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.