Introduction: In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega gives tips for continuing your genealogy education this summer – online. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.”

The kids are out of school for the summer but that doesn’t mean that your genealogy education should take a break. If you want to be a researcher that finds answers, you need to create your own continuing education plan. Part of that plan should include online learning opportunities. And luckily for us, in this post-Covid world, opportunities for learning can be found on a daily basis.

Where Do You Find Online Education?

No doubt you are most likely already taking part in online learning via webinars or conferences. If you are a member of a genealogy society, their educational programming may include monthly or at least frequent webinar or hybrid opportunities (hybrid is when a lecture is conducted in-person but also streamed via an online platform so members have a choice of how they will participate).

If you’re not a member of a genealogy society, then how do you find webinars? Start with local genealogy societies, historical societies, libraries, and museums. Look at their websites and click on “Events.” This is where these organizations will post their virtual and in-person events. Also check the organizations for the location you are researching. These organizations are going to offer education about that place, which can help you with your research.

Search the offerings of large organizations. The National Genealogical Society, American Ancestors, and the Genealogy Center at Allen County Public Library all offer online educational opportunities. In some cases, these are free and may be archived on their YouTube channel. So don’t forget to subscribe to genealogy-related YouTube channels for learning opportunities.

Speaking of the National Genealogical Society, they offer a free service called ConferenceKeeper. This service is a list of genealogy-related events, not just conferences. Through their online calendar you can view what genealogy-related events are happening on any given day by organizations worldwide.

Be a Good Online Citizen

There’s no doubt that online platforms have been a game changer. They provide a way for us to view live and recorded webinars. Technology allows us to view webinars from anywhere with internet access. Recorded and archived webinars allow us to watch at our convenience, but keep in mind that it feels different to attend a presentation online versus in-person. The following tips are some things to consider when you attend online.

(1) Be aware of the host’s preferences. That means, for example, they decide if you have your microphone and/or camera on or off. You may be asked to hold questions until the end of the presentation and to type them into the chat. Each host has different rules for participating.

(2) If your camera is on, be aware of you and your surroundings. As a presenter, I have seen things I wish I hadn’t as I presented to audiences with their cameras on. I understand. It’s easy to forget that your camera is on so you may do things you would not normally want an audience to see. When the presenter is speaking, unless you’ve been told otherwise, consider turning off your camera. The audience wants to see the speaker and the slides and if something is happening in view of your camera it can be distracting. This can also apply to other family members in your house. I’ve seen people get up and make dinner, spouses undress/dress behind the attendee, and other things.

Tip: In Zoom you can limit what you see to the speaker and the slides by going to the top right and clicking on the box icon and selecting “side by side: speaker.”

(3) If you’re asked to turn on your camera and participate in a conversation, do it. As a speaker it can feel like you are talking to empty rooms when you ask the audience to turn on cameras and microphones and people don’t or just sit there. As you hear the presentation, jot down some questions, so you can be an active participant. By doing so, you’ll get more out of the presentation.

(4) Pay attention. It’s so easy in today’s world to multi-task. Cooking dinner, scrolling through social media, making phone calls, talking on the phone. If you wouldn’t do it during an in-person presentation, try not to do it during a webinar. You learn more when you aren’t distracted.

What Are You Watching?

Now’s the time to set up your education schedule for the summer. Take some time to create your educational plan/schedule. Recommend what genealogy webinars you are watching in the comments below.

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Note on the header image: couple using computer. Credit: https://depositphotos.com/home.html