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Tutorials
---------
* The evening session worked well. What about 2 days of tutorials?
* Allow for instructors to communicate with students.

  * wiki
  * mailing list
  * broadcast message
  * allow students to "release" their email address

* Allow time during the selection process to allow for "back and forth" between the selection committee and those proposing tutorials. This will allow for clarification, modification and/or expansion on the proposal.
* Score tutorials:

  * -2: No!
  * -1: Leaning against
  * 0: Neutral
  * +1: Leaning for
  * +2: Yes!

* Skype for scoring sessions? Much more effective than IM
* Set up 1 Google doc with all of the related with all of the tutorial related spreadsheets

  * Proposal scoring and status (accepted, rejected, awaiting input, etc.)
  * Room assignments
  * handout status (pdf received, off to printer, received from printer)
  * Tutorial status (open, canceled, full, closed)

* Have one, ''and only one'', primary contact per tutorial.
* Get a headset (microphone) for each instructor.
* Have instructors meet in a "ready room" so instructors can fill out the release form before their session.
* Explain the release form beforehand so there is no confusion (yeah, right :-)
* Notify the instructors that the handouts will be in black-and-white (with gray scale) so they will not depend on colour to make their point(s).
* Have a way to verify handouts have been delivered to the hotel before tutorial day.
* Get financial information sooner, especially for non-US instructors.
* Make a template for proposals so we have consistent section names (RTF format?)
* Ask proposals for "ideal" and "maximum" (effective) class size (but don't guarantee either)
* Get slides online for emergency access (computer dies, etc.)

Suggestions for 2009

This page should be used as a place to capture the ideas that we don't want to forget to incorporate in 2009 given our fresh perspectives on 2008... so.... list away! (also, feel free to add topics/sections, the list below was just a quick start)


Financial Aid

  • Make reimbursement process easier by creating a pdf for recipients to fill out instead of making them create their own.

Food, etc.

  • Have water be available in the hallways, not just the rooms
  • Convince the food vendors / hotel to leave the food trays around for longer than the few minutes when scheduled meal breaks are. Numerous times I missed the provided food due to an extended conversation following a talk or having been in the vendor area.

Lightning Talks

  • Be more specific that talks should be more than a sales or recruiting pitch. Tell us about what you're doing!

Networking

  • wired network for speakers' podiums, vendors & sponsors who request it, tutorials (esp. tutorial instructors)
  • wired network for tutorials -- too many people need to install at the beginning of a tutorial and it was too easy for the wireless to go down thus holding up progress on tutorials.

Open Space

  • introduction to open space for attendees
  • more announcements about open spaces
    • each session chair mentions open spaces that they're interested in
    • add scheduled open spaces to the daily schedule changes sheet

Sponsorship

  • Dedicate space for recruiting
    • Use open space room(s)?
  • Encourage sponsors to set up social events (parties, dinners, mixers, etc.).

Talk Selection Process

  • Keep speaker names on proposals during reviews
  • Organize scheduled talks into themed tracks

Talk Logistics

  • Better wrangling of speakers at speaking time, including: * Present before session * Session chair hands out release forms * Make sure all required A/V resources are available and working (sound, etc) * Check/set display resolution

  • Headset mics to free up both hands?

  • Buffer zone around A/V setup to avoid RFI from Blackberrys and such

  • Email in advance and/or give a handout to all presenters (including lightening talkers) to include:

    • suggestion to turn off screensavers, IM clients, etc that might interupt the talk
    • warnings against poorly contrasting colors (e.g. yellow on green)
    • supported projector resolutions
    • recommended minimum font size for legibility at various resolutions
    • suggestion to backup their presentation prior to the day of their talk :-)
  • A spare DVI to VGA adapter per room

  • Perhaps a spare projector in the speaker's ready room which can be used to test the speaker's equipment out prior to their talk

Tutorials

  • The evening session worked well. What about 2 days of tutorials?
  • Allow for instructors to communicate with students.
    • wiki
    • mailing list
    • broadcast message
    • allow students to "release" their email address
  • Allow time during the selection process to allow for "back and forth" between the selection committee and those proposing tutorials. This will allow for clarification, modification and/or expansion on the proposal.
  • Score tutorials:
    • -2: No!
    • -1: Leaning against
    • 0: Neutral
    • +1: Leaning for
    • +2: Yes!
  • Skype for scoring sessions? Much more effective than IM
  • Set up 1 Google doc with all of the related with all of the tutorial related spreadsheets
    • Proposal scoring and status (accepted, rejected, awaiting input, etc.)
    • Room assignments
    • handout status (pdf received, off to printer, received from printer)
    • Tutorial status (open, canceled, full, closed)
  • Have one, ''and only one'', primary contact per tutorial.
  • Get a headset (microphone) for each instructor.
  • Have instructors meet in a "ready room" so instructors can fill out the release form before their session.
  • Explain the release form beforehand so there is no confusion (yeah, right :-)
  • Notify the instructors that the handouts will be in black-and-white (with gray scale) so they will not depend on colour to make their point(s).
  • Have a way to verify handouts have been delivered to the hotel before tutorial day.
  • Get financial information sooner, especially for non-US instructors.
  • Make a template for proposals so we have consistent section names (RTF format?)
  • Ask proposals for "ideal" and "maximum" (effective) class size (but don't guarantee either)
  • Get slides online for emergency access (computer dies, etc.)

Website

PyCon 2008IdeasFor2009 (last edited 2008-12-11 18:41:45 by DavidGoodger)

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