What are the tried and tested structures from Teachmeets?

• 7 minute short presentation (sometimes 2 or 3 lined up)
• 2 minute nano presentation (3-5 one after the other)
• Break out sessions (@SLF 4 speakers took up 4 different locations, participants chose to listen to who they like)
• Random speakers - Classtools fruit machine.
• Web conference participants (@SLF Ian spoke from Islay. Yugma? Skype?)

What alternative ideas/structures could be included that would work during a TeachMeet event?

Lucky Dip - random topics (from a list on wiki) and random speakers (those who have signed up) from TeachMeet Borders

Fishbowl - from Fishbowl conversation Wikipedia

"Four to five chairs are arranged in an inner circle. This is the fishbowl. The remaining chairs are arranged in concentric circles outside the fishbowl. A few participants either volunteer or are selected to fill the fishbowl, while the rest of the group sit on the chairs outside the fishbowl. In an open fishbowl, one chair is left empty. In a closed fishbowl, all chairs are filled. The moderator introduces the topic and the participants start discussing the topic. The audience outside the fishbowl listen in on the discussion.

In an open fishbowl, any member of the audience can, at any time, occupy the empty chair and join the fishbowl. When this happens, an existing member of the fishbowl must voluntarily leave the fishbowl and free a chair. The discussion continues with participants frequently entering and leaving the fishbowl. Depending on how large your audience is you can have many audience members spend some time in the fishbowl with the company of professional resume writers and take part in the discussion. When time runs out, the fishbowl is closed and the moderator summarizes the discussion.

In a closed fishbowl, the initial participants speak for some time. When time runs out, they leave the fishbowl and a new group from the audience enters the fishbowl. This continues until many audience members have spent some time in the fishbowl. Once the final group has concluded, the moderator closes the fishbowl and summarizes the discussion."

Speed Geeking - a variant on the speed dating concept, this involves stationing some presenters round the venue and then giving them a slot in which to make their presentation. At the end of the presentation, the audience members move round to the next presentation. See Speedgeeking

We have used a variation of this at robofesta as a way of meeting as many people as possible - no presenter, but everyone in the group has 2 minutes to say who, what and why.  Who they are, what they do and why they are there. Max 5 persons per group.

Democratic Selection - whilst I feel it is important that in the spirit of TeachMeet the vast majority of speakers are selected randomly, it does seem that at most TeachMeets there are a small number of speakers/presentations that almost everyone wants to see but who are not chosen. To allieviate this issue, TeachMeet attendees - both virtual and actual - could vote on the wiki in advance for the 1/2/3 presentations they most want to see, the top 3-5 being guaranteed a slot to present in. They could even be allocated specific within essay company time slots - eg 1st presentation, last presentation, last before break, first after break..... 

TeachMe!

Isn't there an opportunity for a TeachMe, where pupils feed back to groups of teachers on what technology means to them, and what has worked in their classrooms? Just a thought. (@mrlockyer)

I like this idea.  Learners could talk custom writings about how and why they use technology in their lives, how they apply it to their learning and how they can extend this. [@wjputt]

Youtube/TED Talks

Are we also not missing a massive opportunity to spread the TeachMeet word by filming the different talks on good quality DV, and then uploading them to our own TeachMeet channel on Youtube, a la the TED talks. They are either 2 or 7 minutes long, which is perfect for Youtube, and they will also have the opportunity of being exposed to far more educators, worldwide. (@mrlockyer)

TeachMeet Tips

After a very successful TeachMeet at the Scottish Learning Festival in September 2010  David Noble (parslad)   tweeted these TeachMeet Tips:

TeachMeet tip #1: Use fruit machine at ClassTools.net to select who presents next. Ensure by whatever means that all presenters get to speak

TeachMeet tip #2: Encourage participants to bring a colleague. You could enter them into a draw for a free meal at TeachEat after the event.

TeachMeet tip #3: Emphasise the nature of un-conferences eg encourage use of mobile ICT throughout, 'lawyers of 2 feet', and 2/7 minute presos.

TeachMeet tip #4: Sponsorship is harder to attract.What can you offer sponsors while retaining right ethos? How would you run event with £0?

TeachMeet tip #5: Between presos are useful for table chat or online activity. Pauses could be punctuated with quiz, music or edu-challenge.

TeachMeet tip #6: The social and conversational side of the event is important. Spaces for this can be planned for or facilitated in advance

TeachMeet tip #7: Ways of reminding presenters that their 'time is up' - fling a camel, display a timer, blow a kazoo, hold up a soft toy.

TeachMeet tip #8: Break event into several distinct parts, including refreshments/TeachEat. Make it easy for folk to leave when they want to

TeachMeet tip #9: A Twitter backchannel can be useful but can exclude some participants. Broadcast online using Flashmeeting or CoveritLive.

TeachMeet tip #10: Set-up an event @posterous blog.Participants can create text, image, audio from discussions or presos, to share or remind