Time for an update -a hole in one

 Can believe I have been retired 3 years and looking back I am so pleased I made this decision. 

Just had to share my progress with my viewers that may wander onto one of my old sites.

My handciap is now 18 which I never thought was possible and it is still in a downward trend, with some subtle disturbance (sorry some controls terminology crept in )

More importantly I managed to achieve what many golfers never achieve, yes a hole in one. I never saw it go in on the 8th at Gillingham because the flag was hidden at the back of the green. Hence I couldn't find my ball thinking it may have just gone of the back of the green. Then to my surprise one of my playing partners checked the hole an there it was. As it was a competetion GGC gave me a contribution to the bar bill. 

The 8th green with the pin at the back in a particularly difficult position, well it was a competition :-)

And so to retirement

 I retired in April this year and this time last year I resigned from my teaching role.

No regrets I am now playing golf three times a week and filling my life with  many things I had no time for when I was working.

My golf has improved and I treated myself to a Sim 2 driver and some Calloway Irons, never bought new before and what a difference they have made. My handicap is also improving very quickly thanks to playing consistently. Breaking 90 is a common occurance so next target is 80 which I will be aiming for in the spring.

I have much more time for my family and friends and pub lunches are a common occurance. I cancelled my gym membership when covid came along and bought a spin bike so I can afford the odd beer without it appearing on my waistline.

As expected my colleagues manage fine without me, believe me there is more to life than work. I thoroughly enjoyed my job but not as much as I'm enjoying retirement and the freedom it gives. 

I have to go, the suns out and I'm off to the first Tee.

What a year

Covid came along and changed the whole way of working. Thankfully my OU experience put me in a good place to move my face to face teaching online. Quickly adapting to the available tools and continuing my teaching online.

MS teams came to the rescue and practical applications of electronics in the lab was replace with visual simulation tools such as Falstad. Circuit Simulator Applet (falstad.com)

The use of my blog  Https://slecitec.blogspot.com  enabled the rapid sharing of videos and lesson material and enabled successful completion of the subjects. It was inevitable that the final project would need to wait until we could return to the college which of course happened in May.

Of course all supported by the lesson material on the college moodle site. I guess all that hard work over the years finallypaid off.

I have seen colleagues retire, workload increase dramatically and stress levels reach something I had never witnessed before. Top this off with a dose of covid and the second bout that really knocked me off my feet and on reflection I am not quite sure how I have seen this year out.

But here we are, bring on 2021its likely to be the year of my retirement.

Time to bow out of the OU system I think.

Its been fun and I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching the OU way but with the ending of my current module and its replacement becoming a half module it's become the excuse I needed. 

No complaints on my part I met some fantastic students and formed good friendships within the OU community. All part of the plan as I move into retirement to reduce the workload and focus on the things that really matter.

I started as an OU student on M101 in 1990 and finished with a BSc MA ODE and 15 years as a tutor in 2018, thank you so much !!

PLE Update Version II

I thought I take another look and contrast how my PLE has changed in recent years.

Probably the most significant change has been the shift away from learning in the last twelve months and more towards consolidating and updating my knowledge within Electronics and Controls. This was neglected as I pursued my Masters and then QTLS. However surprisingly I still use a lot of these tools.

Facebook is moving outwards as I don't trust this application and only use it to share with some immediate family and old friends. In place has appeared WhatsApp which is a better way of communicating  I feel. Evernote is starting to charge so has disappeared and I make greater use of google docs these day because I can control the security better.

Current research is around the family tree and has become a bit of a hobby and several additional apps are now in focus including MyHeritage but again these sites charge for their data.

My sites are still up and running although I don't tend to add a great deal at the moment but it surprising how often I get hits.

The threat of redundancy

As September started to approach my focus turned on the new cohort of students that would soon come my way with the OU. As usual I would be expecting around 20 students however there was a twist this year that has completely changed my outlook on the OU.

Let me summarise the events that unfolded in the run up to the start of the module, bearing in mind that I was already well into preparation mode and the OU don't start paying me until October.

1. An impersonal email was sent to me warning that student numbers are down and there was a possibility that I would not be required this year.
2. A second email stating that this was now quite likely so be prepared to take one of a number of options. Find another module quick, take a year out or take redundancy.
3. Having been saved by a last minute rush, well more like the manipulation by some supportive tutor managers, I then received a letter informing me I would take a 10% pay cut if I didn't get one more student.

How did I feel

What can I say, undervalued, pretty annoyed and it was time to weigh up my options.

The OU don't pay a lot, most tutors do it because they enjoy it and are either supplementing an income or are semi-retired. I have been a tutor for 15 years and don't like the idea of being cast to one side because the numbers are down, it certainly like a 0 hrs contract. I fall into the category of enjoying it because the tax man gets much of my pay.

However the result of this is that I am now now going to analyse the time I spend on OU duties and reduce it. My plans to retire early and take on more modules and therefore work as a freelance educator are going to be reviewed at the end of the year. I will by then have a definitive example of what it has cost me in time to perform the role of an OU Tutor this year and I use that to help me make an informed decision.

Throw some technology at it

By creating an online form using google forms and linking to a spreadsheet I now have an easy way of logging all OU activity. It takes seconds on my phone to log an activity and quickly tag it into various categories. Well I feel much better for doing it and if nothing else it will help me realise just how much the OU get for free.

A visit from OFSTED

On Thursday 24th I arrived at work to receive an email that OFSTED would be inspecting the school. We were given longer notice than usual because the inspection was of the whole group and therefore included other sites throughout the UK. What followed was a series of meetings with both the authority and the training provider in order to best prepare for the visit.

Priority was to rightly focus on the task of prepare ourselves and making sure we gave a true representation of how good we were. In reality it threw the management team into overdrive, we were already well prepared as far as I was concerned but meeting after meeting just helped to sow seeds of doubt.

I found myself answering the expected questions in my head and updating my system so I could find quickly any data the might be requested. There were no worries with teaching, all our paper work, lesson plans, SOWs etc were polished it was the data that concerned me. In my opinion the SAR needed more data.

 Reaction To The Event

 Panic! OFSTED

The number of meetings and the build up to this event threw me into disarray I put on hold all my efforts and concentrated on answering the what if scenarios. Whilst it was worthwhile for me to check my practice/records and all the other requirements I honestly felt well prepared already and a few well constructed emails would have helped me sufficiently rather than waste so much time in meetings. It seemed to have the effect of stopping me from doing anything else.

Event Analysis

Don't let others drag you along with their unprepared panic or lack of understanding of the process. I think I did well to keep the team focused on the important things and never passed on the reaction I was seeing form some members. On a more positive note the MD and SLT seemed a calming influence and were well prepared.

 Future Planning 

As I found data that I needed to find quickly I added it as a favorite so it was easy to retrieve next time. Update the QIP more regularly. Pay more attention to the SAR process (this unfortunately occurs in the middle of the busiest time of the year for me.

Overall Reflection 

The build up to the inspection helped the whole school focus on the quality of what we do, the welfare of our learners and our successes. It has also enabled us to identify areas for development which will soon form part of the quality improvement plan. I think next time we will be better prepared and I hope we get less notice as it did seem to shock the system unnecessarily.

What is clear from the activity though is how much improvement has been made over the last 6-7 years in terms of the whole package our learners get. From the welfare and care they get from the day they walk through the gate to the support, coaching and quality of teaching that is provided to help ensure they leave motivated and successful.

As I said to my team at the time don't worry, just carry on doing what you do well, we're OK.

A glimpse into a future classroom

Just look at this !!
Will I still be teaching when this is my classroom - Oh I hope so.
For more detail visit

https://www.voniz.com/articles/glimpse-future-classrooms/

or just sit back and watch the new controls lab unfold :-)




Reference
Nemroff, D.(2015) Technology in Education: A Future Classroom : Video [Online] Availabale from https://www.voniz.com/articles/glimpse-future-classrooms/ (Accessed 16 July 2015).

Well that took longer than I thought.

I have just submitted my evidence for professional recognition. The recognition route is a process that enables individuals to demonstrate their experience and receive recognition equivalent to an initial teacher training qualification, such as the Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTTLS) or the Diploma in Education and Training (DET).

Basically qualified to teach without having to complete a teaching qualification because I have been teaching for so long and started before there was a requirement to gain qualifications. This is stage one the next stage is to construct a second portfolio and apply for QTLS.

To be honest at my stage in life to have to go back and do a teaching qualification would be a disappointment, not that I don't think I would learn something but because I have been a practicing teacher for so long. I have also spent a lot of time further my experience and qualifications and basically don't have the time to spend two years confirming I can teach. Instead I have spent three weeks on and off completing this process.

The process is no easy task, I wish I logged the hours I have spent on this and let me say the guidance is very vague. The most important piece of information missing is some idea of the word counts required for each section. Having taught for 25 years and been an active practitioner in both HE and FE I have a lot of evidence to draw on. The compilation of the report headings and structure is arranged below, it looks a mess but this was well worth doing.

The planning and identification of evidence

It was then just a case of compiling all the evidence and uploading to REfLECT on the SET website (SET is The Society for Education and Training and is the new professional membership organisation of the Education and Training Foundation for practitioners working in the post-16 education and training sector).

Then writing six reflections drawing on the evidence and covering the following subjects:

• 1.0 Background Context
• Describe your route into teaching, your roles, context and specialist subject in which you teach.
• 2.0 Professional values and attributes
• Showing your judgement of what works and does not work in your teaching and learning
• 3.0 Professional knowledge and understanding   
• Showing development of deep and critically informed knowledge and understanding in theory and practice
• 4.0 Professional skills: Planning for learning
• Showing the development of your expertise and skills to ensure the best outcomes for your learners
• 5.0 Professional skills Part 2: Assessment for learning 
• Showing development of your expertise and skills to ensure the best outcomes of your learners
• 6.0 Concluding statement 
• Looking back on your journey and achievements

Without the clear guidance it becomes quite difficult to know how much detail is required and it is also possible that the same evidence can be used for several sections. For example a lesson observation may identify components for all of the above sections. 

My end result constituted 156 pieces of evidence and amounted to 9000 words, I hope this isn't too much :-)

Food for thought

Just listen what this young man has to say.



I thought he made a lot of sense, then I watched his follow up video and realised why I chose to be an educator.

CV with a difference, am I on to something ?

Just a thought, whilst creating evidence for a teaching qualification I constructed a timeline diagram. It's a pictorial version of a CV but is quite a good way of mapping out a career path. Well I thought it was anyway.

Steve's Time line

Recognition route is well under way.

With a couple of weeks left before final submission I have now completed the draft version of 3 sections. A slow start due to the amount of evidence I have and the requirement to thin this down. Its not easy I have been teaching for over twenty years in both HE and FE and some things have to be shared.

The IFL is now SET (The Society for Education and Training) and the route to QTLS requires a teaching qualification. Strange enough having started teaching well before the requirement for a teaching qualification I have never felt the need to get one or felt I would benefit in any way. I am already a practitioner, a Fellow of the Higher Education, an OU Tutor and a Senior lecturer. My CPD is current and having  technical qualifications in the shape of an Honours Degree and HND and a Masters in Online Distance Education I felt I was just about qualified enough. Next step was a PHd rather than a step backwards and two years on DTLS which I was dreading.

Thankfully the route to QTLS includes a recognition route to allow old and experience educators an opportunity to demonstrate competence. An easy route you may think, but it has not been for me.

So off I go then.
I started with a breakdown of the requirements, the following mindmap or spider diagram identifies the sections where evidence is required. Click on it to see it in more detail.

The next stage involved collating evidence to support each of the sections, no easy feat and I still think I may need to thin this down more but a useful exercise involved putting evidence on post its. They could then be moved around to the different sections.

Getting organised - Post-its identify evidence.

I can now focus on the write up and referencing although the guidance is very vague. No idea of word counts although it is clear that a reflective piece of writing is required linked to evidence loaded into the e-portfolio on Reflect.

  

Revisit Learning Theory

It's been a while since I finished my masters and whilst trying to find an old poster that I used to sum up learning theory I found the following concept map produced by Richard Millwood which was even better than my original. It is very well constructed and serves as a great summary of a vast subject.

Figure 1 - Learning Theory Concept Map (Millwood, 2013)

Several years on from completing my masters it is clear that my approach to teaching has changed. For years like many in my environment I have adopted an instructivism approach where I have taken a lead role like an actor on the stage reading and presenting a script of learning to my audience, working with educational objectives from Bloom's Taxonomy although albeit a modified version. The construction of power points presentations to support learning within the classroom and provide a road map for the session has been a tried and tested method. Now the presentations take a back seat, still there and still enhanced but mainly for the students to go over after the event on the ELE. They still form a part of my lesson structure but mainly act as guidance to keep me on track.

Many of my lessons now focus around the construction of knowledge rather than the instruction of knowledge. Groups work together to solve problems by doing something and one of the best tools I have for completing this is the model shown in Figure 2. A complete process model on the desktop that represents a fully working process. Learners are thrown in the deep end usually in pairs to solve a realistic task without any help from me. This is experiential learning at its best what in reality would be a dangerous situation which is broken down into a number of problem solving activities.

Figure 2 - IPC200 Process Control Model

Students get a great deal of self satisfaction getting it wrong, revising their approach and experimenting whilst they gain an understanding of a system they have never met before. They get wet and make mistakes before they learn that a systematic approach and analysis of the problem is required before delving straight into the controller.

On completion they reflect and construct a operational sequence chart on a wiki whilst the next group starts the process again. Once all groups are finished the wikis are compared and a final solution agreed. It is clear that the learner is is not a passive recipient of knowledge because I haven't passed on any information the learners have had to construct it.

What's more important it is clear the groups enjoy this learning and look for more activities like it. I am gradually obliging them, this activity just forms one a number of problem based learning activities which I continue to review as each course passes by.

References
Millwood, R.(2013) Learning Theory Concept Map. [Online] available from
http://cmapspublic3.ihmc.us/rid=1LGVGJY66-CCD5CZ-12G3/Learning%20Theory.cmap (Accessed  09 Jan 2015).

Memory Lane Part 2

Who'd believe that I retired from Refereeing football over twenty years ago after having served in West Devon and then Staffordshire for 12 years, before retiring at the age of around 30. In fact I took a break when my children were young and never went back. Retiring from the Staffordshire Senior league and Northern Premier league in 1991. I started in my last year at school when a certain John Maynard encouraged all the football team to take the course as it would be good for us.

Only a few of us went on to referee and I rose up through the local leagues to reach class 1 at the tender age of 19 and I hit the local newspaper as  I had broke some record in doing so.

My first outing to Home Park ( home of Plymouth Argyle for the uneducated) can be seen on the right was at the tender age of 17. Here I had been distracted by Nicky Bennett who used to be in the same school team as me. As I rose up the ranks so did many of my team mates and in fact I can remember booking a few of them along the way. I went on to referee or line at many great grounds both north and south, but resigned gracefully when I moved to Kent.

I sometimes regret stopping refereeing, I was on my way and young enough to make the big time but never got higher than the Northern Premier league with few FA Cup preliminaries and the odd amateur league final thrown in along the way.  I also wonder what would have happened if I'd kept playing and often look back with some regret here, life in the middle could be quite lonely I and wasn't a bad player.

I saved all sorts of memorabilia which may appear in a later blog but  I couldn't resist popping a couple of newspaper clippings here. The article to the left is my first fixture, Rangers Youth A v St Budeaux Athletic with fellow Burrington School first team players and good friends Nigel Thorne and Sam Sanderson getting what must have been their first fixtures too.

On reflection there are some other names on the fixtures that day that were soon to become very good friends.  Referees, Allan Roserveare, Vic Mason and Larry Hambly, who is the other linesman in the photo above. There was also a certain Brian Marshall on duty that day at Saltash he was a a very strong influence and an ex football league ref, sadly he died before I left Plymouth in 89.

A trip down Memory Lane

Something happened at work this week and it caused me to reflect on leaving BT back in 1995 and in particular one of the reasons why I left. Whilst a trainer in BT I took a contract to visit Nigeria and provide some training in 1992 and as a result of the success I was offered a further contract the following year to go to The Gambia which my boss refused. This was fair enough I had my teaching commitments but the following year a contract in Bangladesh was also refused and this time there was no reason, therefore this became a contributing factor for me moving on. This started me thinking I knew I had some records in the loft and thought I would revisit the trip to Nigeria and record it on my blog. Technology has moved on it has been almost 25 years since my trip to Nigeria so I thought I would have a bit of fun compile some information about the trip. I am going to add to this as I research more.

Class of 92 - You should be able to spot me :-)
Charles Ndefo, Chris Ashikodi, Sigismund Bademosi, Vincent Odunlami, Ebenezer Anjorin, Emele Kalu,  Ifeanyi Ukwanna, Owdade Aborode
Emmanuel Adeneye, Yekini Kareem, , Steve McGowan, Samuel Aro 

My Driver - the name will come back to me

The business end then, and into my classroom, the facilities were more than adequate back then I had an OHP whiteboard and flip chart what else did I need. I had also prepared a number of video walk throughs and a several boxes of photographic slides.

 My view looking into the class a varied and interesting group of Nitel Engineers with qualifications that ranged from HNCs to Degrees but all wanted to soak up all I had to say. I was in my late twenties and although I was under a lot of pressure I was well prepared. Just look at the quality of the notes provided, all having been brought with me through customs. I knew from the off that I had to hold back the notes I had been warned that some of my students may not come back once they had all the notes. Unfortunately Nigeria being Nigeria back then I had had all my pens, calculators and various other goodies removed but for some reason my notes didn't interest them.

 Obviously it wasn't all work the weekends were free and I was fortunate to be staying with two seasoned overseas BT planners, I remember their names, Frank Day and Dave Hardman, both were a great help and certainly looked after me. During the weekends I was shown a few sights and had opportunity to lay on  few of the local beeches, We had to be carful but as long as we were sensible it would be fine, well we thought so anyway.

Dave Hardman with the locals.

I found the whole experience fascinating and sat for hours chatting to the locals who would happily climb trees and feed me on coconuts and fruit. I in return would give them a few Nara or let them have my hat or the odd football shirt. 

Oranges for all, this was one shirt they didn't want but all my football shirts  never made it back to the UK.

The beeches were lined with tropical plants and palms, very quiet and a very relaxing before returning to the classroom on the Monday, The course was three weeks long and there was little time either end to enjoy Nigeria so I made the most of the weekends.

Just one of the many beautiful beeches outside of Lagos..

Sadly it was not all good news and some of the consultants working on behalf of Telconsult in the group had decided to visit a religeous shrine and gardens on the Sunday. It was a long drive and I didn't fancy wasting an oportunity to relax in the sun. Needless to say Frank, Dave and I lounged around the pool, played tennis and cooked some burgers. That evening news broke that a car containing Peter Barratt and David Parsons had been highjacked. Both had been shot David died at the scene having been shot in the neck area, he bled to death, although press releases later stated that it was a head wound. Peter had been shot twice but the bullets appeared to miss any vital organs.

On the Monday I returned to teaching somewhat apprehensive but I had to continue the course. On the journey home Monday evening my car broke down. I had a driver who's job was to look after me but I was stranded on the side of the road, somewhat concerned given what had happened the day before. Then something amazing happened a taxi pulled up and i the front seat was Peter he had been shot twice and was being moved from one hospital to another. They gave me a lift back to my flat on the way which gave me a change to find out what had happened. Peter was still shaken and David who had known for years had not survived so heaven only knows what Peter must have been feeling at this time.

I will add to this as I find more information twenty years on and some technology advancements mean I should be able to add to this article. Will I be able to track down Dave and Frank?

Something completely different

I thought I would share my summer project with my readers. This year the OU have changed the start time of the module I tutor and a pleasant outcome has been a summer free of marking. With all this spare time on my hands I set to a little project at the top of the garden. The shed was constructed last year and this was detailed in a  Previous blog entry this stage was to create a decking area and make more use of the land at the top of the garden.

Before Having disposed of the old shed

A baron land was transformed last year with the introduction of a shed, well 'Man Cave'. It's a retreat for me to relax and unwind and this summer has seen me expand on this and create a decking area around it all part of the master plan to make the top of the garden more usable because the views are fantastic especially in the winter when all the leaves have fallen.

 I won't bore you with all the details just share a few pictures.

The same view after project completion.

Finally looking up the garden its a climb to get there and the next stage is to line the footpath with a few hand rails to make coming back down easier. This summer I will look at tidying up the middle section, ideas are welcome.

The view up the garden

I now have a little retreat where a peaceful evening can be spent in peace and almost quiet. However I have to say its been a really pleasant change and I one of the most relaxing summer breaks I have had.

Its been a busy year

Without getting in to detail those of you that know where I work will know there as been some upheaval  as I was moved to temporary teaching accommodation for twelve months  whilst my normal teaching block was refurbished. Now I have been back in for 6 months I can't believe how fast the time has gone. Its fair to say that it actually went quite smoothly looking back and it was worth the upheaval I think.

I have however been able to change a few things and one particular change has been the introduction of a multi-purpose IT and online learning environment, Where un-hindered internet access comes into the classroom for both project work and teaching. I don't think my colleagues quite realise what facilities I have offered up. The journey continues.

Throughout my masters I shared the limitations I was presented with in a strictly controlled learning environment and thankfully they are now starting to relax a little. Now I just need to get a few more fellow practitioners on board and see the room get more use. I guess it will take a while.

An update on MOOCs

My twitter feed has lead me to read two articles on the subject of MOOCs  and a couple of interesting points have been made. I am currently sitting through a couple of MOOCs online one at Future Learn and another at edX just to get a real feel.

According to  Norris and Soloway (2014) 'Personalized instruction, flipped classrooms, video watching, etc., etc. are the last gasps of the old, "education as acquiring stuff" model; they are attempts at putting a patina of new on an old, outmoded, broken and ultimately ineffective educational model'. Implying that HE have got it all wrong. The drive towards flipped classrooms and the utilization of videos etc have been added to the model that supports "education as acquiring stuff". Yes our learners learn differently these days we all know that but they still have to learn 'stuff'. An engineer that reverts to the wonders of the web to solve problems is all very good but there comes a time when fundamental knowledge must be readily available from acquired knowledge built on foundations by solving problems during their education. Therefore if  as Norris and Soloway, (2014) state,'Social learning, inquiry learning, just-in-time learning, and yes, learning-by-doing, will become the dominant pedagogies' , where do our learners learn the fundamentals? I see scope in 'Learning by doing' I am all for that problem based learning is a strength in engineering, but there has to be some knowledge base. An effective way of acquiring this is by way of  the good old fashioned lecture.

The second article that leapt out at me from the reading over breakfast was Falkner(2014) as he states, What about the current Higher Ed context – let’s look at “The Avalanche Report“. Basically, the education business is doomed!!! DOOOMED, I tell you!  He goes on to give a good account of a MOOC and the benefits it can bring. It's a detailed article that goes on a bit but well worth a read if you want a good reflection on the introduction of this learning method. Interestingly he shares his thoughts on the role of the lecture, it could well be the end 'especially as we can use the MOOC for content and flip to use the face-to-face for much more valuable things'.

I agree but we assume our learners are actually reading and doing in order to 'learn stuff', whereas many want that easy ride do as little as possible its a fine balance. This leads me onto another point nicely covered in a video. ‘Teaching Teaching and Understanding Understanding’. This 20 minute film is available in three parts at: http://www.daimi.au.dk/~brabrand/short-film/
Points to ponder over
- What is the balance of Susans / Roberts in your classes?
- What implications does the balance have on how we should teach and assess?
- Note the way ILOs are used to define teaching and assessment in part 3. How might this help focus students?



References

Falkner,N (2014)'CSEDU, Day 2, Invited Talk, “How are MOOCs Disrupting the Educational Landscape?”, (#CSEDU14 #AdelEd)', Learning and Teaching in ICT at The University of Adelaide and across Australia, April 2014 [Blog]. Available at http://nickfalkner.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/csedu-day-2-invited-talk-how-are-moocs-disrupting-the-educational-landscape-csedu14-adeled/ (Accessed 5 April 2014).

Norris,C.and Soloway,E.(2014) the Journal, 'Personalized Learning, Flipped Classrooms, Video Watching: Last Gasps of the Old Education'[Online]Available at http://thejournal.com/Articles/2014/03/31/Broken-Educational-Model.aspx?Page=1#LovTyJAPGmOsMzYE.99 (Accessed 5 April 2014).

Fairly Obvious Left v Right side of Brain

Find more education infographics on e-Learning Infographics

Webinars some examples.

What is a webinar

Short for Web-based seminar, a presentation, lecture, workshop or seminar that is transmitted over the Web.A key feature of a Webinar is its interactive elements -- the ability to give, receive and discuss information. Contrast with Webcast, in which the data transmission is one way and does not allow interaction between the presenter and the audience. (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/Webinar.html)

Probably best watching live but most events are recorded for viewing at a later date.

An example from Learning Technologies

https://www.timetag.tv/learningtechnologies/play/22916

Description:
The internet and smart mobile devices have fundamentally changed how we look at learning and performance programmes. And now another technological advance is coming; one that will once again change some of our definitions and how we address performance issues: wearable technology. This technology will come in various forms, but the one that is blazing the path is Google Glass.David Kelly is one of the Glass Explorers (individuals exploring Glass before its public release) and has been investigating the different ways that Glass can be used for learning and performance improvement. Join David for a journey of discovery, and explore how the next wave of technological advances will impact the learning and performance field.

This session covers:What is Google Glass?What is the Glass experience like for the user? How do people react to Glass?What doors does Glass open for learning and performance?How are people already using Glass for learning today?Many more available from https://www.timetag.tv/learningtechnologies

Webinars at the IET

http://eandt.theiet.org/videos/webinars/index.cfm I quickly selected one as an example but you will need to register before viewing. This is a more traditional webinar which includes guest speakers and is presented in a online format.

Inspec: Great Minds On Innovation presents The Smart Grid, Smart Homes, Smart Roads And Beyond Jeff Reinke 2012-11-16 00:00:00.0 Inspec Channel >> go to webcast>> recommend to friend

Some additional readings on webinars

https://smartblogs.com/social-media/2011/01/05/what-makes-a-webinar-great-a-q-and-a-with-ann-handley/
http://blogs.cisco.com/home/top-reasons-why-using-webinars-is-good-for-business/

http://spearmarketing.com/blog/are-webinars-a-waste-of-time/
http://www.mhub.tv/why-live-webinars-are-a-painful-waste-of-time/