Instructor Guidance

Knox Makers is, at its core, an educational non-profit organization. Classes and workshops that are offered at Knox Makers are the most public-facing aspect of the organization. A well organized class or workshop with a prepared presenter gives all the attendees a great learning experience and exposure to something that they may not have known before. Additionally, quality classes and workshops show off the value of Knox Makers and its amazing community of makers. Conversely, poor quality classes do not give attendees a great experience and reflect poorly on the organization as a whole. The information presented here is intended to provide guidance for potential presenters who may be interested in leading a class or workshop at Knox Makers. It should help presenters understand the different types of presentations at Knox Makers, set expectations for each type, as well as the scope and level of effort of each of those presentations.

Presentation Types

There are two main types of presentations commonly offered at Knox Makers: classes and workshops. The difference is the participation level of the audience, and are defined as follows:

• Class: Primarily a lecture-style presentation, where information is presented, and the audience is largely a passive observer. The participation of the audience will rarely exceed asking questions of the presenter. The audience will mainly be focused on the presenter.
• Workshop: Primarily a hands-on lab style presentation, where members of the audience are expected to perform some activity, make something, or otherwise have focus on something other than the presenter.

The following section presents different types of classes and workshops, with some details and examples that may be helpful when preparing a presentation. We do not want to discourage people from experimenting with format in their presenations. The details and examples presented below are not intended to be a complete list of all possible presentations, but do include experiences about types of presentations that have not worked well in the past.

One particular distinction is noted for Tuesday nights. Tuesday nights are the regularly scheduled meetings for Knox Makers. We have a tradition going back a few years of having a presentation on a Tuesday night that is free and open to the public, and it is a tradition that Knox Makers intends to continue.

Tuesday Night

The Tuesday night event is intended to be a free and open to the public presentation. Being a regularly scheduled event, the Tuesday night presentation tends to have the highest turn out of any event. As of December 2016, attendance is usually between 30 and 70 people. Because it tends to have a very large attendance, and the audience can include many first-time attendees, it tends to be more focused on introductory classes. Workshops can work on Tuesdays, but they need to be able to scale well, with lots of parallel paths for hands-on.

Tuesday Night Class

A Tuesday night class is a lecture or demonstration given by 1-2 people. It typically lasts 60-90 minutes and will not include audience participation beyond questions. The presenter is expected to have a prepared talk that may or may not include the following: power point, samples of work (passed around to view or given to audience) and live demonstration of technique. Please be prepared for 50-70 people in attendance. Even if there is an RSVP attached to this event, Tuesdays are open to the public and walk-ins are expected and encouraged. Please see the Setup Guide for instructions how to hook up your own laptop or use the documentation camera for your demonstration.

Fees

There are two types of fees that may be associated with classes and workshops. Material fees and instruction fees. All fees shall be collected by an authorized agent of Knox Makers, and receipts for each transaction should be created. See below for details on each fee type.

Material Fees

Materials fees are those fees that are charged for a class or workshop to cover the cost of materials to be used by attendees of the class. The materials required for the class should be clearly defined before the class is scheduled. Materials may either be ordered by Knox Makers, or provided by the instructor, who will be reimubursed by Knox Makers. If materials are to be provided by the instructor, a set dollar amount per attendee must be presented by the instructor and approved by the board in advance of scheduling the presentation. Knox Makers will collect the fees from attendees and will reimburse the instructor within two weeks. (we need a standard reimbursement form) If materials are to be provided by Knox Makers, the instructor must present a complete list of materials to be used in the class, along with suggested vendor and price. The materials list must be presented to the board for purchase, and the materials should be ordered and expected shipping dates confirmed before the class is scheduled. This is to prevent a scheduled event from taking place without the required materials. (we need a standard material order form)

Instruction Fees

Instruction fees are those fees that are charged to attendees for simply attending a presentation. These are fees not related to any product or material used in the presentation. Instruction fees will be split between Knox Makers and the instructor. The default split will be 50% will go to Knox Makers, and 50% will go to the instructor. Of the 50% retained by Knox Makers, half of that (25% of the total) will go to the Knox Makers general fund, which is used to pay rent, utilities, and other items that impact the organization as a whole. The remaining half retained by Knox Makers (25% of the total) will be directed towards the area budget most appropriate for the presentation. For example, classes taught in the wood shop using the woodworking tools would have 25% of the total instruction fee directed to the woodworking zone budget. The instructor may choose to donate their portion of the instruction fee to any budget of their choosing.

If an instructor wishes to collect their portion of the instruction fee, they must provide a completed W9 form [1] to Knox Makers. This is to certify that they are legally allowed to work in the United States, and that they are not subject to any back-up withholding of taxes. Instruction fees will be paid within two weeks of the class date, and all earnings for the year will be reported on a 1099-MISC form at the end of the tax year, in accordance with IRS instructions.

Setup Guide

Technology instructions

(in no particular order) Instructions on how to hook up your computer to show a power point. Standards for power point. Instructions on how to use document camera. Instructions on how to turn on mic. Instructions how to switch between power point and document camera. Instructions on how to turn everything on and off.

Classroom setup and tear down

Instructors are allowed to rearrange the classroom around to suit the needs of the class. There are XX chairs and XX long tables available for use. After the class is over, the instructor is expected to ensure that the classroom is set back in place. The classroom will have XX rows of XX chairs with an aisle down the middle. Extra chairs will be stacked XX. Two tables will be set up at the front of the classroom and extra tables are stored XX. All trash should be picked up and trashcans returned to the concession area. If there was a demonstration or workshop, the classroom must be swept (brooms and dustpans are found XX and XX).