When language or memory is a challenge for learners we need to find other ways to support a learner’s learning and plan for transfer. Here are a few ideas to consider. Take a photo of the learner with his commitment. This visual cue can serve as a reminder and help...
In an education event juggling work books, lots of paper, and other written documents is a challenge for any learner (and teacher!). When the learners are people living with dementia trying to find the right piece of paper or spot on a page can interfere with...
Managing time is a challenge for even the most seasoned facilitators. Here are a few tips to help you ensure you facilitate the planned learning design in the designated time: Start on time. When learners don’t arrive on time, it can be challenging to know when to...
“We are weary of academic conferences.” That’s how Christy Wampole starts her article The Conference Manifesto in The New York Times (posted May 4th 2015). Indeed, I can relate to that. In fact, it is getting increasingly challenging for me to go to conferences at...
After a plenary or panel session at a conference, it is helpful to protect time at the end to engage the audience with the content just presented. One idea for doing this is to pose a question for people to reflect on or discuss with others around them (or at their...
In Canada we are fortunate to live with diverse cultural groups. However, at times, the way we communicate or approach interpersonal communication in one’s culture, can influence the way we engage and participate in a learning event when diversity is present. The...
To feel a sense of belonging is important because it will lead us from conversations about safety and comfort to other conversations, such as our relatedness and willingness to provide hospitality and generosity. Hospitality is the welcoming of strangers, and...
The key to optimizing learning and building long-term memory is to create ‘ownership’ of learning content. (Jensen, 2005; Poldrack et al., 2001) Below are facilitation skills I have been especially aware of lately in my work. These go beyond technique. They are more...
The toughest conversations often offer the most important learning. Sometimes we really need to enter the conversations we work hardest to avoid. Tough conversations can be hard to navigate and risky. So how do we “go there” in a healthy way? Below are some tips for...
How does a facilitator know when groups or individuals are hard at work on a task you have set, or are stuck and want some help? When learners are hard at work for extended periods of time, I don’t hover. These are times for me to get out of the way, so learning...
Resistance is normal – both to what is being taught and to how it is being taught. What we want to do is minimize resistance so that it does not negatively interfere with learning.
Often when you are faced with several good ideas in a meeting, it is impossible or even undesirable to choose just one. Multi-voting is one way to poll the group about multiple options.