The Guest Experts area of the Beyond Books site enables users to participate in regularly scheduled, live, online discussions with experts in a variety of subject areas. Users can also gain background information on upcoming experts in order to prepare for the discussion and can access archived transcripts, video clips, and audio clips from past discussions.
Go to the Guest Experts homepage by clicking on "Experts" on the yellow navigation bar or by clicking on "Guest Experts" in the blue right-hand column on the Beyond Books homepage.
| How to participate in a live online discussion |
A Java-enabled browser is required to participate in a chat session. (If you have an older or non-Java-enabled web browser, please upgrade prior to the scheduled discussion.) No other software or special equipment is needed; everything is provided via the Beyond Books website.
- Scroll down the page to "Open Window 1 CHAT WINDOW," then click on "Click to open." This opens a separate browser window in which the chat log-in screen will appear. (The following instructions are also listed on the left-hand column of the Expert Session page)
- On the log-in page, type in a user name for yourself and click on the "Login" button. This user name is used only for this session.
- On the chat screen, type in "Your Message" at the bottom and hit the ENTER key.
- Click on the "Float" button to make the chat window independent of the page beneath it. Click on "Embed" (same button location) to return the chat panel to the browser window.
 | | Dr. Jon Nese, Chief Meteorologist at the Franklin Institute, joined us for a Guest Expert session. |
Students are encouraged to research as much as they can before the session and to bring their questions to our experts. They may ask questions before or during the session, and follow-up questions during the session are strongly encouraged. The transcript of the online session will be posted for all to read, enjoy, and learn from.
On the day of the live discussion, go to the Expert Session page by clicking on the expert's name on the Guest Experts homepage, then clicking on "Participate in the Discussion." Repeat the steps above to open the chat window. Then open the live stream and the closed-captioning window by clicking on "Click to Open" under each area on the Expert Session page.
If your Internet connection will not support the live video and audio stream, you can just open the closed-captioning window to participate in the discussion.
If you have any problems using the chat software, click on "e-mail us" so we can help. The answers to several commonly asked questions can be found by clicking on "Guest Experts Help Page" in the left-hand column of the Guest Experts homepage and the Expert Session page.
| How to access background information on upcoming Guest Experts |
Upcoming guests are listed at the top of the Guest Experts homepage. Click on the name of an expert to reach an information page containing biographical information on the expert and links to any related websites; sometimes, a link to a Beyond Books-created lesson plan is also available. Teachers and students are advised to review this information in preparation for participation in the live discussion.
| How to access archives of past Guest Expert discussions |
On the Guest Experts homepage is a chronological listing of the past guest experts. Click on the name of an expert to reach an information page containing biographical information on the expert, links to any related websites, and (if available) a link to a Beyond Books-created lesson plan. Also at the top of the page are links to the recorded webcast and transcript of the discussion.
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