Information for Guest Speakers
Where are we?
We are located in Damascus, MD which is about 45 minutes west of Baltimore( I-70 ) and 45 minutes north of D.C. ( 495 to I-270 ).
Damascus HS is located at 25921 Ridge Road, Damascus, MD 20872 USA.
My classroom is located in room 144 (it is a computer lab), but before coming you need to check in at the main office.
How do I get to the front office?
From the main entrance take a left and the main office is on the right. Check in, put a guest pass on and then head to see me.
How do I find your classroom?
From the main office, take a left then turn left at the first hallway you come to. It's the third door on the right and will have a sign next to the door that says 144 and 143. Come on in.
What should I expect?
Expect around 20 to 30 students who have varying interests. These are my advanced kids, meaning they have taken and completed Website Development so topics like separation of content from presentation, basic accessibility, design patterns, and lightweight JS or PHP are fair game but topics like obfuscating Javascript, the latest Javascript Framework, calculating breadth first search response time, or Object Oriented Programming in PHP may make their heads explode. So if you are planning to discuss a technical topic, be mindful and water it down a bit. However, if you plan to introduce a topic, feel free.
Some have already made the designer/developer decision (despite my pleading) so be prepared for students who are more interested in either venue. The students will talk, but since you will be a new person it may take some prodding.
What should my presentation look like?
That's up to you and your topic. Knowing that most young persons between 15 and 18 aren't yet mentally prepared for a full blown lecture(dictating) it would probably be best if you do a show and tell or if your presentation has some visual element to it.
Anything else I should know?
Know that I will be giving you a digital recorder with a lapel mic so that I can record the presentation and that I will probably be recording your screencast as well. If this is something you don't feel comfortable with this please let me know. I do this in order to bottle your presentation to share again with others and that full credit will be given to you for the presentation.
Lastly
Thank you! You have no idea the impact you are having on these young minds. Years from now it is you who they will remember, not me.
