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Having seen many virtual chalk talks in the past few months I've been meaning to write out some advice specific to the current cycle. 
1/n https://twitter.com/SENDCon2020/status/1327093371664539648
1/n https://twitter.com/SENDCon2020/status/1327093371664539648
A chalk talk is a strange beast because it's very different from a talk and every place has different formats and attitudes, but it's supposed to be interactive. This can be hard in a virtual environment 2/n
Ask about the format in advance and figure out the technology. Ask the dept admin to log in and test the system. I've seen people get really flustered by technical glitches throwing their flow. Come up with a back-up plan such as prepared slides or schematics 3/n
One of the best we had was someone who set up a screen behind them and ran it from an iPad. You could see the speaker and what they were drawing clearly, but if you do that DRAW BIG as people may he watching from their laptop 4/n
Build in times to ask is there are questions. It's hard to "read the room" when you're screen sharing and you want to spur discussion. Chalk talks are one of the greatest tests of fit and collegiality. You want questions. It doesn't matter if you don't finish 5/n
It's a test for them and a test for you. Without informal interactions such as dinner, the chalk talk may be the only chance to get the vibe of how people are with each other. The type of questions and the flow of the conversation will tell you how a place functions 6/n
Not just virtual advice. It's okay not to know stuff, but make it collegial. " That's a great idea. I hadn't thought about that. I would love to talk to you further about it!" is always a good answer (even to shut up a bully). Don't be defensive. 7/n
In closing, virtual chalk talks are hard, but still very informative. Really look at them as options to discuss your big plans and see what collaborations and new ideas are out there. Practice, practice, practice, but be flexible if the conversation gets interesting. Fin
