PD Essentials

Preparing Virginia's Early Childhood Professional Development Providers

Pointers for PD Providers – Sept 2020

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED: PLANNING AHEAD FOR PROBLEMS IN VIRTUAL TRAINING
Virtual training has been the primary means of early childhood professional
development over the last six months. During this time, trainers have had to
problem solve a variety of new technological challenges. Just as in face-to-face
training, the key to success is to prepare in advance for potential problems.
Consider the following preparatory strategies for addressing problems unique to virtual training.
Plan Ahead
1. Have a co-host/producer. The co-host should be able to open the virtual session and have all of the training materials in advance. This will allow the co-host to begin the session and share the PowerPoint, video clips, etc. if the presenter is unable to access the session via the internet. The presenter can join a Zoom session by telephone.
2. As the presenter, print out trainer’s notes for your PowerPoint slides. In an internet emergency, this will enable you to present the content using your notes and phone while your co-host advances the slides.
3. Exchange phone and email addresses with your co-host in case you need to reach them before or during the training.
4. If the session involves multiple presenters, ensure that all presenters are able to address the session content in the event that one presenter lacks internet access.
5. Plan alternate strategies for activities. For example, include a slide with poll questions and responses in your PowerPoint. If the poll function doesn’t work at the appointed time, use the slide. Ask participants to indicate their response via the chat, reaction or annotation tools, or by simply unmuting and responding verbally. If an embedded video clip won’t show, have the YouTube link in your trainer’s notes so that you can quickly drop it into the chat. Participants can cut and paste the link into their browser to view the video individually. 6. Log onto your session well in advance of the starting time to allow for problem solving.  
When (not if!) technology “misbehaves,” take a deep breath and implement your Plan B. Training participants have experienced weak or non-existent internet, software glitches, trainer inexperience, and myriad other technological misadventures in recent months. They will demonstrate patience and respect for your efforts to implement your planned solutions and deliver a high quality virtual learning experience for them.