I have to give a 20-minute speech to a class of 4th graders for Career Day...help!

I agreed to help out my girlfriend's school and give a 20 minute speech on Friday telling them all about my job. The problem is that I'm not very creative.

I'm a systems administrator (hence the name)...does anybody have any ideas concerning what I can talk about to the 4th graders that will get them excited about a career in IT?

I love my job, but I'm not sure how to make it sound exciting to a group of 10 year olds, I'm too technical I guess.

Find more posts tagged with

Save $250 on 2025 certification boot camps from Infosec!

Book now with code EOY2025

Button

Comments

Plantwiz

JrSysAdmin wrote: »

I agreed to help out my girlfriend's school and give a 20 minute speech on Friday telling them all about my job. The problem is that I'm not very creative.
I'm a systems administrator (hence the name)...does anybody have any ideas concerning what I can talk about to the 4th graders that will get them excited about a career in IT?
I love my job, but I'm not sure how to make it sound exciting to a group of 10 year olds, I'm too technical I guess.

OH how fun!!!

Take props! (or visual aids)
- Phone (yeah lame, but the kids won't realize it)
- PC and/or notebook to represent your 'users' who may call.

You can use a couple students to help you out. Write up a couple scenarios

- lost password reset (procedure you'd use to ensure the user is who they claim)
- Print device troubleshooting, or something mouse dying, HDD dying, UPS button turned off by mistake, etc... something THEY may have done or realize.

OR talk about WHY safety items are used to prevent calls to you, or minimize calls to you.

AND

Bring candy for the end!!
(or carrots...whatever, just something for them to remember you by...ensure you bring lollipops or something with limited allergy reaction).

Good luck!!

kevozz

After your main presentation, I would end by talking about LAN parties.

Candy is definitely a good idea.

RobertKaucher

Bring some old components that they can look at and pass around. A processor, HDD platters, a decom'ed server that you can open up.

Explain how the things sys admins do every day keep the world moving. Use analogies for the stuff they will know, like FaceBook and online games for kids. If you can tap into your passion, 20 minutes will fly by and they will love it.

Devilsbane

This won't be as hard as you think. These kids will eat up every word you say. Plus you shouldn't have to worry about them trying to correct something. Just tell them about what you do on a day to day basis and why it is important. Also detail how you got where you are today (past jobs/school).

Like someone said above, have something for them to look at. Maybe grab an old hard disk and pass it around (bonus points if you open it up first so they can see what is inside).

Plantwiz

AND

If all else fails...teach them to write messages in Binary!!

01001100 01100101 01100001 01110010 01101110 00100000 01000010 01101001 01101110 01100001 01110010 01111001

earweed

Definitely have some type of props. It helps to have a visual and something for the kids to pass around and look at. It'll help to keep these 4th graders attention otherwise you're gonna have an uncomfortable time keeping those kids attention.

Paul Boz

I have to do career day for my little brother soon and it shouldn't be too hard.

"I rob banks all day kids."

Monkerz

Paul Boz wrote: »

"I rob banks all day kids."

Wouldn't have been my first choice...

"I love you, you love me..., thats right, I am the actual Barney kids!!!"

Works the same with, "Who lives in a pineapple, under the sea..."

Selfmade

Just be like Dr. Gregory House, and start off your speech with "It's a basic truth of the human condition that everybody lies. The only variable is about what. Truth, truth often begins in lies."

I swear you will hear a pin drop in that room, make sure you're sitting on the teacher's desk with one leg over the other and a cane in your hand to complete the picture, and then SMILE!

NetworkingStudent

JrSysAdmin wrote: »

I agreed to help out my girlfriend's school and give a 20 minute speech on Friday telling them all about my job. The problem is that I'm not very creative.

I'm a systems administrator (hence the name)...does anybody have any ideas concerning what I can talk about to the 4th graders that will get them excited about a career in IT?

I love my job, but I'm not sure how to make it sound exciting to a group of 10 year olds, I'm too technical I guess.

I think you should use power point and an outline. Practice ,practice, practice.. power point has a timer.
Toast master has great tips
Toastmasters International - Tips & Techniques
I always like the questions they asked in this article; about how someone got their job…maybe you could apply some of these questions to your presentation.
How I got that job: Erdenechimeg (Chimgee) Haltarhuu | StarTribune.com
I like this train signal article.. this kind of sums up the role..in my opinion
Moving Up in IT: System Administrator Role | Train Signal Training - Free Computer Training Videos
Good luck!
One think I think it would be good to stress that women can work in IT too.

Paul Boz

Monkerz wrote: »

Wouldn't have been my first choice...

It's what I do for a living, all be it legally.

apena7

RobertKaucher wrote: »

Explain how the things sys admins do every day keep the world moving. Use analogies for the stuff they will know, like FaceBook and online games for kids. If you can tap into your passion, 20 minutes will fly by and they will love it.

+1
Know your audience and make the presentation relevant to their lives. Explain viruses and how to be safe while surfing the Internet. You can use Slimer from Ghostbusters or something like that as a visual prop....when you go looking for sites wit da myspace hax you'll probably get slimed! Oh noes!

mikedisd2

Use hand puppets of your manager and yourself to demonstrate how you get screwed over everytime Mr Manager gives bad instructions.

Also have a HR puppet setting fire to your resume because there's no degree on it.

SrSysAdmin

Wow, I woke up to a lot more advice than I was expecting!

Thanks for the great help everybody, that's what I love this site

imfrom51

There might be some ideas on here for you to use.
Lessons and Teaching Materials | STAYSAFEONLINE.org

irishpunk

tell them you build robots

azjag

I read this post and this is the first thing I thought of.

YouTube - The IT Crowd - This is the internet

YouTube - IT Crowd: truest moment ever!

darkerosxx

Ok, serious advice here...

1.) Walk in.
2.) Play episode 1 via whatever means necessary: The Website Is Down
3.) ?
4.) Profit.

loxleynew

Make them do math problems for 20 minutes. If they get it wrong make them go sit in a corner.

tiersten

RobertKaucher wrote: »

Bring some old components that they can look at and pass around. A processor, HDD platters, a decom'ed server that you can open up.

Hmm. The actual platters themselves in HDs now are pretty tiny so aren't that impressive or interesting to look at but if you take the tops off a few intact HDs it'll be better. Just be careful with it since some drives used glass platters so they may shatter if hit.

earweed

azjag wrote: »

I read this post and this is the first thing I thought of.

YouTube - The IT Crowd - This is the internet

YouTube - IT Crowd: truest moment ever!

The first one had me rolling on the floor practically...

Devilsbane

loxleynew wrote: »

Make them do math problems for 20 minutes. If they get it wrong make them go sit in a corner.

Teach Binary conversions and inform that "This will be on the test" Also do some subnetting if you get time.

azjag

Darkerosxx. I agree with you on the video. But you must include the fourth video. The user who got married and wants her username hyphenated to Johnson-Johnson. Priceless

veritas_libertas

How did the presentation go?

SrSysAdmin

Sorry for the late reply guys...I need to do a better job of checking this forum!

The presentation went really well, I was amazed at how many hands were up asking questions, excited about the potential to work in IT. This was at an inner-city school so I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was really great.

Thanks again!