Thank you for volunteering to help with the Innovations in Teaching & Learning conference. Your help makes this event possible!
If you are a Session Host…
As a session host, your role is to:
- help anchor the start/end of the session in order to create a cohesive conference experience for participants across sessions (as some participants may only participant in a few sessions over the week),
- ensure the session content runs on time, and
- enrich the session by sharing other Stearns Center and personal experiences/resources related to the session topic
What will you do BEFORE the conference:
- Attend a 1-hour session host preparation meeting with the Stearns Center Planning Team (see email for dates and link to sign up)
- Connect with your assigned session(s) lead presenter to meet for 15-20 minutes to go over their plan for the session (offer any tips) and determine how they would like to be introduced and what kind (if any) hands on support they would like from you during the session (Note: If they have polls for their session, please collect from presenters and send on to assigned Tech Host)
- Explore the Stearns Center website and ITL conference proceedings from past years to find 1-2 resources that you could share in the chatbox during your session. (Or draft 1-2 questions/comments you could share in the chatbox during the session)
- Practice your Zoom skills (if needed)
What will you do DURING the conference session:
- (Tech host will launch Zoom meeting and let you into session from waitroom 20 minutes before session start time).
- Please join the meeting at least 20 minutes before session start time through the participant link in Sched.
- Start session promptly at start time
- Welcome attendees to conference and this session
- Explain format of the session (session type, which tools will be used) and direct people to stay muted and use chatbox for questions
- Remind participants of Sched App (and Twitter) as a tool to connect with attendees and presenters
- Explain how they can change their participant name for college/school and pronouns
- Encourage them to use the chatbox to introduce themselves by sharing what brought them to this session today
- Introduce session title and speakers (Note: speakers may prefer to introduce themselves, check with them before session is opened to the participants)
- Throughout session:
- Assist presenters with managing Q&A/chat box;
- CHATBOX: Post relevant Stearns Center links or related experience comments for session activities;
- Gives presenter time checks (Note: speakers may prefer this as a private chatbox message or as a unmuted comment, check with them before session is opened to the participants)
- Post end of session slide and evaluation poll at end, directs people to next program item on the schedule
HOW TO ACCESS TO SESSION: Plan to log in as a participant through the Zoom links in Sched. Note: Session Hosts will also serve as an alternative Zoom meeting host (launching the Zoom session only in the rare case a tech facilitator can’t get session started due to technology issues).
If you are a Tech Host…
As a Tech Host, your role is to serve as the Zoom Meeting host for each session, archive session data (participant list, evaluation data), and offers Zoom “how to” support to presenters, session host, and participants.
What you will do BEFORE the conference:
- Adjust your Zoom Account settings to the ITL conference security settings—see separate handout
- Schedule your assigned session(s) as Zoom meetings (add 20-30 mins before scheduled start time and 10 minutes after scheduled end time) and make Ashley Joiner (ajoiner2@gmu.edu) and Laura Lukes (llukes@gmu.edu) as “Alternative Hosts”
- Post Zoom host access and participant access information for your sessions in the tracking document in Teams
- Set up session feedback poll (and any other polls needed by presenters)
What you will do DURING the conference session:
- Launch the Zoom Meeting for the session 30 minutes before start time (allowing presenters and session host to enter at least 20 mins before start)
- POST the ITL Conference welcome slide by sharing your screen
- Move people into session from the waitroom (keep an eye on waitroom throughout session for latecomers)
- Make sure mute settings are on; mute participants as needed and remove any disruptive participants; Shut session down if Zoom bombing
- Serve as in session tech support (in the chatbox) for participants—sound issues, finding tools, etc. (ITS is getting access tech support)
- RECORD attendance (total number, plus screenshot of participant list) in Teams halfway through session
- POST end of session slide by sharing your screen
- LAUNCH session feedback poll
- RECORD evaluation poll results in Teams
- Help presenters and session host as needed (polling, getting people into break out sessions, share screen, use white board, etc.)
- Close session–Wait until everyone is logged off or 5 minutes after
What you will do AFTER the conference session:
- RECORD attendance and evaluation results in Teams (if you didn’t already)
HOW TO ACCESS TO SESSION: Stearns Center Events Manager, Ashley Joiner, will coordinate with you to adjust your Zoom account settings to the ITL Conference security settings, then, as Tech host, you will schedule the Zoom meetings for your assigned sessions and make Ashley Joiner (ajoiner2@gmu.edu) and Laura Lukes (llukes@gmu.edu) as “Alternative Hosts,” recording the host and participant access details in the appropriate file in Teams (Events Manager will send link to this file).