While we are between semesters, there is a bit of a lull on campus. Traditionally this is the time of year that lecturers recover from the past semester, prepare for the next bout and hang around over languid cups of bad instant coffee (I have converted to tea in celebration of the new decade, antioxidants and thermogenesis). It is also the one time of year when staff are actively prompted to present workshops and talks on areas that interest them.
Any opportunity to present is worth accepting, because it is such a learning experience. Because of the T42 project and my thesis, the timing could not be better, and naturally I grabbed the opportunity. A learning experience it certainly was. I was very pleased with the level of participant involvement stimulated by the activities, most of the organisation (although the LCD projector requisition and backup plans fell through) and atmosphere. Presenting to peers can be awkward because of the sudden change of roles, but it was not a problem and the interaction felt very authentic to me. Feedback was very positive, with participants commenting positively on organisation, professionalism and engagement.
Reflection also involves constructive criticism, of course, and the most significant area that needs work is that the ideas behind T42 are very new and abstract for newcomers. I will need several ways to make the concept more accessible: stories, pictures, analogies, and humour. Incidentally, humour is traditionally my weakest point as a presenter, yet there was a great deal of spontaneous belly laughter among the participants, both thanks to their wisecracks and, surprisingly, my own.
I do hope to continue building on this workshop format with a set of soft copy documents including handouts, signs, question cards et cetera, as well as a small collection of equipment needed, that will make it possible to present at the drop of a hat anywhere in the world. In fact, I'd like to do the same for a bundle of workshops and simply present what the demand exists for. This is why I need all the practice and reflection I can get. And that is why this reflection is not only written here, but I have also set up a stream-of-consciousness video relaying the principles. The next step is to make a form of the workshop available online.
Many thoughts... many thoughts...
