Planning and Facilitating Training

Participant Manual

MD/SD Centennial Coordinator Training

Participant Manual:Planning and Facilitating Training

Session Objectives

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

-Plana District Centennial Coordinator Training Workshop:

  • Manage logistics associated with planning a face-to-face learning event
  • Identify resources for planning a training workshop for district centennial coordinators
  • Identify strategies for facilitating ongoing learning opportunities for DCCs

-Facilitatea District Centennial Coordinator Training Workshop:

  • Recognize adult learner characteristics
  • Facilitate interactive learning strategies
  • Manage a classroom environment and learner behaviors

Why is training important? / What makes training effective?

Managing Logistics

What logistical elements should you consider when planning a training workshop?

Managing Logistics

Program / Review the training workshop curriculum to identify the total time required, the number of faculty needed to facilitate the training, and all required equipment and materials. Outline a tentative program agenda and be sure to factor in time for meals and breaks.
Budget / Determine your total anticipated costs and sources of funding. Of primary consideration are: number of participants and faculty, charges for the use of meeting room space, food and beverage costs, audio/visual equipment rental, and the cost related to the production of participant and instructional materials.
Location, Date, and Time / Once you have outlined your program agenda, identify the date and timeline for your training workshop. Date and time considerations should be compatible for all who need to attend; consider work schedules and holidays before choosing the date.
Next, explore various potential locations/venues for your event that can accommodate your participants and your training needs. Consider the following factors: cost, geographic location for participants, meeting room space, accommodation of technical needs, food and beverage options, staffing (if needed), and accommodations for those with special needs.
Equipment, Materials, and Faculty / Be sure to factor in time for the procurement of equipment and supplies, and the production of any materials needed for the training. Engage a local print shop or stationary store to assist in this process.
If you require additional faculty members to assist in the facilitation of the training, identify those Lions who are available and willing to assist.
Communication / Identify your participants and communicate the details of the training to them as early as possible. Send reminders, and construct your messages to convey the benefits of the training and your enthusiasm for the topic.
Evaluation / No training event is complete without an evaluation and your workshop is no different. Participant and faculty feedback will provide valuable guidance as you develop additional training workshops or opportunities. Specific areas of interest for your evaluation tools might include:
  • What knowledge did the participants learn?
  • How will participants use what they learned?
  • Did the participants find the materials helpful?
  • Did participants feel the instructors were effective?
  • What suggestions can participants offer to enhance future workshops?
  • What suggestions can instructors offer to enhance future workshops?

Resources

  • Go to
  • Click on “Toolbox”
  • Click on “Centennial Coordinator Center”
  • Select “District Centennial Coordinator Training Materials”

Other Resources:

Facilitating Ongoing Learning Opportunities:

What other opportunities might you have to educate and train your district centennial coordinators?

Characteristics of Adult Learners

1. Self-directed /
  • We learn when we feel a need to learn.
  • Motivation is usually not a problem when the information is perceived as important.

2. Now-oriented /
  • We need to see the immediate payoff in the learning.
  • We have little interest in knowledge or skills that may or may not be useful in the future.

3. Learn by doing and participating /
  • We prefer to be actively involved in our learning.
  • We require realistic problem-solving and feedback.

4. Seek out experts /
  • We learn best when the instructor is seen as knowledgeable.
  • We will look to alternative sources of knowledge.

5. Influenced by their own values and experiences and those of others /
  • We bring our own valuable experiences into the learning situation.
  • We benefit from the experiences of others in the group.

6. Learn best in an informal environment /
  • We learn better when we share with others.
  • We learn better when the environment is casual and stress free.

7. Want feedback /
  • We are interested in results.
  • We need to know when and how to modify our performance.

8. Learn at different rates / Background, experience, education, and age affect the rate at which we learn.
9. Want to know what is expected from them / We want to know what we are expected to achieve and how we are supposed to get there.
10. Have different learning styles / We may require a variety of instructional strategies to achieve our learning goals.

Strategies for Training Adults

Since adults: / Trainers should:
Are usually motivated when they see the subject as important / Make sure their learners understand the benefit of the material.
Seek to learn when the payoff is immediate / Relate content to current needs.
Learn by doing and participating / Keep learners active -- use discussions, group activities, projects, and problems as well as lecture.
Seek the knowledge of experts / Convey an image of subject mastery to win the trust of learners. Be available for advice and direction.
Have values and experiences that affect their learning / Utilize those experiences whenever possible. Solicit input frequently.
Learn best in an informal environment / Foster a comfortable environment where the group is the key element -- not the instructor. Avoid making learning seem to be a punishment.
Need to know how they are doing / “Chunk” the material into pieces, check for understanding and provide feedback often.
Learn at different rates / Assess participants and provide opportunities for group work to pair slow with fast learners.
Need to know what is expected / Tell them what you expect (objectives), and evaluate them only on those criteria.

Additional ideas:

Facilitating Interactive Activities

1. Introduce the Activity

All learning activities must be introduced or “positioned” within the context of the session or topic.

Remember to:

  • Provide an overview of what is expected
  • Provide the reason for doing the activity
  • Allow time for the learners to form groups before giving instructions
  • Provide clear instructions

oPlan your instructions ahead of time.

oState them one step at a time either in writing, verbally, or both.

oEnsure that each participant understands the instructions fully before allowing the activity to begin.

2. Monitor the Activity

Even though the learners are the active participants in the activity, you play an important role during the activity itself:

Remember to:

  • Stay in the room for the whole activity
  • Visit each group to ensure progress and see if they are stuck.
  • Answer all questions
  • Keep the participants informed of time remaining.
  • Stay flexible if it’s not going exactly as planned -- every experience is unique
  • Intervene only when absolutely necessary

3. Process or Debrief the Activity

The debrief is when the entire group, whether they participated in the activity or were observers, analyze the activity.

Remember to:

  • Bring the whole group together
  • Review the activity point by point with input from the group
  • Relate the activity directly to key learning points in the session
  • Summarize the activity and ask for comments
  • Ensure that these questions are addressed:

oWhat? (What happened? What did you observe? What was your reaction?)

oSo what? (What did you learn? How does this apply to you?)

oNow what? (How can you apply what you discussed? What might you do differently?)

Participant Behaviors Requiring Attention

The Late Arrival

Consistently tardy; comes late at the start, returns late after breaks and lunch.

The Silent

No participation; sits quietly while others in the group come up with answers, offering only head nods to show attention.

The Combative

Overtly hostile and resistant. He or she acts in an angry and confrontational way with the facilitator and other participants.

The Wanderer

Answers are often off track when responding to a question and frequently gets lost during discussions asking, “where are we” or “what was the question again?”

The Quick Responder

Does not allow others to answer before he or she comes up with the correct response. This person is not trying to annoy anyone; he or she is uncomfortable with any silence and is trying to help.

The Know-It-All

Persistent in making points to demonstrate his or her knowledge; manipulates by turning things around so that what he or she said seems correct.

The Trapper

Tries to trip the facilitator up or make him or her look unprepared.

The Inquisitor

Asks questions after every presentation, no matter how simple or clearly the message was. He or she appears to have an agenda to disrupt the learning process and not a need for a legitimate answer.

The Whiner

Complains instead of taking action to counter the condition or situation that raises the complaint. “This room is too cold”, but refuses to put on his or her sweater because then it might be too warm.

The Argumentative

Makes remarks that counter anything the facilitator says. “I would disagree” or “That is not my experience”, or “I find that hard to believe …”

Techniques to Address Participant Behaviors

The Late Arrival

Establish ground rules around arrival and departure and remind the participant of the rules; establish consequences with the group (a latecomer sits near the door or gets coffee last); pause when the participant arrives late; if the participant does not comply with the rules, have a personal conversation and reinforce the importance of the training and of his or her contributions to the group.

The Silent

Engage the participant through low risk involvement. Break small group work into a series of individual activities that must be shared with the group, provide positive reinforcement on any and all contributions, ask the person if he or she will record comments on a flip chart, then read them back, ask a direct question that requires only a personal opinion or feeling in the answer.

The Combative

Paraphrase and reflect each statement and redirect the participant with a leading question that will require agreement (“Would you agree that…?”; acknowledge the point of disagreement and ask the person to explain why others might disagree; remind the participant of ground rules regarding respect and refocus on the group.

The Wanderer

Refocus participant’s attention. Respond with asking how what he/she said might relate to the topic at hand. Paraphrase what he or she said, and ask them for clarification to help you understand. If they continue to ramble, summarize and shift to something else.

The Quick Responder

Acknowledge their hand as you call on someone else, avert eye contact and focus on the participants you have not heard from, when the person has given a response, thank him or her, and ask the question again of someone else, if nothing else works, talk with the individual during a break to explain that his or her participation is sincerely appreciated, but the others need to be allowed the opportunity to speak. If receptive, you may ask them to refrain from responding until two other responses are given.

The Know-It-All

Acknowledge his or her comments with a paraphrase; when he or she talks at length, wait for a pause, summarize what was heard and direct a question to someone else; provide individual attention during breaks and before and after class; emphasize the importance of an open mind and participant-to-participant learning opportunities throughout the workshop.

The Trapper

Acknowledge that you do not have the answer and throw the question out to the group, or, ask the person who tried to trap you for the answer, ask the individual to research the answer as homework and report back to the group, ignore negative behaviors and talk to the individual during a break about their negative impact.

The Inquisitor

Avoid embarrassing the participant; paraphrase the question and provide brief answer and move on; avoid eye contact when the person’s hand is raised; stand near the participant and focus the discussion to the rest of the group and, after achieving focus, acknowledge the question.

The Whiner

Validate his or her feelings and ask how he or she might personally impact the situation and make a difference; provide an opportunity to talk about the concern outside of the class and move on; acknowledge the legitimacy of the issue and the unfortunate lack of time in the class to discuss it; explain that the issue is beyond the scope of the class and refocus on the content.

The Argumentative

Reflect his or her feelings, “You are upset because …”, then redirect him or her to the topic at hand; agree to disagree then move on; remind the participant that learning goes two ways and that you are happy to learn from the participants and that he or she must be open to hearing what is being taught in order to be prepared for the role of a Centennial coordinator; ask the individual what he or she would like you to do differently and elicit feedback from others in the group.

DISTRICT CENTENNIAL COORDINATOR TRAINING WORKSHOP

Planning & Implementation Checklist

The following checklist is designed to assist you as you plan and implement the 2015-2016 District Centennial Coordinator Training Workshop:

Identify dates and central location

Review curriculum available on lions100.org (Toolbox) in January 2016

Identify logistical requirements and establish budget

Communicate details of this training workshop including dates, location, arrival and departure times, and overall training workshop expectations to District Centennial Coordinators in your multiple district. Share this information with your Council Chairperson and District GLT Coordinator. Enlist their assistance, as needed.

Submit a list of those District Centennial Coordinators who will participate and a list of those who have declined to LCI at

Re-review curriculum and produce necessary materials.

Confirm details with facility, including any menu selections, A/V requirements, etc.

Conduct training workshop

Follow up with those District Centennial Coordinators who did not attend the training workshop to ensure information is conveyed and they understand their role and responsibilities.

CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESSFUL DELIVERY OF THIS TRAINING and OUR CENTENNIAL!

Classroom Management: Start-Up Tips

Before you begin:
Be prompt / Shows you are interested in being there and in the learning session.
Greet participants prior to the session / Shows you care about them as participants.
Eases anxiety for some learners.
Start on time / Shows respect for participants and fellow instructors.
Establishes important precedent for future sessions.
As you begin:
Identify yourself and the course title. / Establishes credibility
Clarifies
State goals and objectives / Clarifies
Allows learners to establish own personal goals within framework
Overview the process / Allows participants to know how the class will be conducted and what they are expected to do
Eases anxiety
Set rules for the class / Establishes group-operating guidelines
Makes the class run smoother
Enables everyone know what is expected of them
(It is advisable to allow the group to provide some input when determining these rules.).

Notes:

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