In her recent book The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker impels us to prepare well for our gatherings. She reminds us to probe with questions such as: Who is this event for? What do they most want to get from it? Whether preparing for an executive leadership retreat, a...
Applying Core Principles to ‘Question Design’
Adults learn best when respect, safety, inclusion, relevance, immediacy and engagement are all present within the learning experience. A distillation of years of educational research, these six core principles are the building blocks of Dialogue Educationâ„¢. Effective...
True for You: A Technique to Consider
Using the right technique at the right time with the right people can touch me at my core. When a technique helps to bring the best outcome for a working or learning session I feel grateful.
Rethinking Our Online Meetings
Much has changed since pre-COVID. And in my view, our monthly all-staff meetings are better now that everyone is on a separate screen.
Help Me, I’m an Extrovert
Ever since Susan Cain’s Ted talk and book, Quiet: Being an Introvert in a World that Just Can’t Stop Talking, I have become more attentive to introverts in my meetings, learning events, and other gatherings.
Disability Etiquette!
A while ago I had the joy of reading a fascinating theological book called Copious Hosting: A Theology of Access for People with Disabilities. In that gentle and prophetic text, Catholic disability-advocate Jennie Weiss Block sets out to define disability and...
Tips to Help Organize Workbooks and Written Documents for People Living with Dementia
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...
Ways to Support Change When Language or Memory Is a Challenge
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...
Introverts vs. Extroverts: Tips for Designing and Facilitating
Adapted from Susan Cain’s Quiet p342-344 and p348-9 Design Tips to Honour Introverted Learners: Include solo work as well as pair and small group work. All of us get a boost out of solo work – even if we are the type who don’t ask for it. Let learners surprise...
Inclusion Means ALL
I have a raging new agenda: inclusion. I believe this agenda will be a great challenge to me and to all Dialogue Educators since we see the value in small groups working together to learn via learning tasks. In the words of Danah Zohar, we want to hear "a chorus of...
Persons with Disabilities: A Story From the Field
Unbelievably to me, and even at first unnoticed by me in the large ballroom style conference room that was being productive and facilitated through dialogue, the facilitator was blind, unable to see the people and setting in the room with his eyes. Led at the elbow,...
How to Facilitate Introverts and Extroverts in Your Group or Class
Whether you teach classes, run mastermind groups, or offer group coaching programs, understanding what makes introverts and extroverts tick will help you run your group better. We all know there are two personality styles that are polar opposites of each others,...




