Come Join Us for two day s of Code and Fun with Silverlight and Windows Phone 7!

We will start Friday June 18th with a walkthrough of the tools and some key skills to get you started.  The goal is to provide a foundation to enable groups to build dynamic Windows Phone 7 applications using Microsoft Silverlight.  How we structure the training and focus points will depend on how attendees answer a few questions when they sign up. At the end of the day on Friday, you will join with a few of your peers to start collaborating on your own WP7 or Straight-up Silverlight application to work on and present to the other groups at the end of Saturday. 

Saturday June 19th, we build, build, build (you can start Friday night if you want but you will need to do that off site).  Mentors will be on hand to answer questions and add clarity to problem spots.

At the end of Saturday, the groups will have an opportunity to show what they built and bring it all together.  Before we all go home, we’ll have some cool giveaways.

Lunch will be provided both days!

You can get more information about this event at http://silverlightpalooza.dynamitesilverlight.com/ or register right here, right now!

I was asked to do a presentation on giving demos at a the recent DFW Technically Speaking event, held last weekend at the Woot! offices in Carrollton.  Without doing any actual demos, and saving the specific tools discussion/demonstration for a future talk, I wanted to share my experiences planning, scripting, practicing and targeting your demos to a technical audience. 

Anyway � here is the video.  I look forward to your feedback

Attention all  current and potential public speakers!  Are you a technical person with loads of great information to share with your peers? Do you get nervous speaking in front of crowds? Would you like to develop your public speaking, demonstration and group interaction skills?  Then DFW Technically Speaking is for you!

Led by some of our top local presenters, here�s a summary of what Technically Speaking will help you learn to do:

• Overcome public speaking nervousness by gaining confidence in your presentation skills
• Present technical ideas and speak more effectively at user groups or technical events
• Communicate your ideas more effectively using stance, gestures, movement, and voice
• Structure your presentations to emphasize and reinforce key points.
• Create visual aids and improve your use of them while interacting with your audience
• Target your presentations to match your audiences by use of research techniques

Featured speakers include:

• Dave Gunby �The successful speaker: Techniques for �Techies�
• Chris Koenig � Art of the Demo
• Caleb Jenkins � Gauging and engaging your audience
• Tim Rayburn � Let�s get started!!

The first Technically Speaking event will be held on March 27th, 2010 from 9am � 5:00 pm at 4121 International Parkway in Carrollton. The cost to attend is $50 per person, which will include a nice lunch. 

Seats are limited so sign up soon by going to http://technicallyspeaking.dfwnav.com or contact Teresa Burger at tburger@woot.com.

My friend and teammate John Weston (a.k.a. @technetguy) just told me about a new SharePoint user group in OKC.

Their first meeting is Thursday, March 11th at the Dell facility in OKC:

3501 SW 15th
Bldg A, Hudson Hall
Oklahoma City, OK 73108

Map to Dell Campus in OKC

Eric Shupps, the SharePoint Cowboy, will be presenting at this first meeting, giving an overview of MOSS 2010.  For more information see the OKC SharePoint User Group website (coming soon!).