Hewlko News - The Digital Workshop
When the impossible becomes possible
Pre-COVID our schedule had lined up with workshops, meetings and presentations - all of which we would have said had to be done in-person. So when March went sideways, we were unsure of how it would all shake out. Can we run these highly interactive workshops digitally? It was something we didn’t think was possible, probably because we didn’t really think about it at all. But you never know until you try and after a full month of running everything digitally we wanted to share our tips for setting up meetings so they run smoothly and provide a quick overview of the various platforms we tried.
The Set Up
The set up is the most important part and we had our fair share of not hitting the mark on this one. It’s inevitable your mic will stop working, your video won’t play, or your child will need some attention mid-way through. If you talk about this right from the start and make it ok, it removes some pressure.
Utilize The Tools
We guide our meetings through the share screen feature and instead of our normal sticky notes we use the chat feature to collect content from attendees. Then we copy and paste the responses into a google doc (also shown on the shared screen) and discuss! The best part is you can edit, research and type all on the screen everyone is watching so it's easy to follow along.
Facilitate + Encourage Discussion
It’s a bit unfamiliar to be in the digital setting, but our job as the facilitator stayed the same. Ensuring each person has their time to speak and encouraging further discussions from team members for the most part ran smoothly for us and had the added benefit of people staying more on topic than normal.
Here is our downloadable cheat sheet that we include at the beginning of every workshop.
Zoom, Microsoft Teams + Google Hangouts
Zoom
Features used:
Chat, Video, Share Screen, Annotate, Record
Cost:
$20/CAD a month
What we liked:
Easy to use
Scheduling feature
Meeting link is quick to send out or add to any calendar
What we didn't like:
Participants view is much smaller when you are sharing your screen, so harder to tell if you’re getting head nods and smiles or inquisitive looks
When you share the screen, the interface separates, so you need to ensure you open your chat bar - it makes your view feel cluttered
Microsoft Teams
Features used:
Chat, Video, Share Screen, Whiteboard, Record
Cost:
$6.72/CAD a month
We have an office 365 plan so it could be more if you don’t have that plan
What we liked:
Participants view when you are screen sharing is larger so you can see people's expressions
Interface stays in tact when sharing your screen making it a bit more user friendly
What we didn't like:
You have to be on the Exchange mail server to be able to send out meeting requests
Google Meet
Features used:
Chat, Video, Share Screen
Cost:
Free
What we liked:
Easy to use
Meeting link is quick to send out or add to any calendar
What we didn't like:
Participants view is tiny when you are sharing your screen
Q&A with Jennifer Dooley, Principal Consultant at Dooley Social Change
This month’s Q&A is with the talented Jennifer Dooley, Ph.D.! Jenn has an impressive track-record of helping businesses utilize digital media to help brands tell their story to their audience sets in a way that truly connects them. She brings with her an extensive education and a global perspective. Read on to learn more about Jenn and her company Dooley Social Change!
CONTINUE READING
Back in March, Shannon traded in her tiny condo in Calgary for a cabin in the Shuswap. Catch a glimpse into life at the cabin @cabinprojectbc