In this age of increased awareness of the dangers of technology, there are many ways it blesses our lives. Discovering our ancestors has become easier than ever before due to technology and the internet. Another aspect of family history work that has experienced incredible growth because of technology is family history education. There are so many things to learn, and if you have a computer and the internet, you can do so from the comfort of your own home. You can even learn on-the-go via your smartphone. I’ll show you how:
Webinars
A webinar is a class that is broadcast over the internet. Anyone interested can attend. Webinars can be viewed live at the time of broadcast, and many are recorded and kept in an online archive for later viewing. Here are two free webinar libraries for you to get started with:
Family History Library Classes and Webinars
BYU Family History Library Webinars
Each of these libraries has webinars on a variety of family history topics. For a list of additional sites that offer both free and subscription-based webinars, visit FamilySearch’s Webinars and Online Classes from outside FamilySearch page.
Podcasts
A podcast is a series of audio episodes that are available on demand. I love listening to podcasts while I am cleaning, folding laundry, driving, or working out. You can listen by going directly to the podcast’s website, or in the Podcasts app on an iphone or the Google podcasts app on an android. Some of my favorite family history podcasts include:
Miss.Genealogy – Host Jessie McKinley states, “My whole goal here is to get you fired up about family history & the amazing guests I interview do an excellent job at exactly that!” Jessie isn’t creating new episodes at this time, but the 24 she has created are well worth listening to!
The Genealogy Gems Podcast – The Genealogy Gems Podcast helps you make the most of your family history research time by providing quick and easy-to-use research techniques. Producer and host Lisa Louise Cooke brings you the best websites, best practices, and best resources available.
Generations Cafe – hosted by Amy Johnson Crow, Generations Cafe is a podcast all about genealogy and family history. Amy believes discovering your family history should be enjoyable! The goal of each episode is to show you more about doing genealogy without the frustration.
Research Like a Pro – hosted by Diana Elder, AG and Nicole Dyer, co-authors of the book, Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide. They discuss the Research Like a Pro method and how to take your genealogy research to the next level in their weekly podcast. Learn about research objectives, analysis, locality research, research planning, source citations, report writing, case studies, and more.
YouTube Videos
If you prefer YouTube to learn more about Family History, here are two great channels:
The BYU Family History Library also posts their webinars to their YouTube Channel.
Family History Fanatics – Their mission is to help beginning family historians get started in family history. They cover how to get started, DNA, preservation tips, scrapbooking, and more. Family History Fanatics releases videos twice a week.
How Will You Increase Your Knowledge About Family History?
There are so many options that will help us continue learning about how to do our own family history and help others with theirs. What will you do to increase your knowledge? I invite you to make a plan for furthering your education today!
This is Part 5 in the Series “How a Consultant Can Know Everything.” Read parts 1-4 here:
How A Consultant Can Know Everything, part 1: The FamilySearch Blog
How A Consultant Can Know Everything, part 2: The Help Menu at FamilySearch.org
How A Consultant Can Know Everything, part 3: The Family History Guide
How a Consultant Can Know Everything, part 4: The FamilySearch Research Wiki
Souls to Bless 