Loading ...Corporate trainers should take a lesson from teachers (and perhaps little ol’ me) on how to inspire the people they’re teaching. Today, the buzz word in corporate training is “interactive”, but few trainers truly understand the meaning. To many traininers, the concept of “interactive” learning means, “Break into groups of 5 or so and share your thoughts and dreams with regard to baked Ziti.” That’s not interactive… that’s an easy way to spot a trainer who doesn’t have enough content to fill the day! I might be completely dead in the water, but I don’t think that most workshop participants find value in “discussion groups.” Try doing this with a group of 8th graders and they’ll eat you alive.
I hear some fantastic stories from science teachers around the country who have captured the hearts and minds of their students, not by parlour tricks, but with some amazing methods that involve and engage them. Just imagine starting the day off by inviting the class to decide if the regulation bowling ball will float or sink when Maria drops it in the huge aquarium filled with water. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine that abowling ball is heavy and it’s sure to sink. Now imagine the looks on the students’ faces when Maria drops the bowling ball in the water and it floats! As they wipe the water from their faces (hey, it was a huge splash!), the questions start flying from all parts of the room. How can a bowling ball float? Is the ball real? Is this a trick? How does the floating bowling ball work? This simple but highly effective approach to learning not only grabs the learner’s attention, but stimulates the participants to want to learn more. Who would have thought that learning about the concept of DENSITY would be so much fun?
Now, when was the last time you heard of a corporate trainer who did that? “Lifelong learning” at the workplace would be a lot more popular if it were a lot more fun!
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August 30th, 2004 at 8:44 am
Hey Steve– I just discovered your blog! How fun to see your smiling face and hear your voice… Can’t wait to use these ideas in my library classes with kids!
p.s. I’ve had a blog for 3 years– welcome to cyber blogging!
January 7th, 2006 at 10:39 pm
Hiya Steve.. I am amazed…. I have been a CHildren’s CHurch director for about 13 yrs.. for many many of those years I have been incorporating science experiments just to make church learning mroe fun! I even started subbing in schools in Science to take some qick peeks at many of their science experiment books in the early years, and since 98 of being on line have been getting the experiements offline.. what a great site this is…
I now am looking for a job in an area where I can teach teachers and lay people to give seminars and to train interactively… I LOVE object lessons dealing with Science and many other areas of leaning. Have any suggestions for me> Places I should seek employment> I would much appreciate it.. My email is DK77072@yahoo.com thanks!
January 9th, 2006 at 4:46 pm
I think that I should put together a conference devoted to people (like you and me and a few hundred more) who use great science demos and experiments as object lessons. I can’t tell you how many youth pastors, youth leaders, student council advisors, leadership trainers and so on call to share their ideas. As for the employment part of your question, I wish I had an answer. You’re charting your own territory… which is both exciting and nerve-racking at the same time.
I’ll let you know if this conference idea turns into something bigger.
–Steve