New Programs and Initiatives

By Melissa Martin

Teleseminars

A new dimension of online learning has burst on the scene and the US is leading the way. Canada, with its distinction of being a leader in the career field, is lagging behind our neighbours to the south. Teleseminars are changing the learning landscape and burning up the telephone lines with individuals who yearn for an alternative means of learning.

Teleseminars, otherwise known as “teleclasses,” are live, interactive classes conducted by telephone. While teleconferences can accommodate up to two hundred people at a time, teleseminars offer a more intimate forum for individuals to “listen” to content, engage in exercises, field questions, and elicit feedback and shore up resources. More often than not, teleseminar leaders confine their teleclasses to a small number of participants who are invited to sign up via a “bridge line” on the telephone. This line is reserved for the teleseminar, whereby participants are given a 1-800 number and receive a PIN number to enter the foray of live learning. The quintessential site seems to be www.teleclassinternational.com, which boasts a wide array of topics, including the employment/career counselling profession.

Imagine signing up for a teleseminar on career counselling with a steaming cup of tea on a blustery winter night or nestled in your living room to hear the latest job search techniques for clients. The teleseminar truly represents an intimate experience with global participants, at a fraction of the cost of normal workshops or courses. It’s not uncommon to find yourself as a learner who forsakes high technology in favour of basic, “low tech” communication, namely the telephone. A “keyword” search on www.google.com will yield thousands of teleclass/teleseminar entries.

It’s no coincidence why teleseminars are gaining popularity on the internet. The possibilities are infinite: customer service, gathering fresh referrals or selling products and services. Alexander Graham Bell underestimated the power of communication in the old fashioned invention called the telephone.

Melissa Martin is a bilingual Employment Assistance Co–ordinator at CFB Kingston. She teaches results–oriented workshops and facilitates teleclasses on www.careerteleseminars.com. Melissa enjoyed a successful, ten-year career in radio broadcasting across Ontario. She is a certified English/French teacher and SurvivAbility leader.