The Software Association of Oregon (SAO) held its first ever Tech Ignite event last Thursday, September 15th, 2011. My presentation “Building an ePortfolio system for NASA” was accepted! The event was taped and you can watch me in action here:
Direct link to video: http://youtu.be/3NXHBtbvNNQ
The venue was McMenamin’s Mission Theater. I had never been there. It is a cozy medium sized theater that seats about 300. I think about 240 people showed up for this event. I had never spoken ‘under the lights’ in front of so many people. It was a blast! It was a privilege to share the ideas behind our project with so many intelligent people in the audience. At the University we are working on making an ePortfolio system that promotes a positive learning cycle.
About Ignite Talks:
Ignite events were originally introduced in 2006 in Seattle by O’Reilly. An Ignite talk is a fast paced presentation that lasts exactly 5 minutes. The idea is similar to TED Talks. The event is usually focused on a particular subject area. Presenters must provide exactly 20 slides. The slides advance every 15 seconds on an automatic timer. This means the presenter is not in control of the progression. This makes it extra challenging to make smooth transitions. A successful Ignite talk requires an understanding of the audience and an economical use of words and visuals. The goal is to convey something useful, funny, and interesting that will be remembered – all in just 5 minutes. For more Ignite Talks visit the O’Reilly page.