Women Who Code

Tech Talk Speaker Workshop

 

Cecelia Martinez

Women Who Code Front End Track Volunteer

@ceceliacreates

Welcome Speakers!

 

👋 Introduce yourself in the chat 💬

  • Name
  • Location
  • Current Role
  • Topic area for your talk
  • Are you a first-time speaker?

Workshop Goals

  1. Demonstrate a simple framework for developing a tech talk
  2. Go through the process so you can practice and understand which areas to focus  additional learning
  3. Walk away with an actionable problem statement and progress toward an outline and plan for a tech talk
  4. Cover basic presentation skills and share resources for additional learning and best practices

Workshop Guidelines

  1. Be kind and encouraging to your fellow workshop attendees and abide by the Women Who Code Code of Conduct
  2. Reserve questions for working sessions
  3. Use Q&A function to ask me questions
  4. Use chat to discuss with your fellow speakers
  5.  Participate! This is a safe place to try new things and learn what works for you 

Problem Statement

What is the problem you are trying to solve for your audience?

Technical Problems

  • There is a particular feature or concept that is difficult to learn.
  • I need a real-world solution for a specific challenge or use case.
  • I am interested in a new tool and don’t know where to start.
  • I am trying to make a decision and need analysis of pros and cons.

Business Problems

  • I understand how to use a tool but not the best applications for it.

  • I want to better understand how to build or leverage non-technical skills for my career

  • Seeing best practices from other teams helps me better understand how to guide my own team.

  • I need to quickly understand a concept or non-technical skill to solve a problem on my team.

Statement Format

"In this talk, I will [WHAT] by [HOW] so that [WHY]."

  • WHAT you will accomplish in this talk

 

  • HOW you will accomplish that goal

 

  • WHY it matters to the audience

Statement Format

"In this talk, I will [WHAT] by [HOW] so that [WHY]."

In this talk, I will ...

demonstrate best practices for testing with NgRX

by ...

highlighting common testing use cases for Actions and Selectors

so that... 

you can quickly implement a testing strategy without getting too bogged down with complex technical details.

Working Session

Time: 5 minutes

 

Write your first draft of your problem statement!

 

"In this talk, I will [WHAT] by [HOW] so that [WHY]."

 

Discuss ideas in chat or use Q&A for questions!

Outline

"How will you structure your content for maximum impact?"

Outline Structure

  • Give the audience the right information at the right time
  • Adjust based on talk length, format, or topic
  • Make it your own, or start from scratch!

Outline Structure

Introduction

 

  • Speaker bio

  • Purpose or goals

  • Contact information

Outline Structure

What is the Problem?

 

  • Define the problem

  • Why is it important?

Outline Structure

What Context do we Need?

 

  • Prerequisites

  • Use case details

  • Define terms and concepts

     

Outline Structure

How do we Solve the Problem?

 

  1. Tell a story (this is how we solved the problem on our team
  2. Teach a concept (understanding this concept will give you the tools to solve your problem)
  3. Demonstrate a solution (you can use this tool or concept to solve this abstract problem)

Outline Structure

Where can we Learn More?

 

 

  • Next Steps
  • Additional Resources
  • Contact Information

Outline Structure

  1. Introduction
  2. What is the Problem?
  3. What Context do we Need?
  4. How do we Solve the Problem?
  5. How can we Learn More?

Outline Discussion

  1. What “Solve the Problem” method works best for your problem statement?
    1. Tell a story 
    2. Teach a concept
    3. Demonstrate a solution
  2. What concepts will I need to explain to my audience?

 

Discuss ideas in chat or use Q&A for questions!

Visuals & Interactive Elements

Making the most of your message.

Visual & Interactive Elements

  • Speaking is a visual, auditory, and interactive medium
  • Leverage this format wherever possible
  • Visuals and interactive elements should enhance the content, not overtake it
  • Getting your message across is the #1 goal

Use Visuals...

  • To guide the narrative of your presentation
  • To graphically demonstrate a concept that is hard to explain with words
  • To highlight key code samples that are critical to the understanding of your topic

Use Interaction...

  • Ask audience questions to confirm understanding and encourage engagement
  • Live coding and demos for when seeing the concept in action is critical to learning
  • Use polls, show-of-hands, and other tools to create a unique experience for the audience

Presentation Basics

Yes, it's normal to be nervous!

Presentation Basics

  • Nerves are normal!
  • Actually practice (with an audience if possible)
  • Talk like you would to a colleague
  • Consider lighting, audio, and background

Presentation Practice

Time: 5 minutes

 

Practice a short introduction where you introduce yourself and your problem statement. Below is a sample script, but feel free to make it your own!

 

Hello, my name is [NAME] and I am [ROLE]. Today I will be speaking about [TOPIC AREA]. In this talk, I will… [PROBLEM STATEMENT]. 

More Advice

Speak for Women Who Code!

fellows@womenwhocode.com

 

@ceceliacreates

Thank you!

Feedback? Let us know!

 

Upcoming events:

 

https://www.womenwhocode.com/digital