The deadline for workshop submissions was May 19, 2010. Workshop abstracts are no longer being accepted. Abstracts will be reviewed by a committee of HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau staff, using rating criteria (see below) and their potential to be used by other Ryan White programs to improve HIV-related services. Notices of abstract acceptance for both workshops and posters will be sent by June 22, 2010 so that submitters have ample time to prepare for the August meeting.
Below is guidance on preparing your workshop presentation. For assistance preparing your workshop presentation please contact Ericka Ligon or Melinda Tinsley, HAB Project Officers.
Planning a Workshop for the 2010 Ryan White Meeting
A packet of tools has been prepared to help presenters prepare workshops that will create a powerful how-to TA learning experience for participants. Ryan White grantees and HRSA/HAB project officers can use these materials in the coming months as they work together in planning their sessions. Sections of the packet include:
Tips for Planning a Workshop
Hints for Preparing Effective Slides Expert Use of Visual Aids Acting Based Techniques for High Impact Communication Diversified Presentation Models
Tips for Planning a Workshop
Following are steps to help plan a workshop for the Ryan White Grantee Meeting. Think of the benefits. Speakers know what they need to cover and how much time they have.
Repetition in presentations is avoided.
Slides are clear, easy to read, and relevant to the workshop content.
The workshop flows nicely and maximizes audience interaction.
Speakers focus on “how to” information that attendees can readily use in their own programs. Most importantly, your audience receives a well‐planned workshop that does justice to the information being shared.
The time it takes to get ready for a workshop will vary considerably—from a few hours to a day or even more. It is time well spent because showing up to a meeting unprepared or prepared at the last minute is unlikely to help anyone learn how to better serve people living with HIV/AIDS.
Below are multiple steps for the workshop moderator and speakers to carry out. Steps 1 and 2 work best if one person takes the lead in planning the initial call and moderating the brainstorming. Usually, this person will be the workshop moderator—probably a HRSA/HAB Project Officer. In turn, everybody on the team has a role in making Steps 3 and 4 happen.
Step 1
Plan a Conference Call or Individual Calls With Speakers.
A conference call among presenters will allow the workshop moderator and speakers to engage in an informal discussion of the workshop content and what individual speakers might cover. If not feasible,
the moderator can call each speaker individually, but this will be far less effective and far more time consuming for the moderator.
A conference call among presenters will allow the workshop moderator and speakers to engage in aninformal discussion of the workshop content and what individual speakers might cover. If not feasible,the moderator can call each speaker individually, but this will be far less effective and far more time consuming for the moderator.
The moderator should arrange phone call lines. Please note: HRSA project officers can set up multi‐line calls.
Step 2
Convene Planning Call or Calls.
An hour call is usually enough time to engage in a good planning session. In order to have a productive
planning call, the moderator should guide the participants in covering each of the following areas, in this
order.
An hour call is usually enough time to engage in a good planning session. In order to have a productiveplanning call, the moderator should guide the participants in covering each of the following areas, in thisorder.
Introductions
Each person on the call should do a brief introduction—name, agency.
Describe the Workshop
Restate the workshop topic and learning objectives. Ask speakers if this description reflects their understanding or if they have suggested revisions.
Review the Workshop Format
State the (1) length (workshops are designed to be 90 minutes long), (2) time, including the number of presenters and time each will likely have as well as how much time will be reserved for questions and answers (3) format of the session (e.g., a panel of speakers at a podium? open Q/A? roundtable?).
Note on Format: This year, HAB is strongly encouraging new, interactive formats. You may want to suggest to your grantees that there are other possibilities in addition to giving a didactic presentation with PowerPoint slides and facilitate a discussion of formats that might more successfully engage that participants.
Brainstorm
The call moderator guides participants in brainstorming the content by having each speaker give a brief and informal review (about 5 minutes each) of the major points they might cover.
Each speaker might address:
Context (e.g., the issue/idea/approach they want to share and why).
Specific how‐to points to share with the audience. These take‐home points can be, for example, steps to follow, observations, suggestions, insights about what worked and what did not work, tools and protocols, and resources to use.
Learning techniques that might work particularly well (e.g., a group exercise, give‐and‐take with audience, a mini‐quiz).
After each speaker covers the above points, the moderator then summarizes the major ideas offered. Engage the group in a discussion so you can decide what to cover and how to do so in a clear and logical manner. In particular, identify: flow of presentations (e.g., from general to specific), any duplications or gaps, suggestions (e.g., cut down on general project descriptions and focus on the “how to”), and varied learning techniques to use.
Recap and Propose an Outline
If there is consensus based upon ideas that were shared, the moderator can give a general outline of the workshop content. The moderator can then follow‐up with an email outlining the workshop content in greater detail (e.g., points that each speaker will cover, resources to highlight).
Step 3
Prepare.
Follow‐up after the initial planning call or calls is essential as everyone needs to put their thoughts into action. Here are some options:
Re‐Review. A month or so after the first call, hold a second conference call to review progress made in planning presentations and reviewing how the overall content flows together.
Select Presentation Techniques. These techniques can help you minimize or avoid an overly didactic workshop.
Prepare Presentation Materials. If using slides, consider using from 5 to a maximum of 10 slides for a 20 minute presentation.
Rehearse. Each speaker should rehearse his or her presentation. Ideally, the workshop presenters and moderator would do this together so that the entire workshop can be timed and repetition of information can be identified and avoided prior to going live. However, there are plenty other ways to prepare. Rehearsals can be done over the phone with speakers giving each other feedback, or work colleagues can listen and give input. At a minimum, a rehearsal can even be done alone. No matter the audience, the trick is to rehearse out loud. Just reading notes “in your head” won’t give your body and voice the training it needs to becomes more comfortable with the content. The best way to overcome or minimize nervousness is to rehearse—out loud, with or without an audience.
Step 4
Finalize. You’re almost ready.
Each speaker finalizes presentation materials (e.g., slides, handouts) and submits them to the moderator for review. The moderator then reviews items to, for example, identify areas of duplication and make suggestions for minimizing the number of slides if there are too many.
By the deadline, submit presentation slides to the meeting contractor for loading onto the conference audiovisual system.
The moderator compiles speaker bios for use in making introductions. Note: These bios are provided online when finalizing workshop abstracts.
Rehearse—again and out loud. To repeat, doing it inside your head just doesn’t do the trick. Rehearsing is also the single best way to overcome a case of the nerves.