picture of how it looks in the room. Laptop in room should have camera facing people in room, as well as an active microphone. This way presenter can both see and hear the room.
