LEADING LIFELONG LEARNERS A TLC Study of Strategies for Facilitating and Leading Adult Learners March 10, 2008

The whole is never the sum of the parts – it is greater or lesser, depending on how well the individuals work together. Chuck Noll

PURPOSE To provide resources, support, and experiences that build facilitation skills and increase confidence for teachers to lead meetings, present workshops, and/or facilitate TLC activities.

FEEDBACK FROM ORIENTATION 28 Responses VALUE Average: 4.6 Range: 1X3, 8x4, 19X5 FOUND USEFUL Watch peers model facilitation Sharing & discussion of agendas, strategies, and challenges Time for reflection IMPROVEMENTS More time Opportunities to debrief reading Caffeine, please! Separate groups more to lessen distraction APPLICATIONS Plan to use facilitator agenda template Focus on Use strategies in department meetings

TODAY’S OUTCOMES Insights gained from reflection and dialogue Working knowledge of content in Chapters 4 & 5 Strengthened sense of community Renewed commitment & enthusiasm!

TODAY’S AGENDA Welcome & Overview M&M’s Melt in Your Mouth … Mini-Presentations Colleen & Leann Lisa & Haide Debbie, Jean & Tobiah Reflections & Evaluation Homework & Closing Thoughts

NORMS for Our Learning Listen to understand. Speak openly and honestly. Learn by doing: apply to your own work. Pay attention to your feathers. Postpone distractions.

They melt in Your Mouth, but... How might facilitation knowledge and skills be useful in the classroom? Why is it important to build community with teams? What activities might you use? What have you read recently that you would recommend for personal or professional reading? How can facilitators diagnose a group’s level of energy? What are some processing activities that can either raise or lower a group’s energy? How do teams (communities) effectively deal with conflict?

Professional Book Study Chapter 4: Connecting All Members of the Team Chapter 5: Reaching Peak Performance

Professional Book Study Process: 30-minute mini-presentations Facilitated in teams of two or three Interactive (1/3 gum, 2/3 chew) Feedback from colleagues

Go for the Gusto! Building Interdependent Teams Presented by: Tobiah Duran, Debbie Teudt, and Jean Young

Know-It-All Ball Get Ready: *get up to 3 balls of different colors Get Set: *group stands or sits in a circle *select one prompt per ball being used (i.e. name, hometown, place of work, etc.) Go: *Toss the ball back and forth about the circle and answer the corresponding prompt *Play continues until everyone has had a turn

Agenda Opening Know-It-All Ball Introductions Introduce presenters highlight./review agenda Review norms Activities for Team Building Toxic Waste Transfer (physical) Rising Tower (mental) Jelly Bean Questions (mental) Debrief Small group Whole group

Norms Share experiences to enrich others Listen through the filter of a question Pay attention to your feathers Learn by doing – apply to your own work Postpone distractions If your cell phone rings, you must dance for us!

Toxic Waste Transfer A Physical Team Building Activity (page 77) Get Ready: * 5 gallon bucket with holes randomly drilled into the sides * 3-5 foot lengths of rope (1 per hole) * container to dump the “waste” into * tennis balls, golf balls, or packing peanuts Get Set: * set your prepared toxic waste bucket feet from the other container *explain rules *break group into teams if a large group – prepare enough materials for several small groups Go: * Start! Team(s) work to transfer toxic waste from bucket to container * debrief / discuss

Rising Tower A Mental Team Building Activity (see page 82-83) Get Ready: Each team will need a box of 500 toothpicks, a bag of mini marshmallows, and a sturdy building surface Get Set: Set a time limit Each group will build a rising tower which must stand on its own for at least 15 seconds before it is measured Go: Build! The highest tower at the end of the time limit wins Debrief

Jelly Bean Questions A Mental Team Building Activity (page 83-84) Get Ready: Get enough jelly beans so that each person has 2 or 3 colors Assign 1 topical question to each color Get Set: Break into small groups Pass out bag of jelly beans Go: Each person takes a turn at picking out a jelly beans and answering the corresponding question

Interdependent Teams (see page 72) A sense of belonging to a group while keeping a members own identity An appreciation for the unique talents and ideas brought to the table by each member The understanding of the importance of group norms and operating procedures The ability to engage in dialogue that expands the members understanding of others and their ideas rather than engaging in debates and discussion The feeling that everyone's ideas in a group have merit for consideration The use of consensus procedures in decision making The ability to support each other as the group is going through chaos

Small Group Debrief As a group, come up with 3 ways that the activity helps develop an interdependent team. Select one person to share your teams ideas with the larger group

Whole Group Debrief Each small group selects one of the 3 ways that their activity helps build interdependent teams to share with the whole group (may share more if time permits) Discuss one new understanding that you have as a result of the activities Feedback/evaluation form

* Care more than others think is wise * Risk more than others think is safe * Dream more than others think is practical * Expect more than others think is possible. Excellence can be attained if you...

Professional Book Study Process: 30-minute mini-presentations Facilitated in teams of two or three Interactive (1/3 gum, 2/3 chew) Feedback from colleagues

Anyone too busy to reflect on one’s practice is also too busy to improve. Robert Garmston Anyone too busy to reflect on one’s practice is also too busy to improve. Robert Garmston

With an Eye Contact Partner… What are you “taking away” from today’s session? What are your next steps?

Till we meet again … Read chapters 6 & 7 Complete one of the planning templates: Information Planning or Thinking and Process Planning Practice your facilitation skills!

“We must become the change we wish to see in the world.” Gandhi