Simple, portable classroom activity

This game comes from http://www.teachmeteamwork.com/ and is a great portable exercise that can be used to make a variety of learning points.

Teambuilding Game: Count Up

Group Size: 10-15
Age Range: Elementary – adult
Intensity: Mental=1, Physical=1
Time: 5-15 minutes
Space: Minimal – Medium -- Lots
Set Up Time: none
Props: none

Objective
The group verbally counts up (sequentially as in 1, 2, 3, etc.) to a number equaling the total number in the team.

Set Up / Preparation
Have each team form into a circle. Team size of 10 to 15 works best. If you have lots of people have them form into multiple teams of 10 to 15.

Tell the following to the group: “In your small teams, verbally count up sequentially (as in 1, 2, 3, etc.) to a number equaling the total number of people in your group. You must do this in a random manner. You may not create a pattern to help you count up. Team members simply announce the correct number in the sequence when they have the intuitive sense to do so. Each person may only say one number. If two people say the same number at the same time the group must start over.”

Rules
Team members must verbally count up sequentially (as in 1, 2, 3, etc.) to a number equaling the total number of people in your group.
This must be done in a random manner. You may not create a pattern to help you count up.
Each person may only say one number.
If two people say the same number at the same time the group must start over.”

Comments
This is a good activity to focus the group and have them work towards a common goal.

I like to use this activity to enter into a discussion about the value of intuition as it applies to building high performing teams.
Variations
Ask the group to count as high as they can go before making a mistake. Set the world record.

What Constitutes Facilitator Competency?

FACILITATION SKILLS COMPETENCY - a proposed model

As a professional team of facilitators in a business that demands the application of our facilitation skills daily, we often dialogue around what makes a facilitator "competent." This is such a hot topic that we have in fact developed our own competency profile which we teach to, in our Master Facilitator Certification program. For more information on that program or our model, please contact me at dean@actraining.com.

In the meantime, take a look at this competency profile for a facilitator we found online - do you like it? Any gaps?

ANALYTICAL & CONCEPTUAL
· Ability to think on your feet
· Good memory
· Ability tosummarise/interpret/reflect
· Ability to organise and presentthoughts clearly
· Ability to generate options
· Quick and appropriate action andreaction
· Creativity

GROUP DYNAMICS
· Good understanding of groupdynamics
· Ability to cope with ambiguity
· Ability to “pave the way and stand out of the way”
· Neutrality and objectivity
· Ability to stimulate discussion
· Group problem solving skills
· Ability to handle criticism
· Ability to synergise and obtain cooperation

COMMUNICATION & DELIVERY
· Listen until you understand
· Effective use of verbal and nonverbal communication skills
· Do not fear the void of silence
· Know how to speak the “internal language”
· Use of visual and other aids

SELF-MANAGEMENT
· Flexibility
· Ability to work under stress and handle crisis situations
· Ability to maintain an agenda and adhere to a timetable
· Stress management skills
· Time management skills

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS
· Enjoy working with people
· Sense of humour
· Patience
· Tactfulness
· Be a team player
· Good perception

TECHNICAL
· Clear understanding of the Control Risk Self-Assessment process
· Content knowledge of the specific topic and industry
· Proficiency with certain technology

There are many arguments for what are "essential" facilitator competencies - The model above is but one. tell us what you think makes a facilitator competent.

There is a good article on the whole issue of facilitator competence at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3954/is_200001/ai_n8882373

So what do you REALLY think about getting feedback?

How do you feel about receiving feedback as a facilitator? Do you welcome it, or do you cringe?

Effective facilitators often understand the value of coaching and feedback, both giving and receiving, when it is done with care. But we are also used to it being given without so much care so have developed the skills to deflect the feedback we don’t agree with or appreciate. But, sometimes we need another point of view to understand how our skills and behaviors are really perceived by others. If we are willing to accept all forms of feedback, it can guide us to better performance. Those who are willing to accept feedback also become better at giving it. Truly a win-win situation.

So why do some of us get so nervous about feedback? Because we tend to worry more about negative messages than to expect positive ones. In fact, feedback can (and should!) be used to recognize success as much as improve performance. It can generate new ideas. What about ‘negative’ feedback? Most people who have received negative feedback eventually realize it is not so scary after all, and often very helpful.

Here are some tips for receiving facilitation feedback:

o Trust in the good intentions of the person giving you feedback. Even if they are not yet skilled in the process, they are making an effort to help you succeed by sharing their perspective. Remember, you always have the right to accept it or reject it – just make the decision AFTER considering it.

o Recognize that it’s normal to feel nervous. Many people are uncomfortable hearing things about themselves, whether positive or negative.

o Focus only on listening. Breathe. Pay attention to the full message, verbal and non-verbal.

o Take time to absorb feedback before you respond. Don’t dismiss it or react defensively. Use what you hear as a starting point for more conversation, if necessary.

o Make sure you understand. The feedback process requires effort from the receiver as well as the giver, so ask for clarification and examples if you need to. By the end of the conversation, both parties should be satisfied with the result.

o Be honest. If it’s really not the right time, or if you feel overwhelmed, say so. Be prepared to come back and start again later.

o Ask for feedback. Requesting a coaching session when you feel ready, can make it more comfortable for you.

o Look toward the future. Feedback can help you grow. If you choose not to accept feedback, not to change, will your current path take you where you want to go?

Need more training on how to receive feedback as a trainer? Our Master Facilitator Certification program can help you learn to hear better! For more information, vists us at www.actraining.com or contact us at 604.521.5473 or events@actraining.com.<

Reflection Activity

Word for word from a great new site I discovered... thank you! ...

Using a story spine for a reflection activity

During a workshop I was recently involved in, I introduced the story spine to a couple of participants to help them to tell a story using the simple framework.

Not only did they embrace it enthusiastically and use it to great effect, unexpectedly the framework was adapted for a different purpose. A small group of onlookers decided to use it as the basis of a reflection activity. They did a great job, and I think it worked really well.

Here's a quick summary of how it might work for you:

All participants of the group sit in a large circle
The facilitator asks participants to reflect on an activity (in our case, we were reflecting on our involvement in a year-long training course)
The facilitator begins by reading out the first part of the story spine, 'Once upon a time...' or 'Way back when ...'
The person to the left of the facilitator is then asked--without rehearsal or preparation--to develop the story further by providing a brief sentence or sound-byte
This continues around the circle with each person adding to the story until the facilitator feels that it's time to intervene with additional structure from the story spine. When they feel it is time the facilitator will add the next line i.e. 'Everyday...'

This goes on until the story (as defined by the structure) is complete.
I recommend that you record the story so that you have an artefact or keepsake, or for transcription purposes. Because of the impromptu nature of the activity this was a bit of an after-thought for us. We did try to record the story using a mobile phone, but I'm not sure that it worked very well. I haven't heard anything!

The 'story' that we ended up with didn't make too much sense in the end, but that is unimportant. What is important is that the improvisations made it a lot of fun, and it also elicited lots of memories and anecdotes. It was also nice to reflect back on our shared experiences and to make sense of what happened as a group, as a collaborative activity.

Fall Certification Schedule - Vancouver

As children return to school this time of year, so do Facilitators. Below is our fall 2008 Master Faciliatator Certification schedule.

To register contact 604.521.5473 or email to admin@actraining.com

Master Facilitator Level 1

10/3/08 - 10/5/08
Fri-Sun 6pm-9pm/9am-4pm

New Westminster

Master Facilitator Level 2

11/21/08 -11/23/08
Fri-Sun 6pm-9pm/9am-4pm

New Westminster

Master Facilitator Level 3

12/19/08 - 12/21/08
Fri-Sun 6pm-9pm/9am-4pm

New Westminster

Invest in Workplace Trainers

We are often called upon to create custom curriculum and train the trainer materials for corporate clients - an exciting challenge to marry subject matter expertise and our expertise in instructional and curriculum science, but the greatest challenge on these kinds of projects often lies in the roll out process.

We design the curriculum and meet with the client for the Train the Trainer - and instead of wanting us to focus on developing the instructional techniques of their staff trainers - they want the focus to be on a page by page review of the material! The reality is corporate trainers need professional development too!

Trainers who are pressured to perform without professional development often end up just doing what they have always done, just to get the class (job) done. No adapting to unique learner needs, no adding creative sparks, no modifying delivery according to latest brain research.

Workplace trainers can't be expected to naturally know how to lead a discussion so learners talk to each other and not the teacher, they can't naturally know when a participant feels marginalized and needs to be brought back in and they don't naturally know how to be wrong in front of their group - a sometimes necessary reality that has to be handled well.

One of our recent curriculum clients seems to be getting it right - not only were we able to deliver a Train the Trainer focusing on training skills and not solely the content of the new program, she has regular check in meetings with these new workplace trainers and is instituting a buddy program for first time delivery. Ahhhh... success.

Consider taking a page from their book when rolling our your new curriculum.

On the Lot

How does a car salesman hook a new customer? -by being a keen observer of social norms and human nature. How does a Master Facilitator ensure learning and transfer? – by being a keen observer of social norms and human nature. Have we become car salesmen?

No, they have become us! The skills of human dynamics and persuasion have long been a part of the “oldest profession” ( no, not THAT one - I mean teaching!)

The problem is, according to a Gallup poll, 95 percent of us believe car salesmen have low ethical standards. Twice as many people trust lawyers as car salesmen. That doesn’t bode well for skill sets that are shared by facilitators. What are they doing wrong and we are doing right? What can we learn from their amazing persuasive skills while maintaining the ethics of OUR profession?

Car Sales and Facilitation – the same or different?

Robert V. Levine, a California State University at Fresno psychologist, spent weeks as a car salesman while writing his book The Power of Persuasion. Here's some of what he's gleaned about car salesmen (in italics) and my comments on how we can improve the image of those skill sets in our classrooms…

The Low-Ball

Salesmen often lure customers by quoting an impossibly low price over the phone. When the customer arrives, the "low-baller" excuses himself—to the bathroom, a phone call or family emergency—leaving a second salesperson to explain that the first had misquoted the price. The key is that once on the lot, the likelihood of that person buying increases by 30%.

In our classrooms, we often “jazz” up our course titles to enhance their appeal – a good idea that gets our reluctant learners in the door – where we differ from the example above, is that we still have to deliver. Once we get a learner into a classroom, we become responsible for their safety in the learning process – we MUST deliver on the advertised “price”..

Common Ties

Successful salesmen try to latch onto anything they have in common with the buyer, such as a link to the buyer's job or college.

As a facilitator, we need to stop espousing our credentials and emphasizing just how different we are from the learner – here is where we learn from the car salesman that we need to actively seek commalities and build our relationship based on those, not our resume!

Sensing the Vibe

If attempts at a personal connection have failed, smart salespeople bump the customer to a colleague. If there's a sale, they'll split the commission.

We know that emotion and engagement are key to adult learning, if we can’t build a personal bridge to our learners, we need to make sure that the emotion and engagement comes from somewhere. We cant just bump the learner to a colleague (although there is something to be said about the value of teaching in duos), but we can change our instructional style in the moment and help those learners make other connections to facilitate their learning, even if its from within the classroom or with their classmates.

Never Let Them Say No

A major tenet of auto sales: Never ask a customer a question that can be answered with a "no." It stops the sales pitch in its tracks. Instead of asking if a customer is interested in a particular model, a savvy salesman might ask, "Do you prefer the economic four-cylinder or the power of the six-cylinder?"

Ditto.

Stall and Then Stall Some More

A good salesman will eat up as much time as possible, rattling off safety features and crisscrossing the car lot. As the minutes tick by, many buyers feel guilty about walking away. Not only would they have wasted the salesperson's time, but they may regret having wasted their own time.

For our learners, bring them into the material early on by focusing on practical, useable tips that they can immediately apply and gain personal benefit from. If you get your learners engaged within 20 minutes, they will not “drop out” later – wither mentally or physically as they will feel they have invested a lot already.

The Key Swap

Giving the customer the keys mentally prepares the buyer for the sale. A dealership may even "lend" the car for a weekend. Buyers rarely give the car back. Alternatively, a dealer may try to get you to hand him your keys, hoping you'll feel you've already traded in the old car.

Give your learners the key. Instead of spending the whole class talking about what they “should do", “when” – get them active and behind the wheel of the new information or skills early on and then test drive – even if it means breaking training into several short sessions where they try out new learning back on the job between classes – these “test drives” helps them feel “safe behind the wheel;” when it is time to walk off the lot with their accumulated new learning.

Point of No Return

If a customer agrees to a test drive, salesmen know they've probably sold the car. By then the customers have spent so long on the car lot that they tell themselves that if they don't go through with the purchase, they'll have to go through the process all over again.

If your learners agree to give you their time and attention and you get them actively engaged in trying our new ways of doing things (the “test” drive) and they have both successes and failures where they get to try again – research shows they will attempt to apply at least 30% (and up to 90%) of what they have learned when back on the job.

Buy the car but remember the salesman

If we learn and apply the skills of appropriate persuasion with the single intent of helping our learners become more effective at work, they will “buy the car”. If we do it without leaving any fingerprints, they may just come back for a second vehicle.

Here’s a real life story from a new car buyer after the salesman made his price offer…

I told him, “This isn’t fair. I’ve spent all this time getting ready for a big fight, and you’re asking for less than my worst offer would have been.” And what he told me was that he makes a lot of his money off of repeat buyers like me, and that while he doesn’t intend to lose money on the deal, he wants to reward that kind of loyalty with the best deal he can make. And I believe him.
(Afterwards I looked at a bunch of sites where people list how much they spent on their new car, and I got a better deal than any of them.)

So here’s my advice: if you’re buying a Honda, go to Brown’s Honda City and ask for Ken King. Actually, you might want to call ahead and schedule a test drive - he gets that many repeat customers. He’s fair, he’s low pressure, and he’ll make you wish you’d never shopped anywhere else.

Here’s a real life story from an adult learner in a leadership class.

I told my boss what I told you - “This isn’t fair. I came in here prepared for a fight – I was sure you were going to try to tell me I had to be a different person to be a good leader. But you’re telling me I am fine the way I am and just have to find my strengths in leadership?” and then I told him what you said – that I owned the learning not you and your job was to make sure I got to be the best I could be – and not a cookie cutter version of a “theory of leadership”.

(Afterwards, I looked at a bunch of sites on leadership where people talk about the traits and characteristics of good leaders – and some of mine where on there – and I got a better deal on figuring it out tan any of them. You made me do the work but it was worth it.)So my advice to my colleagues is, if you want corporate training that makes sense and where you actually learn something, take a course from Janet Dean – she’s’ fair, makes you work hard but is low pressure, and you will wish you never took any course from anyone else.”

So what do you REALLY think?

How do you feel about receiving feedback as a facilitator? Do you welcome it, or do you cringe?

Effective facilitators often understand the value of coaching and feedback, both giving and receiving, when it is done with care. But we are also used to it being given without so much care so have developed the skills to deflect the feedback we don’t agree with or appreciate. But, sometimes we need another point of view to understand how our skills and behaviors are really perceived by others. If we are willing to accept all forms of feedback, it can guide us to better performance. Those who are willing to accept feedback also become better at giving it. Truly a win-win situation.

So why do some of us get so nervous about feedback? Because we tend to worry more about negative messages than to expect positive ones. In fact, feedback can (and should!) be used to recognize success as much as improve performance. It can generate new ideas. What about ‘negative’ feedback? Most people who have received negative feedback eventually realize it is not so scary after all, and often very helpful.

Here are some tips for receiving facilitation feedback:

o Trust in the good intentions of the person giving you feedback. Even if they are not yet skilled in the process, they are making an effort to help you succeed by sharing their perspective. Remember, you always have the right to accept it or reject it – just make the decision AFTER considering it.

o Recognize that it’s normal to feel nervous. Many people are uncomfortable hearing things about themselves, whether positive or negative.

o Focus only on listening. Breathe. Pay attention to the full message, verbal and non-verbal.

o Take time to absorb feedback before you respond. Don’t dismiss it or react defensively. Use what you hear as a starting point for more conversation, if necessary.

o Make sure you understand. The feedback process requires effort from the receiver as well as the giver, so ask for clarification and examples if you need to. By the end of the conversation, both parties should be satisfied with the result.

o Be honest. If it’s really not the right time, or if you feel overwhelmed, say so. Be prepared to come back and start again later.

o Ask for feedback. Requesting a coaching session when you feel ready, can make it more comfortable for you.

o Look toward the future. Feedback can help you grow. If you choose not to accept feedback, not to change, will your current path take you where you want to go?

It takes an athlete to dance, but an artist to be a dancer

Everyone has their own facilitation style. Facilitation is an art form, much like dancing or playing in a band. In dancing, you have to hold a rhythm with your partner. In a band, you collaborate and co-create without straying too far from the score. Whatever your artistry, there are good practices and “ best practices”. Here are some tips for ballroom dancers that apply equally to masterful facilitators.

· Make your partner feel at ease.
· Lead gently.
· Value the role of your partner.
· Be enthusiastic.
· Smile.
· Stay focused.
· Don’t let them see you sweat.
· Turn imperfections into improvisations.
· Use proper form and make it yours.
· Use appropriate ballroom etiquette.
· Take lessons from a good teacher, not just a good dancer.
· Don’t wobble, or lose your beat.
· When you dance, your body should be in continuous motion.

And my personal favourite…

· Put some snap in your spin.

Learner as empty vessel? No way! They are filled to the brim!

Ever have a training day when it just seemed like nothing you were doing was working? Maybe you had "sleepers" or "chatters" or the preoccupied. You tried, you retried, you adjusted and tried again.......Well here is the good news....

After checking YOUR efforts first (did you use active learning techniques, was your approach multi modal"? etc.) it may turn out to be your learners. The revolt is at hand. New research shows that more and more adults are coming to our corporate classrooms already overloaded, overstimulated and just plain tired. They have our information already but can't apply it, they know our strategies but don't have the authority to make changes, their work sits and waits for them at the end of the class day. What they are telling us is THEY JUST CAN'T TAKE ANY MORE.

But, we are just the messengers, what can we do....?

Stay tuned over the summer as we identify some strategies for calming the learner revolt and reach the "inner student".

-Janet

Bandanna-Cup-Marble Teambuilding Game

This is a great, easy to use exercise that makes key learning points about each group member's responsibility to both follow and lead. Make sure you facilliatate this powerful debrief!

Group Size: 4 to 10 people per bandana
Time: 5 – 15 minutes
Space: Medium – Lots
Set Up Time: 60 seconds
Props: For each team of 6-10 people: one plastic cup, one bandana,one marble
Objective: Transport a marble balanced on a cup from one point to another.

Set Up / Preparation:
Create groups of about 8 people and supply each group with one bandana, one marble and one plastic cup (the plastic cup should have some kind of lip on the bottom of it).

The group surrounds the bandana and holds on to it with both hands along the edges creating a tabletop effective. The cup is now placed up side down on the bandana then the marble is placed on top of / balanced on the cup. The group is now asked to transport the bandana-cup-marble from one point to another.

Rules:
1. If the marble falls off the group must start again.
2. Everyone must hold on to the edge of the bandana with both hands.
3. The bandana must be kept tight and flat.
4. The supplied equipment (props) may not be altered.
5. No other supplies may be used.

Variations:
After everyone is set to go with the activity, ask them to place their bandana-cup-marble assembly on a small table in an adjacent room SIMULTANEOUSLY. There should be only one doorway to the other room so the teams are forced to wait on each other. The table should be small to force the groups to communicate and create a plan.

Debrief:

Have everyone circle up in their small groups and answer the following questions:

What metaphorically is the bandana, cup, marble, and table relative to your job in this organization?

What was your rolw in contributing to successs?

What got in the way?

More Variations
1. Place obstacles in the path of the group such as a tables or chairs. Consider
having the group go up a flight of stairs.
2. Use a taller cup and a larger, denser ball (like a baseball) to make this lots
harder

p>*From www.teachmeteamwork.com

How we do it differently!

Advance Corporate Training Ltd. (ACT) is a brain-based learning specialist - our logo represents the six key secrets to ensuring learning takes hold in the learner and can transfer back to the workplace. Here are the six secrets and why engaging each one of them encourages higher learning levels.

Personal Relevance
(Association Cortex)
When we associate learning with what we already know, we are more open to a new idea. Info that supports our existing knowledge is better retained and transferred on-the-job.

Kinesthetic Learning
(Motor Cortex)
When we are engaged physically while learning, our brain operates more efficiently and we are better able to apply learned skills consistently.

Emotion & Engagement
(Somatosensory Cortex)
Emotion is often missing in many adult learning environments. When we emotionally connect to the material we learn more and deeper. ACT designs all its courses to engage this cortex.

Auditory Learning
(Auditory Cortex)
When we listen and speak we deepen our understanding. This cortex needs time to engage, so the start of all conversations should be “losable” data.

Visual Learning
(Visual Cortex)
We all need to have visual stimulation to be energized by learning. If we visualize our changed performance, we are more able to achieve it.

Broca's Area
Our ability to communicate clearly and to understand complex concepts is controlled here. Without learning that engages this area of the brain, we know but we don't understand and can't share our knowledge. True learning occurs after we achieve understanding, and performance change can not occur without understanding. This area was identified in 1861 by Pierre Paul Broca to be the “seat of articulation”.

Why Facilitation?

Why not training, teaching, coaching or instructing?

I have been an aggressive advocate of facilitation in adult education ever since I was in a very poorly led class at a University on teaching adults. We were literally told not to ask questions, not to "try to reinvent the wheel" and to just do essays on what was in the textbooks - we were also told not to challenge the professor as he was close to retirement and had already put up with it for too long! Imagine!

Interestingly enough, many of my classmates were fine with these guidelines as they then clearly knew expectations and knew what they had to do to get top marks -they were right, it made it easy to succeed if success was based on good grades.

but.... I was one of those annoying students who actually wanted to learn something practical and relevant to my world. This wasn't working for me and when I challenged the status quo - the teacher's and institution's response turned me off from expecting my learning to take place at University....so much so that I became a "difficult student" .

On the flip side, I happened to take another course where the teacher set us up for success the moment we walked through the door, and let us know that he trusted that all we knew from life was real and relevant to his class and that an open-mind was all we needed - not a textbook and not obedience to his ideals. He was still controlling, discipline driven, challenging and worked us hard - but for me it was worth it as every day after class I could walk away with at least one thing relevant to me. He FACILITATED my learning.... and my motivation for more.

That experience sold me - and I have been an advocate of facilitated training ever since. Not just fun activities in class, not just a pleasant environment, not just high energy classes but truly facilitated learning - where the answers and the content come into the class with the learners and is not invested in the trainer in the front of the room or the material we are teaching from.

We ask all our trainers at Advance Corporate Training to master facilitation - and we offer to the class our skills in bringing them out and freeing them to try things in new ways... we don't want to be experts because the learners already are... our job is to create change , not impart wisdom.

I am a facilitator....

I am change....

Here are some definitions of facilitation from the web... what do you think?

Definitions of facilitation on the Web:

A process of decision-making guided by a facilitator who insures that all affected individuals and groups are involved in a meaningful way ...www.nymir.org/zoning/Glossary.html

Involves the use of techniques to improve the flow of information. https://acc.dau.mil/GetAttachment.aspx

The condition of having something made easier. (Like a catalyst in that facilitation makes easy a previously difficult activity with little or no extra energy expended on the part of the group participants.) www.mgrush.com/content/view/70/33/

The promotion or hastening of any natural process; the reverse of inhibition.www.mercksource.com/pp/us/cns/cns_hl_dorlands.jspzQzpgzEzzSzppdocszSzuszSzcommonzSzdorlandszSzdorlandzSzdmd_f_01zPzhtm

Coordinating rather than leading an exercise so that all group members are encouraged to participate in the discussion or activity.www.evaluateit.org/glossary/

Helping others think through what they want and organise themselves to achieve it.www.scottishmediation.org.uk/smn/fxcseven/pgz/six.htm

Facilitation in business, organizational development (OD) and in consensus decision-making refers to the process of designing and running a successful meeting. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facilitation (business)

Icebreakers

I am working on some activities for a large scale teambuilding event and found this site with a great list of simple icebreakers.

http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/icebreak.html

Enjoy!

Cultural extensions exercise

I just found this exercise online and it looks great - I have emailed the site for permission, in the meantime, check them out yourself... http://www.culture-at-work.com/body.html.

What extensions have humans created for these various functions of the body?

Purpose: The world can look different for several days after doing this exercise! It is useful in linking our societies' complex systems and technologies and beliefs with the fundamental, central reality of the human body as the core of our experiences and actions.

Materials: Names of different parts of the body, different functions of the mind, each on a separate slip of paper. For younger groups, you might also want to put one or two examples of extensions on each slip.

Instructions: Review the question "What objects or systems have humans developed to extend this particular body/mind function (beyond what is physically possible for a human to do without extra help)?"

Pick one of the slips out of the hat, and have the group generate a list together with the leader's help. Then ask participants to pair off. Each pair chooses a slip out of the hat. Give them about 5 minutes to generate the longest, most imaginative list they can.

Some Examples

Fingernails: screwdriver, scratch paper, backscratcher, thimble, shovel, utensils, tweezers.

Visual memory: camera, books, paintings, movies, post-it notes, planner, advertising, maps.

Skin: clothing, buildings, sunscreen, racial classifications, bedding, tatoos, artificial vitamin D.

Territorial part of the brain: maps, boundaries, armies, signposts, locks, global positioning systems.

Lungs: oxygen tanks for scuba diving, yoga, microphones and speaker systems.

Feet: trampolines, bicycles, escalators, cars, ballet point shoes, airplanes, 12 inch measurement unit, postal and delivery systems, canes.

Emotion of sadness: mourning rituals, Prozac, poetry, naming of buildings and places.

Counting on fingers (the original computing method was digital!): arithmetic, calculators, mathematics, computers, outlines, systems for ordering objects, calendars, money.

Discussion: You can either have each group read out the two examples that they think are most interesting, or draw a large silhouette of a human being and have each group write in one or two answers next the the appropriate part of the body. (You may need a separate sketch of a head if you have many pairs.)

Does Your Training Make the Grade?

Presentation slides from a well received presentation to the local chapter of CSTD.

An Age Old Problem

Get learners involved in teaching themselves.

Purpose of exercise: To encourage participants to improvise and learn to communicate in different ways and to show how frustrated we get when we aren’t understood, despite our best efforts.

Exercise: Tell everyone that until the exercise is over they are now no longer allowed to talk (This is important and you must enforce this as the trainer).

The exercise itself is really simple. Tell participants from the moment you say 'Go' they will have 5 minutes to organize themselves into a straight line, with the oldest on the right and the youngest on the left! They can not use pen or paper or speak.Remember you MUST enforce the "no talking" strictly or it completely spoils the exercise.

Alter the time depending on how many people you have, but for up to 30, we find that 5 mins is normally long enough to prove the point.When the line is formed, start at the right of the line and get participants to say their birthdays, and see how many mistakes there are.

This task normally sounds really easy at first, but when they have to start getting down to communicating differences in months and days between birthdays, tempers normally start to fray slightly. You will often see “angry” leaders emerge who start pushing other people around.

Debrief: have participants sit back down and talk about why they failed (or succeeded – either works to make the learning points). Bring up things like:

· Did a leader emerge or were there several leaders?
· Did leadership help or hinder?
· Did everyone use the same “system” once their regular tools were thwarted?
· What worked and what didn’t?
· Did people start getting frustrated? Why?
· If they were to do it again what would they do differently?

Then, (and this is key) – bridge the learning points clearly to the lesson you are about to teach and then reference the activity and examples from it as you make the lesson points.

I have used this exercise frequently, its one of the “pocket activities” I keep in mind for all kinds of sessions and I am always amazed at some of the ways people come up with to communicate – I have seen all different types of hand signals, foot stomping, some use eye blinking and once time I had a participant stare really hard at another hoping they could read her mind.

Have fun using this exercise to enhance learning retention.

It's simple: sleep more to learn more

Less sleep. It seems to be the first solution nowadays as people try to juggle the demands at the office and in the home.

This happens despite how sleep deprivation harms the ability to think and learn. Recently, as outlined by the American Physiological Society, scientists have made great strides in understanding why, and how, this happens. The act of learning new tasks causes the area of the brain responsible for memory, called the hippocampus, to produce new cells. These cells need sleep to survive.

In a joint study by Stanford University and the University of California, researchers found that sleep-limited rats had a much more difficult time remembering a path through a maze in relation to rats that were rested. The conclusion: learning rejuvenates the brain.

Sleep-limited people have shorter attention spans, impaired memory and longer reaction times. It is now apparent that sleep is not just needed for general health, but that it is needed more by the brain than any other part of the body.The brain is rejuvenated through learning.

Relating this to real-life. Two factors ultimately determine how one learns: exposure to new material and getting adequate amounts of sleep.

Learning new things keeps the brain healthy because it ensures that new cells in the hippocampus survive. Conversely, inadequate sleep impairs neurogenesis. Repeated sleep restriction can have lasting effects on how the brain functions.

Take a nap!

Ice Breaker/Energizer - Have You Ever?

This an active, fun way to explore and celebrate the diversity of experiences that different people bring to any group. Participants stand in a group or sit in a circle.The instructor starts by explaining that they will call out different things that may or may not apply to each person. If the item does apply, then that person runs into the middle, jumps in the air, and does a high 5 with anyone else who runs in.

A list of about 20 items should be tailored to the particular group, setting, and program goals. Usually the items are of a "Have You Ever....?" form, but also free to ad lib, e.g., "Does Anyone Have....?" Items should be carefully considered in order to prevent embarrassment, ridicule, etc.

List of Possible "Have Your Ever?" Items:

• Have you ever climbed to the highest point in your country of birth?


• Have you ever lived overseas for more than 1 year?


• Have you ever sung karaoke?


• Have you ever been without a shower for more than 2 weeks?


• Do you have both a brother and a sister?


• Have you ever ridden a horse?


• Have you ever eaten frogs' legs?


• Can you speak 3 or more languages?


• Have you ever been in love with someone who was vegetarian?


• Have you swum in 3 or more different oceans?


• Have you ever flown an aeroplane?


• Have you broken 3 or more bones in your body?


• Have you done volunteer work sometime in the last month?


• Have you ever free-climbed a tree or rockface more than 10 meters vertically?


• Have you ever had a close relative who lived to over 100?


• Have you ever cooked a meal by yourself for more than 20 people?


• Have you ever kept a budgerigar as a pet?


• Have you ever been parachuting or done a bungee jump?


• Can you not click your fingers on your non-dominant hand?


• Have you ever seen a polar bear?
  

From James Neil

Variations
(adapted from Dave Hall (n.d.), www.nirsa.org/naturalhigh/pdf/icebreak.pdf)

Participants can generate their own questions. Here's one way.

People are sitting in a circle. Everyone has a chair (or rope ring or hula hoop) except the person who is IT, standing in the center. The person in the middle asks a "Have You Ever" question that is true for him/her self e.g., "have you ever climbed a mountain over 10,000 feet?"

Anyone whose answer is "yes" gets up and moves to an empty seat. So, if four people get up they try to exchange seats as quickly as possible. The person who asked the question tries to quickly gain a seat, leaving one other person without a seat and they become the new IT.

In choosing a question, participants can try for questions which reveal something e.g., “have you ever trekked the Great Wall of China?” or ask simple questions like “have you ever fallen off of a bicycle?” for which everyone would get up.

Pileup variation: Anyone can ask a question and if you can answer yes to the question you move one space to your right and sit in that chair. If you cannot answer yes to the question, you stay seated in the chair where you are. This means somebody may be coming to sit on your lap from the seat to your left. Sometimes you get three and four people sitting in sort of a lap-style game on top of you. Then, when they ask the next question to go one space to the right by answering yes, they peel off one at a time sit down and you end up on top. It creates some very interesting combinations. Be cautious using physical touching activities with adults.

From Janet: I find this activity is great as an introduction activity for a session where participants work togther and/or know each other very well. It helps them learn new things and that often helps break down old "stereotypes" of bad group behaviour and role entrenchment.

Any Questions?

Here is a tip from one of my favourite websites - http://www.thiagi.com/ .

"Most participants' brains seem to stop functioning when you invite them to ask questions. They all become suddenly bashful and avoid eye contact.

Possible causes: fear of asking a foolish question or appearing to be the only confused person in the room.

Suggested solution: Give everyone an index card. Ask participants to write a question which a confused person may ask. Then ask participants to turn the card with the written side down and pass it to someone else. Participants continue passing the cards in random fashion until you yell "Stop!" after about 15 seconds. Make sure everyone has a card. Now select a participant at random and ask her to read the question on the card. Suggest that the participant may pretend to read the card -- but actually ask his or her own question. Give a brief answer and continue by selecting another participant."

You can use this part way through a program to bring out unasked questions or to find your muddiest point and use it as an opportunity for you as the facilitator to answer. You could also use this as a review and ask participants to answer the question on the card they receive.

Two more ways I have used a version of this....

1- at the beginning of training ask individuals to write down questions they have about the topic on the index cards. Then collect the cards. At the end of the first day, hand out the cards again and ask anyone to share a question that had been answered that day. If they don't volunteer what that answer was, ask another participant to. At the end of the multiple day event (usually 3 days for me) you as the facilitator read remaining questions, asking participants if the question was answered and if not, answering it then and there - showing that you care about meeting their needs.

2- at the end of the session, hand out postcards instead of index cards (lots of free ones can be found in public places or ordered from companies like vistaprint.ca ) and ask each participant to write down one question that remains unanswered for them. Tell them to write that question in their notes too. Collect the postcards and advise participants you are going to mail them back to them in 2 weeks to see if they found the answer to their question. Offer that if the question isn't answered by then, they can call you for free and get help with the answer. By leaving class with a question - most participants find their answer from applying the material - a good boost for the value of your program. In many years of facilitation, I have only had 3 questions remain unanswered by participants.