[tor-project] Learning how to give talks & getting practice

[Griffin Boyce]

This was originally sent to tor-meeting@, but is being forwarded here by 
request. Hope it is useful! =)

-------- Original Message --------

Hi all,

   At the meeting, there was a discussion on how people can learn how to 
give talks -- particularly if they have some experience but want to 
refine their skills a bit.  I'm not sure if there was a proper 
report-back on it, but here are some suggestions on getting experience:

1) Join Toastmasters or similar clubs
Toastmasters costs money ($128/year in Boston), but there are lots of 
similar clubs on Meetup and around universities that don't cost anything 
and are a great way to get over fear of speaking and get feedback on 
technique.

2) Prepare and give a talk to your cat
Or by yourself.  Presenting your talk to yourself (out loud) is a great 
way to figure out what works and what doesn't, or what passages just 
need more work.  It's also good to do this before giving a proper talk 
-- not just for practice, but also to make sure that your talk is within 
time limits.

3) Give talks at small events that aren't recorded
Presenting a lightning talk at a hackerspace or small conferences can be 
a low-stress way to get experience.

4) Hard Mode
Give talks that *are* recorded, and pick apart your performance later by 
watching that talk on YouTube.  I wouldn't say I *recommend* this, but 
have definitely done it ;P


MOAR TIPS:
http://web.mit.edu/urop/resources/speaking.html
https://www.toastmasters.org/Resources/Public-Speaking-Tips

-- 
Accept what you cannot change, and change what you cannot accept.
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