Here are a few video tutorials on the online tools for conducting contests created as part of the WordPress for Toastmasters project. These are also independently available at contest.toastmost.org for clubs that don’t have a a Toastmost or WordPress for Toastmasters website and for use in area, division, and district contests.
These tools are not new, but they are improved. New for 2021:
- Easier setup for events that include 2 contests, such as International Speech and Table Topics
- A quick way of emailing out the ballots and timer’s report links to contest functionaries
- Clearer on-screen prompts and instructions for the judges on how to submit the digital ballot
- Timer controls can be enlarged for easier viewing. Clarified some button labels and other controls. Updated instructions for sharing in Zoom, below.
Digital Ballots and Vote Counting Dashboard
Video: Contest Speech Timing Tool
Streaming the Timer Video to Zoom
If you want to share screen colors in a Zoom meeting, you will need some sort of webcam or streaming software. I use OBS Studio, which is free, open source software that allows you to mix your webcam video with other video sources. The virtual camera function, which used to require a separate plugin but is built into the latest release of OBS, must be turned on. In Zoom, you will then select OBS Virtual Camera as your video source.
Here’s a good tutorial on green screen setup for OBS Studio.
If your club has a Toastmost.org website, or its own WordPress-powered website, the same tool is available from a contest agenda. For regular meetings, the timer pulls in the names of speakers and evaluators from the agenda and gives you options for timing Table Topics and other events.
