Transformed!

I had my Skills Practice 2 last night. To be honest, I stressed over it for a week because facilitation suddenly became very tedious and not-as-easy having to remember the things I should do less of (gathered from class's and Dr P's feedback to me)

• de-clutter the slides
• be more comfortable with flip charts
• remove the unnecessary WSQ 'stuff'
• have clear phrase or title to an activity
• give personal experiences
• 'Use it' and 'Lose it' slides
• enough to cover for 20mins

... and remembering the things we have also criticized about our class in SK1

• speak at a comfortable pace
• watch our body language
• too much text on slides
• must have activity
• activity to link with learning

I've also spent more time wondering and reflected on several important points that were constantly mentioned throughout the last few weeks... and I asked myself over and over again!

"Is the activity important to be included?""Are the activities worth having?"
"How does it link or help with the learning?""Did they learn?"
"Within this 20mins, did you meet the learning outcome?"
"Was there active learning?"
"Was it presentation or facilitation?"

These were ringing in my head constantly and the more I asked myself, the more mindful I've become. I'm very sure I'm conscious with them from now on.

* * * * * * * * * *

While I was preparing for SP2, I laid out lots of ideas, cracked my head figuring different approaches and ways to facilitate for this class. It wasn't easy trying to determine if the activities are suitable, or not. Eventually I gave up wondering and went ahead with the activity involving my favourite and old-school - Hula Hoops. I've made slight adjustments to the activity though.



The Magic Hula HoopsThis activity was originally designed in our customer service training to

• show that customer service must be smooth in a cycle with no breakage from greetings to goodbye
• establish the importance of teamwork and help them conceptualize that once the circle (team) is broken, tasks cannot flow smoothly
• emphasize the difficulty and importance of serving many customers at the same time(different hoops were inserted at different points) and not to compromise on our service.

When this is done back at workplace, I'd imposed a timer to see if there are improvements round after round. I'd also use more than 3 hoops or 4 at the same time mainly because I have more participants who are more energetic of a younger age group and 'fun and laughters' were the important consideration.

In class last night, I changed some of the rules. Since they were 'acting' as managers instead of a regular operations colleagues and also the age and professional background consideration,

the new rules and instructions were

• the movements of the body now represents a task or work flow in the store
• the hoops inserted represents the significance of how customer service loops through all other tasks and emerged as the most important focus in the store
• the manager role was created to give the team opportunities to strategize whereby they could improve the speed in passing the hoops and made the rounds smooth, therefore emphasizing the importance of a store leader's role
• no restrictions on time to let them feel and fiddle with the concept as they would likely want to process the outcome and link.

During planning, I realised that activities can be contextualised too, not just lesson plans. The goal is always to ensure there is active learning! When I evetually saw they enjoyed the activity too and could somehow relate it to the concept I was going to share next, that was a humongous bonus.






Then, there was this second activity that was to link to the concept I wanted to drive next. Here are the cards that they had to sort out.

I came up with this theory because I know they had to be given something catchy and easy to remember. The word 'shine' is rather relevant thus I've expanded it with meanings.




In this activity, I gave them the Header and the Descriptions and they were to match them and explain their choices afterwards to each other within the group. An intimate small-group sharing time!

I'll review and give examples for every step after the group sharing so there will be interactions between learners and facilitator about 'SHINE' .

My turn came and went and no one, except H, caught my nervousness. I must say they were extremely kind with their comments and feedback to me. I felt that, especially after I saw the timer flashing the amount of time I have left, I've kind of lost my thoughts and abruptly ended the session skipping the final explanation and debrief of the last 'SHINE' activity, just to meet the time-requirement. Shame. Though in real life this wouldn't happen but still, it came as a form of setback which I know I must work very hard on.

* * * * * * * * * *

I reviewed the video when I was home. Horrified.

I remembered hearing PS used the word 'actually' many times and K used plenty of 'ok'. I think I was worse. I caught it on the video and I've used a million 'k' (short for ok). How could I not know?

Thank goodness for such recording!
No matter what, I have to be even more mindful with what I say from now on.

* * * * * * * * * *

At the end of the evening when a few of us stayed behind to help, Dr P said we are going through Transformational Learning and elaborated how she saw the alienation in us during the first few sessions. How did she know???? But she is right, isn't she? It was an uncomfortable process only because we were so accustomed to handling things the way we've always done them, to train the way we've always been doing, to speak and present the way we're so comfortable with.

Through the process, we've reframed our mind to see the importance and outcome differently with totally new focus while planning the lesson plans, slides and activities. Most importantly, we've experienced these changes ourselves in motion, and in action, through both our SP, as well as the process of contextualising an existing lesson plan to fit in an Adult Learning Theory.






After that she encouraged us saying she could see that we are more conscious and mindful now and she looked so genuinely happy - A trainer's satisfaction comes from the learners' learning and the learners' genuine appreciation. That's what all of us strive to achieve at work everyday, isn't it? :)

Speaking for myself at least, that first few lessons I wasn't understanding the meaning and concept of it all and yes, it was a very uncomfortable process. Eventually and true enough, as she said so convincingly during our first evening, that we'd be transformed by the end of FAL - I assured her last night that we did! I felt her hard work paid off.

Thank you.

Thoughts...

Last Wednesday, the class mentioned a couple of things...

R said that she was nervous for Skills Practice being the only one who doesn't have experience in facilitation or training. She pointed out about educational background too. I felt rather sad. I feel her insecurities because I've been there too. I had wanted to soothe her by telling her I felt the same nervousness and butterflies during SP1 too regardless of how many years of training or facilitation experiences we have behind us - because it's only natural.

There is a vast difference in between conducting our usual training or facilitation at work vs. conducting in front of a 'panel' of 'judges' and what's more, in front of a rolling video-camera. Without a doubt.

Yet I struggled and thought - if I had told her how I felt, she may feel less confident and accepting her worries as relevant. If I choose not to share my feelings with her personally and, like the rest of the class, assure her that she's probably been worrying too much, that may lead her to accept this is something we have to go through and perhaps she could 'rough it out' and find her own comfort in facilitation soon?

This honestly sets me thinking, many of our trainees or learners at work felt the same way too especially those with language, education and age. Accordingly to situations and profiles, some we'll acknowledge their worries and play a listening ear or counselling role and for the rest, we'd use other tactics like convincing them they worried too much hoping that will give them that boost of confidence we feel they need.

Something to think about... could there be any other way to deal with this?

* * * * * * * * * *

While in discussion with P about challenges facing Contents. We came up with a few,

• There are many topics or performance criteria, how would we know which to focus more on so that we'll not be trapped as trainers with beautiful slides but not enough time to finish presenting them.
• For activities, how would we know if an activity is too easy or too difficult for the learners to carry out?

While discussing these challenges, I could quickly think of solutions, almost on-the-spot, and saw why the challenges were relevant for discussions.

I found the discussion important in the end! It made me think... and thus there is solution. This further confirms that having group discussions and sharing are important because they do, whether you believe or not, triggers memory retention and triggers ideas that may lead to a fruitful solution at the end of it all.

Looking back, I've always included activities and most of which are there to just keep learners active with some or sometimes, no connection to the learnings. Also, many times, unfortunately, I'd explain complex theory just to achieve our objectives and obligations of delivering them. No matter how casual or interactive I could be, the memory retention probably didn't last as long as we'd hope it would.

In future when I plan a lesson, I must be mindful

1. to include suitable activities that could lead learners to link them to more complex theory and better still, elicit them to come up with the link
2. to have less presentation just to fulfill requirements by the company or WSQ, and this could be done by doing point 1 + by simple hands-on activities
3. to check learners' progress by imposing active experiementation rather than a written assignment
   
4. to design or contextualize activities too, not just contents, to suit the profiles of the learners and retain their memory to achieve effective learning outcome
   

I'm beginning to see what Dr P said... we would be transformed!
Happy.

To Be A Better Facilitator...

We had our Skills Practice 1 last week. Honestly, it was nerve-wrecking. Not that we were not prepared but having to conduct a session with a row of 'assessors' sitting at the back obviously observing you was indeed stressful. Or was I the only one stressed out?

I enjoyed being the 'learner' though. There were so many good practices shared and they were precious. I picked up on some of their paces, eye-contact and tone of voices. Being in the learner's shoes let me experience what or how we, the facilitators, made the learners feel and first hand.

On the other hand, I've also managed to learn what I should look out for that wasn't comfortable to the learners - the speed of our speech, the awkward usage of certains words like 'ok', 'alright', 'actually' to switch from sentences to sentences, the so-called 'phillers'... I understand now why being a 'Critical Friend' is so important. Who else is there to criticised our training or facilitation if we hadn't gone through Skills Practice?

After our first session, everyone received valuable feedbacks and comments and came up with a list of what we would do more of, and what we should not do or do less of...

These lists are priceless and should be our reminders ~ reminding us to be better facilitators! :)

And a final note to end this entry, Dr P didn't give us or tell us what we should do more of or do less of for SP2, she made us think and reflect on our SP1 in order to set the goals ourselves to write on the flip charts! She elicit the concept from us and with our own goals written and set, we'll set out to accomplish them, isn't it?

* * * * * * * * * * *

For me... don't make this mistake again... squeezing all words onto one flipchart when there was another clean and clear chart right next to me.

I look forward to Practice 2, a mix of anxiety and excitement to see how I've transformed too.
I'm sure all of us would be more concious and mindful for Practice 2. :)

Amazing.

Yesterday I had to conduct a training at work and realized I've ran completely off the lesson plan that I've been using over 2 years yet I wasn't worried.

Instead of 'presenting' the theories of the KPIs to them all at once, though I still used lots of interactive questionings and probing, I've threw in more questions for them discuss just to elicit concepts and meanings rather than letting them all come out from me.

In the past, I would ask them, "What is IPT (items per transaction)?"

Their usual response would be, "Items Per Transaction."

I would then ask, "What does IPT measure?"

They would go, "Average number of items each customer purchase in one transaction."
I would be satisfied with them because they were correct.


Yesterday, I found myself changing my approach. I asked, "What is IPT (items per transaction)?"

They responded expectantly, "Items Per Transaction."

I asked, "What does IPT measure about you?"

They went, "Average number of items each customer purchase in one transaction."

I added, "Think again. IPT is one of your KPI. Why would we want to measure the quantities that customers buy, which we cannot control?"

They paused for a while and went quiet. I repeated the questions slowly again but emphasized on the last 2 words, "What does IPT measure about you?"

Suddenly, one of them started to mumble, "Average number of items each customer purchase in one transaction... customer buy... we sell, they buy... OH! Average number of items we sell to each customer?"

That moment I wanted to scream with excitement and gladness inside me! I kept my cool and repeated slowly after him, "Average number of items we are able to sell to each customer! Very good!"

* * * * * * * * * *

This type of exchange went on the whole day and I felt that they were able to establish the reasons the set of KPIs were given to them by the company more than before. I had actually practised what I had learned and turned to focus on their learning outcome and their understanding rather than the objectives of getting these information to them via pure-training.

Words could not describe my feelings. It just made me feel so ... 'good' and I'm going to continue to practise the skills and theories picked up.
I've learnt, I truly did.

What.How.Why.Who

Last night was our first session in FAL. I found meeting the facilitator rather intimidating, well, at least for a start. My first thought was she made me feel like I'm back in the school days.

However, there's an extreme assertive air about her that I think many trainers don't yet possessed. She clearly and firmly states her expectations and I found that very impressive. She knows exactly how she wants to run things and because she is so firm about it, things go successfully the way she'd planned. This is absolutely new to me, as a learner or a trainer.

I've never sat through a training feeling this weird of stress-mixed-with-anticipation sensation! And I'm, in a way, intrigued, fascinated and enjoying it.

I'm wondering and definitely hoping, like she said, that we'd all be transformed at the end of the sessions! I'm excited to see what else I could observe and learn from her and about her too.

* * * * * * * * * *

We were asked to think, with our own experiences, the best and the worst facilitators we've ever came across and inserted herewith, were our thoughts...

I couldn't help but wonder - Oh my god! Have I ever been in someone else's worst list? Maybe my experience in training has always been centred in the same industry, with learners with the similar profiles year in and out and they are all in-house programs, I'm losing out at the experiences of networking with other adult learners with other profiles.

In our 'worst' list... the point I could have easily fallen into would be the last point - Giving Unclear Instructions. It is especially so if I have to conduct a program or coaching designed by someone else. There would then be a need to refer to the FG once in a while yet I know by referring, to many learners who just aren't so forgiving, would deem you not-so-competent right on-the-spot. No excuses, I'd just have to put in more effort to prepare myself if I need to conduct training designed by someone else again.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Here's our 'best' list...

Looking at this list, it reminded me of how I dislike going to school before. I understand that there are differences between teaching children and training or facilitating adults but I feel certain things could be changed. No... they should should be changed, like cutting down on lectures and plain teaching or at least, train the teachers about the different learning styles!

The impact of these teacher's inability to engage or capture my attention + the fact that I'm not a auditory learner had probably shaped my life = I didn't do fantastically well or proud in my secondary school years! But I fell in love with attending courses after courses after I joined the workforce because I saw and felt how the adult educators engaged us, conducted good group discussions, gave good instructions and played relevant activities YET I managed to go home with better or new knowledge that kept me satisfied.

I've also grown to be critical (silently) about the Adult Educators who trained or facilitated me along the way... I would silently whine and complain to myself when I felt they didn't do certain things well and reminded myself constantly, not to do the things they didn't make me feel comfortable with. I'll also try using some powerful skills that they'd exhibited and had worked well.

In every training or workshops I'd attended, I've learnt not only the topics and contents covered, what's more precious to me was that I'm learning how these Adult Educators made us feel good about learning what he/she was sharing.

One day, I want to be able to, not only engage the learners, but inspire them so much that triggers them to enjoy learning tremendously that they'll want to learn even more!

* * * * * * * * * *

I just thought about this...

Would I be right to say that ACTA showed us the 'What' and the 'How'
and
DACE is enlightening us with the 'Why' and helped us focus more on the 'Who'?
so that we'd grasp the knowledge and do better in the 'What', 'How', 'Why' and 'Who'!


* * * * * * * * * * *

In Real Life...

... I'm in the midst of contextualising the lesson plan and I couldn't help to having the urge to pop in here to record this.

I find that it's so much easier and time-saving plus the lesson plan is looking so much more exciting and interactive compared to what it was previously. It's amazing how understanding of an Adult Learning Theory results this ease of flow now.

I'm have chosen to us Experiential Learning Theory in this contextualising and I'm glad I did because this helps me tremendously in understanding the theory and approach itself better. Experiential Learning fits almost perfectly in retail training in my company context and now, I'm finding it so useful.

Happy.

Adult Learning Theories

Last night was the last session of our Adult Learning Theories... I must say that I spent the first 3-4 sessions in quite a stressful daze but only, really, seriously enlightened during the last session and the one before the last.

As much amazement and respect I have for some of my course mates, for having such good memory on so many previous theories covered during our ACTA days, I've also found my own way to get my head around the new ones introduced to us in this module and that is, to put in a little more effort to read up on them during my own time after the classes.

Going through this module will definitely alter the way I plan training. Particularly, I found the exercise where we are to contextualise an existing lesson plan using any of the Adult Learning Theory very useful. It seems easier and also more effective as I could just conceptualise the activities and slides before I try to play around their sequence by applying the Adult Learning Theory.


My team mate H also made me realised that we have to (really, really have to) think out of the box! He initiated to make several changes to any given lesson plans and he does so with confidence and a clear objective that anything goes as long as the learners gain the required knowledge.

Like this activity that we've finally completed last night... he took the initiative to make amendments to the training methods, training duration when we, on the other hand, seemed pretty stuck on the idea that we were only rearranging the sequence!

Learners like him being so kinaesthetics will definitely make the facilitator mindful to include more hand-on activities. I must remember that. :)

* * * * * * * * * *

With these said, I'd enjoyed the module, though I may have to work harder on the memory retention part than the rest. :)

Learning Styles...

Just want to drop a quick note before I hit the bed.

In class just now, after a set of instructions and an envelop containing small the activity materials were given to us, very quickly H and me prepared ourselves to start the activity.

H being a super Kinaesthetic Learner naturally ignored the printed instructions and quickly dived into opening the envelop, eager to see and explore and figure out the 'what' and the 'how'. On the other hand, I was exhibiting my high Tactile characteristic and jumped into reading the printed instructions. Funny both of us quickly realised how we had reacted and found it amusing.

Looking back, if I were to reflect upon all my previous trainings conducted, I could more or less recall some learners who had exhibited clear and distinct learning styles too. Amazing that I'm paying more attention to these details now.

I will definitely use this Learning Styles knowledge to start observing and adjusting trainings, not just my trainees but my colleagues as well.

* * * * * * * * * *

Here are what's inside the envelop and I see the moral of the game now...

So, what was inside the envelop?
A sliced-up Lesson Plan! We were to rearrange them using the Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory toput them into better and suitable placement from the orginal version + a little backgruond on the trainees.
Interesting and very creative! I'm sure I will adopt this 'slicing' everytime I finish a training plan just to make sure I cater to learners with different needs and dimensions.

These Little Cards...

... we played.

In Monday evening's class... we were given plenty of small cards with words or phases to sort out and these phases and words are extracted from different Learning Theories.

Personally, I found games like these extremely helpful. Much more than sitting through a lecture. At least by sorting them where they belong, I could remember better. I hope I'm right to say, games like these satisfy the visually, kinaesthetically & tactilely-inclined learners. Definitely, ME! I'm sure the auditory learners could be satisfied too, if they were reading out or if they were listening to the theories being read out and checked later.

As we were given the cards earlier in the session and were asked to sort out, I was embarrassingly shocked that some of my team mates could remember where these phrases came from, or rather, they remembered bits and pieces of these theories. Strange I couldn't. I found myself having to rely heavily on the notes thereby spent some time flipping through the notes.

Time given was, I would say, sufficient for the sorting out. The outcome was effective because the impression and knowledge are still fresh in my mind - I could remember well because I'd seen the cards and words, I touched them and learned through group discussion and sharing.

Here's what our group did! Beautiful, aren't they? Kudos to my creative and responsible team mates.

We've sorted out and put together the few Learning Theories:

• Critical Thinking Theory
• Collaborative Learning
• Experiential Learning
• Mezirow's Transformative Learning
• Self-Directed Learning

After all the sorting out were done, we were told we'd just gone through Collaborative Learning - which is working with others to construct learning. We came together, supported each other with what we knew and and put together Theories in the correct manner. We've also shared with each other what and why the cards should be here or there thus resulting in an active and constructive process and we'd developed these learning together.

* * * * * * * * * *

If there were 3 of us in our group and all 3 were like me, with half my mind blank the moment the game had started with the only verbal and quick instructions given as 'Sort The Cards', would it have ended with a different learning outcome? Having the right mix of learners in a Collaborative Learning environment is crucial, isn't it? Peer support was important to me during the game and I remembered feeling slightly out of place as I was disassociated. So I definitely think that social learning took place too!

NOW WHAT IF... just what if, again... the theories were briefed or revised with us before we started the game?
Would we have done even better?
Would we be sorting out within a shorter span of time?

Personally, I know that it would. Especially for me, that is. If the theories were briefed through and explained before we started the game, I'm thinking that Experiential Learning Cycle would have taken place too!

Wait a minute, can I say that we'd gone through Self-Directed Learning too?

We were given the cards and asked to sort out, those were the instructions.
As a group, we were all eager to and were definitely also motivated to complete them.
We looked for the information through the notes.
We split ourselves and took on different sets so that we could complete them and not forgetting to help each other when our own was completed.
We respected each other's thoughts on where or how the placements should be and worked together as a team.
... YES! Self-Directed Learning took place and had intertwined itself perfectly into our Collaborative Learning!

* * * * * * * * * * *

What've I learnt? I clearly understand now that to share or teach a knowledge, it isn't always necessary to go through by-the-book and give out the instructions or information first. I could give out related information in bits and pieces and allow the learners space and time to sort them out on their own before gathering them to pin point or reinforce the important notes too. I could also give out instructions for them to search and research more information before the session begins.

I'm sure this would change how I plot Lesson Plans in the near future. I am, for sure, eager to see how I'd churn out Lesson Plan with these new theories I have learnt.

* * * * * * * * * * *

It was a fruitful day. I didn't just refreshed my memories on the theories, I actually went through a couple of them through these games and examples too.

Now I get why they'd like us to keep a journal, if I hadn't try to pen these down, I wouldn't have sat here and reflect on the session and to be pleasantly surprised that so many theories happened during one activity, let alone, one session.

ACTA Then & Now...

When I first heard we're required to submit a journal as a part of the assessment criteria, I do not know whether I should laugh or cry. Though I love to pen my thoughts more than any of my friends, I've never thought that there's such a journal made for my line of work. However tedious, I'll have to start somewhere, somehow.

Since acquiring ACTA in 2009, I've been more than eager to apply what I've learnt to work. What I felt was most useful through ACTA was definitely getting to know

• adult learning theories that led to the understanding of different learning styles;
• factors that push or pull people in or from pursuing more learning;
• and different types of learning methods...

Not forgetting, of course, the documentation part of it all! I've learnt how coursewares and assessments should be designed and carried out, under strict WSQ guidelines and procedures. These, in turn, created a sense of organization and structure in my daily training work and the inevitable, and sometimes irritating filing system at my messy work cubicle

And.... I finally understood why I feel lost sometimes during lectures and meetings and would need to find time after to read up on notes and minutes. Also it used to puzzle me why my books and meeting materials would be scribbled full of pointers and notes to myself, more than anyone elses'! I'm a very bad auditory learner. I was glad to find out and accepted this and informed all the ACTA assessors, truthfully, on assessment day to allow me to repeat their oral questions to myself a few times before making my final answers. Thank goodness. I used to think there was, perhaps, something wrong with my 'processing unit'.

Personally and/or professionally, I feel that the achievements, or at least to me, before 2011 ends, was finally granted the opportunity in designing and getting my first WSQ Courseware accredited. (yahoo!) It was something I had wanted to do for so long but the previous management was just not up to it and instead paid someone external for them to be done. After months of polite recommending, assertive proposing and aggressive promising them to 'let me do it', it was finally agreed; completed and most importantly, accredited. I've also learnt to submit the courses and their documents for the actual accreditation via skillsconnect.

I'm happy.
My first accredited set of training and assessment materials.


This first course will be rolled out in another month's time and by the time its first run completes, I'd be able to reflect on the entire journey from the preparation, designing, the assessment + my new responsibility of submitting the relevant assessments and other claims through skillsconnect too. I'm looking forward anyhow.

Did the completion of ACTA changed me and how I conduct training?

I believe it did, and in many ways.
I'm paying attention to the learner's background and profiles more than before and I'd create more classes for each 'subject' so that the learners are more comfortable to mingle within peers of similar capacity in terms of language, educational and competency standards.
I'm incorporating more learning methods rather than pure lectures to cater to learners with different learning styles.
All these and more...
The trainings done here, where I work, caters very much to trainees and learners from different education and cultural background, they also came with different expectations and are motivated by different things in life and ACTA helped clarify some of the common issues faced before and has helped smoothen out these since.

* * * * * * * * * *

With ACTA, I believe if I were to apply the 6 core values on how it has changed me or is going to change more of my future learning or development ways, the following have definitely taken place

• Without my Passion for Lifelong Learning, I would never have embarked on the journey to learn and understanding training and educating adult on a deeper level. Without passion, there are many things impossible.
• I've definitely grasped the The Uniqueness of Every Adult Learner, understanding that they have different stregnth and weaknesses as well as learning styles and these knowledge would help in future curriculum development to cater to suit the learners much better.
• A deeper understanding in the learners, in how to plan, design and facilitate trainings and finally conducting proper assessments, these are definitely helping in the Improvement of my Professional Practice.
• I've also seen some changes in how I'm planning trainings now and am no longer carrying the only goal to transfer learning only. I do pay attention to ensure different methods are being used and tried so to ensure the most appropriate ways are used. It is no longer I-train-You-Listen but I am showing more interest and respect to their prior experiences as well. These fall under Spirit Of Inquiry And Innovation.
• I always ensure trainings done are meaningful and purposeful. In their case, role-plays are very popular, as well as OJT because they make them feel comfortable and relevant to be put into practice almost immediately = Authentic Learning.

* * * * * * * * * *

Right now, I'm excited to see where DACE takes me and how I could evolve further. :)