This is where I make my “Can’t teleclass from a hole in the ground” joke.
Though actually I prefer to think of it as a bohemian salon.
Basically I’m a fabulous, old, wealthy and eccentric New York socialite. In my head. And I open the doors to my rawther bohemian salon. Where I hold court and whack things with my giant cane.
And we talk about some theme related to the stuff I teach about on the blog.
By phone. Or by dixie cup. Phone works better. (Because it’s actually a teleclass.)
Okay, I’ll bite. What’s a teleclass?
Teleclass? I know, what an incredibly stupid word.
Sadly, no one asked me for a better one, and since it’s already a thing, there’s really not much we can do. Except pretend we’re holding a dixie cup salon.
Anyway, a teleclass is basically just a workshop that takes place by phone, which lets us do some group learning with people from around the world.
So … kind of like a virtual classroom that works via a conference call type system thing. But not as futuristic as that sounds.
The benefits of a workshop without travel and traffic. Or deciding what to wear. Or getting out of bed. And if you can’t make it to San Francisco or Berlin for a live thing with my duck, you might be able to swing an hour at home.
So here are some of the questions that I’ve answered more than once.
The “I don’t get this whole teleclass thing” questions:
How do I join in?
You dial a phone number and enter a code. You get both by email when you sign up for the call or the program or whatever.
What’s it like?
Class usually consists of a mix of lecture, questions and some interactive discussion. With large classes we’ll sometimes mute people out and then open up the line for questions at the end.
Will I get charged for dialing in? Does the call itself cost anything?
Nothing but your normal long distance rates.
Do I need to be near a computer to take part in the class?
Nope. All you need is a phone. Unless you want to hang out on the Chattery, of course.
Do I need anything else?
Not really. Some people like to take notes — paper and pencil is always good.
What if I don’t want to actively participate?
That’s fine. You don’t have to talk if you don’t feel like it. Feel free to just listen in!
I’m not in North America. Can I still call in?
Absolutely. We get people from all over the world. We’d love to have you.
What if I sign up and then can’t make the call?
Well, you won’t get to ask questions, but if all goes well (knock on keyboard and spit three times to avert the evil eye, tfu tfu tfu), we’ll send you a link so you can listen to the recording later.
What if I don’t want to be recorded?
Invent a phony name? Or don’t mention your name? Or don’t say anything. Recordings go to everyone who sign up for the class. We have a chat room too (the Chattery!) so you can hang out there as well. But only if you want to.
I’m afraid of doing something wrong. Is there a standard protocol or something?
Not really. So we wrote one for you. This should answer pretty much everything in that department.
Wait, what if I have more questions?
You can leave a comment right here if you like.
Talk soon,
Havi (and Selma the duck)
Thanks. This will be fun!
can i use skype to phone in?
Twitter: havi
@ William: Yes! Take a look at the Teleclass Protocol page for tips.