User:Leszek Manicki (WMDE)/TechConf-SessionLeads Questions

2019-10-29

Advices, tips be interactive as possible, prevent from doing lectures. We want those sessions to bring us further in solving the issues, which means conversation, break out groups. Schedule the structuring of your session so there is time for those interactive parts, and also have time to close the session with the clear outcome. You probably do not the session to run until last minute

scale the scope to 2-3 main questions e.g. "what is the problem" and "how do we solve it" When there is more question, you could split the group that would take set of questions, and sync at the end When splitting into subgroups, plan time for this: 5 minutes to split/form the groups, and time at the end to bring the group back together. Take into account that you'll also need facilator/helper person for the group, and this should be made clear at the point of forming a group who has what role. E.g. If you want to a participant of the subgroup, you'd need an additional person (apart from the designated facilator) to facilatate the subgroup work.

Stuff you didn't get to discuss in the session could also be take into the unconference-like sessions

Reminder: Share the homework (pre-reading etc) for the participants of your session by friday this week Nov 1st, so that they have a week to prepare.

Weather: https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/8f5c8f0c5dd7699966caf7dcb4880c3847a86092521a187546b808f3023b9120

questions

how long the sessions are going to be? A: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Technical_Conference/2019/Program

my session is about something. Structure I had in mind: 15 mins intro of the idea and two questions I would like to have answered. 15 minutes per each question, and 5 minutes at the end to wrap up A: sounds fine, questions to you how you see organizing getting these questions answered: sequantially or in parallel? TODO: Birgit's master hint I failed to cover do not count too much on it, but there is unconference time, so you could try to park lingering questions to be continued on there. You cannot count though

Are there resources planned for drawing, or should I organize supplies myself? We'll be organizing some supplies. please reach out to the Program Committee via email with list things you need, so we can ensure we arrange what you need.

how do session lead and facilitator coordinate it would be good to contact each other, and present ideas you have for the session last minute coordination: there will a daily morning meeting for leads and faciliators of the session of the day

in case you have double duties, e.g. you are leading a session, and also assign to do note taking on some other session - if you find the session schedule difficult for you, e.g. you'd need more time before the session you're leading, so you'd rather skip note taking - reach out to us, we'll shuffle the scribe/facilator list to share the load

Q: what kind of equipment will be in the room: projectors, wihoteboars? PC will verify the details. PC assumes each room will have a projector, flipchart. PC will be checking this equipment is really there. PC is not certain every room will have whiteboard. If you have need which is more ordinary, let us know and we'll see what can be arranged. the venue is the large conference center

what is the best place to post prereading/homework: A: session phab ticket

Did people actually read the prereading last year? A: some do, some don't. We encourage people do it, it is probably worth doing a short intro. Make it clear in the prereading what are additonal material, what is really "required", etc.

Q: Can estimate how many people will come to the session too many variables to reliable get a good gage. historically this has never worked.

Q: does anyone have a past experience on how can you manage the session if your goal if you have a really difficult question and want to have a clear good action item coming out of it A: tips: find a small interested group of people who would actually follow up on the outcome of the session. The people who follow up should be the ones who can actually do something, i.e. have the required authority, etc. also have dedicated people for role, who will actually take the role seriously: a facilator that will take care of cutting discussion, keeping it away from derailing, a note taker that actually take detailed notes.