The Ultimate Training Workshop, by Bruce Klatt, Chapter 2 & 8

Chapter 2. Learning, Habits and Levels of Knowledge

"Learning is the mental process that leads to new knowledge and skills (Klatt, 89)."


This chapter is a great resource to workshop facilitators in helping them understand different learning processes and how to teach to adult (andragogy) learners vs. child (pedagogy) learners.  Most of us grew up in a learning environment where we had little experience in the learning process, depended on the teacher for learning, and were motivated externally by coercion and grades.

Adults on the other hand are more self-directed, have experience in the learning environment and are motivated to learn.  However, not all adult learners ares self-directed and come learning ready.  Facilitators can help motivate adult learners to engage in the learning process.

It is important to understand different learning styles and adapting presentations and workshops to allow for learning to occur whether participants are accomodators, divergers, assimilators, or convergers. 

Traditional teaching methods do not work well in a workshop environment.  It is important as a facilitator to help participants learn naturally and on a deeper level.  This can be acheived by using single loop (improving efficiency to obtain established practices) and double loop (revisitng original objectives and being willing to adjust or change) learning methods.

Learning can be enhanced or limited because of  personal habits.  It is important that we help give participants tools to be able to change habits or behavioral pattern to accomplish long term change, requiring discipline and a clear plan of action.

APPLICATION

Chapter 2 was helpful to me as I prepare to present a workshop this week.  I thought about our subject, Grow where you are planted, Cultivating Success with Awareness and Attitude.  We are asking our partiicpants to change the way they look at life and make changes in deeply held beliefs, attitudes and habits.  We can talk about change and engage the participants in the learning process through group activiities, writing activities and reflections, yet we must help them apply learning long term.  We have thought through some of  these issues and are incorporating ideas to help participants execute change over a period of time.  Hopefully we can provide the motivation for participants to have a desire to change and the tools necessary for change.  Habits are powerful things, though.  It requires a high level of discipline to incorporate new behaviors and shed non productive behaviors.  These past few weeks, I have tried to incorporate some of the ideas I intend to present in the workshop into my own life.  It has been a great exercise and I have taken note of what things got in my way and derailed me from my game plan.  I found that the most important elements  of incorporating new habits include visualizing success, daily reminders, sharing my goals with others and starting over instead of giving up when I get off my game plan.  It defintely takes a great deal of determination.  However, as I have seen success as a result of the changes, it has motivated me to stay on task. 

Chapter 8 -- Preparing and Using Visual Aids

Visual aids are important for workshops to add and maintain interest.  We have so much at our disposal with all the applications and programs available  to enhance our subject matter.  However, it is important not to over stimulate with too many visuals.  When we use too much technology, our presentations can become less meaningful and less participant focused.  We must not spend so much time preparing the "show" that we forget the importance of participant interaction and learning.
As we include visuals into our presentations, it is important to be prepared with all the necessary equipment ahead of time and make sure any technology we use will work in the space provided for the workshop.

APPLICATION -- Use them!


 I have not incorporated a lot of extra visuals because I have felt nervous about using them in a presentation.  So ... here you go.  I have imported a photo.  I used this picture because technology is something that even small children can do at a very early age, but it is still a gut check for me.  Funny that I can get uptight with something as simple as importing a photo.  And, it was easy!

My group has been great for me in this area, as we have brainstormed and added visuals to our upcoming workshop.  I think that although I get a great deal out of visuals that others use in their presentations, I do not naturally think of them for my own  presentations.  This is something that I need to put on a workshop checklist for myself, so that I get in the habit of using visuals in some form or another in every workshop. I need to experiment and practice with visuals a head of time so that I am more comfortable incorporating them into my presentations.  When I do use them, it has been generally hands on visuals -- posters displays, etc. 

I admit that I have been a bit intimidated by technology.  I had the opportunity with a 4th grade class to get a very impromptu lesson on not being afraid to use technology.  I was scheduled to facilitate a discussion in the classroom and the teacher left instructions about how to use some equipment that I was unfamiliar with and didn't know I would be using that day.  Although I had no idea what I was doing,  after consulting the help menu on the teacher's computer,  I figured it out and was good to go.  I am learning that you just have to jump in and not be afraid to try things in order to learn new skills and incorporate new learning tools. As I teach other adult learners, this fear of failure is one I can relate to and hopefully I can use my experiences to help calm the feelings of discomfort that other adult learners may experience in the learning process.

Engaging Students With Questions -- Leveraging Inquiry in any Classroom

The Center for Teaching and Learning presented a workshop on Friday October 18, 2013 on tools and strategies to help teachers to better leverage inquiry in the classroom.  Inquiry activities are powerful means to engage students in developing their own understanding of a concept.  Inquiry activities lead students in a particular direction.

THREE ASPECTS OF INQUIRY BUILDING

1. Explore -- students have some model, example, or manipulative that provides new information/content -- typically revealing an aspect of the underlying structure of the discipline
2. Build understanding -- rules or definitions are built by students as a result of a carefully engineered, teacher-created environment (which may include discussion, activities, experiences, teamwork, etc.); rules/definitions students develop are "owned by the student -- increasing the likelihood of long-term retention and the ability to use the information in examples that are further removed from the original example.
3. Application -- once students have a personal understanding of the concept/content, they apply that knowledge in various ways -- a way of testing the boundaries of their understanding -- and revising that understanding as a result of the new knowledge gained.

WHAT I LEARNED.  We the participants were engaged in a couple different inquiry exercises to help further our understanding of how questions and the inquiry process can help students become more engaged in their own education.   It was a very hands on training.  At the end of the workshop, one of the participants mentioned feeling out of his comfort zone with this kind of instruction, which I can relate to, but we (Jenn, Teresa and I) were ahead of the game since we do that in our COMM 582 class every week :).  It is good to note that this kind of learning can be troublesome for some learners who may feel shy in a group and unequal to the task of providing on the spot answers.  I can see how important it is for instructors  to be sensitive to these learners and provide safe, encouraging means to help students overcome their fears in this area.

Because this kind of instruction is different from the traditional model, it is also common for teachers who have been trained in the traditional method to have difficulty adapting to this new type of learning.  You have to engage on a deeper level when using inquiry activities and it can be draining as you learn to think in a different way.  However, I found it enlightening to see first hand the value in these exercises and how we can empower our students to be more responsible for their own education by using these methods.  I definitely want to experiment with this method in the future.

Our CTL instructors did an excellent job of moving the material along and providing a variety of activities.  They were very organized and worked well together.  Both instructors were easygoing and approachable and were successful in creating a comfortable, safe environment.  Their preparation was key to a successful workshop.  This CTL workshop was a great example as we get ready to present our own workshop in a couple of weeks. 

KEY THINGS I WANT TO REMEMBER

• Be prepared
• Know the material
• Have a variety of activities prepared
• Be warm and inviting
• Use questions to engage learning
• End on time

The Ultimate Training Workshop by Klatt, Chap 6 &7

DESIGNING A WORKSHOP, Chapter 6

A workshop leader can seek input from interested participants, but the leader is ultimately responsible for the success and design of the workshop.

Workshop Strategies

1. Keep participants involved
2. Use stories and examples
3. Employ all the senses
4. Encourage participants to share information
5. Challenge and support participants
6. Keep it informal
7. Don't be too tied to an agenda.  Let things unfold
8. Be flexible
9. Allow for free time
10. AVOID TRADITIONAL TEACHING

Learning Styles
It is important to recognize the four different in which people learn.  Design your workshops to accommodate a variety of learning styles

Developing an Agenda
Keep your agenda simple with clear outcomes.  Although you want the agenda to be flexible, an agenda allows participants to see what is coming.  It allows participants to be mentally prepared for the workshop session.

Design Options
There are endless possibilities for designing a workshop.  Use a variety of activities to keep the participants active and engage all four learning styles.


ORGANIZING A WORKSHOP, Chapter 7

Activity Smorgasbord
The author introduces the idea of an activity smorg -- a list of activities and ideas for a particular workshop.   It is a quick reference for the workshop leader.  Being prepared in this way with multiple activities allows the leader to respond in a more flexible way.

Preparation Checklist

Use overall checklist to:

1. Assess workshop needs
2. Decide evaluation
3. Write purpose and outcomes
4. Summarize key learning points
5. Develop smorgasbord
6. Design the workshop
7. Plan start-up
8. Plan Sequence
9. Produce Materials
10. Develop stories
11. Cover administrative isues
12. Practice

Other checklists can be made for scheduling and creating timetables

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED
As I read through these chapters, I reflected on the level of preparation and organization I have given to my trainings in the past.  I can see a great change as I have matured and become more experienced.  When I was first asked to teach or train, I would often find myself surprised by the amount of time I still had left or how much time I didn't have.  I also found myself in situations where I didn't know where to go or what direction to take the workshop.  During those times, I taught more from a direct script instead of having a grab bag of tricks by my side to fill in the gaps.  That lead to trainings where I was angst filled and stressed about outcomes.  However, after enough of those experiences, I have tried to become better prepared to address multiple contingencies.  I have found from personal experience that being prepared and versatile helps a workshop run more smoothly. 

I have also learned to understand the importance of checklists as I have been involved in theater and musical events.  Preparation is paramount as you plan and carry out a performance for an audience, just as you would for a workshop

However, these chapters have opened my eyes to even better ideas for preparedness and how to teach participants with different learning styles. The author presents a myriad of ideas for designing workshops -- a bit overwhelming, yet helps you realize that there are many options available to create the learning outcomes we need for various situations.

The Ultimate Training Workshop Handbook, by Bruce Klatt

BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR LEADING, Chapter 1, pp.28-55.

As we begin thinking about leading or instructing, it is important to consider four important areas: background, experience, attitude and development.  Instructors must be technically competent, bring individual identity to the workshop, understand how to foster good relationships with workshop attendees, and continuously develop skills, theories and methods.

Trust and Rapport

Trust and rapport are essential in creating a successful workshop.

Trust.  As we work with participants we must be open, congruent, supportive and reliable.  Trust is delicate.  You must give participants evidence that you are trustworthy.  Trust has to be continually earned.  By giving trust, you will receive trust.

You can tell if trust is being established if the following conditions exist:

1. There is a high level of energy and focus
2. There is an open flow of information
3. Participants don't talk about the need for more trust
4. Subgroups get to work on their tasks

Rapport is an establishment of a relationship based on TRUST, harmony, understanding and mutual respect.  Trust is ESSENTIAL to rapport.  Building rapport is one of the key responsibilities of a group leader.  Rapport is a shared responsibility with pariticipants, but a workshop leader must see it as their responsibility to build and maintain that rapport.  After trust is established, rapport can be built by using such tools as eye contact, humor, running jokes and inside stories.


INVESTIGATING NEEDS AND PLANNING A WORKSHOP, Chapter 3.

Workshops not only need direction and good design to be successful, but also a destination.

Workshop facilitators must:

1. Understand needs
2. Clarify the purpose
3. Develop outcome statements
4. Determine what capabilities are necessary for a successful training program
5. Decide evaluation process during and after training
6. Know what you want your participants to learn
7. Select design based on desired outcomes
8. Write and agenda
9. Establish Group process (how we intend to work with one another)

Workshop facilitators can plan by asking essential questions about problems, opportunities, likelihood of success, value, needed behavior changes, information needed by employees, who can influence changes and what learning materials are required.  It is important to ask WHY!

We need to factor in willingness, opportunities and abilities of participants and clients.  We can further understand learning needs by understanding levels of competence.

Facilitators must also understand whether an objectivist approach (a right way to perform a task) or an interpretative approach (no objective reality -- only points of view requiring interpretation) is needed in any given workshop. 


CONTRACTING OUTCOMES AND MARKETING PRIOR TO START-UP
Chapter 5, pp 170-171.


It is important to market your workshop beforehand.  Word of mouth is the best method of marketing a training program, yet some people want something to look at to tell them why they should attend.  Marketing materials should be brief--one page or less.  Use a one page outline to tell people how they will benefit by attending the workshop.


PRESENTING, FACILITATING, AND LEADING, Chapter 15, pp. 477-480.

Primary reasons for co-leading a workshop:

1. Pool experience and give attendees more than one perspective
2. Get experienced help
3. Get feedback and break bad habits
4. Continuously upgrade and develop your training program
5. Share the workload
6. Train new workshop leaders

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED:  A plan is essential as we learn to become effective workshop facilitators and trainers.  We must know where we are going and then create a step by step plan of action to get to that destination.  A well designed plan is the first step to a successful workshop.  I have not always enjoyed being mired down in details.  However, through experiences both good and bad, I have come to understand the necessity of understanding the overall picture, deciding purpose and working in advance on questions and concerns to help make a presentation as smooth as possible.  It is also essential to be well versed in the material being presented.  When I am prepared and have a plan, I feel much more confident in my presentation.  And, I have found I am much more self conscious and ill at ease when I know I have not adequately prepared and understood the material being presented. However because I have had many experiences when I was asked to present or teach last minute and have experienced fairly good success, I
have sabatoged myself at other times because I didn't prepare like I should have, thinking I
could get away with it as I could when I was asked to teach last minute.  It never works that way though!

I loved the instruction about trust and rapport and how important it is to establish a good relationship with workshop participants.  In my past teaching experiences, I have tried to build relationships by getting to know participants by name, learning their backgrounds, and joking with them.  By creating these relationships, I have found students more willing to engage and be involved in the discussions.  I am excited to further my skills in this area by incorporating more humor into my presentations.  I tend to get serious when I am nervous, and loosen up as I feel more comfortable in my teaching role.  I want to practice or find ways to infuse humor in every presentation.

I am excited about having the opportunity to work as a co-facilitator this semester.  Most of my teaching/training experience has been solo.  I know it can be challenging to mesh ideas, schedules, and teaching styles, yet I excited for what I can learn from others.  Working together will allow us to rely on each others strengths.  It will also help us synthesis thought and organization.