"In a recent TAE class MCI experienced one of those moments of unsolicited pride in what we do. A moment when a participant demonstrates true immersion and application in what you pass on that you cannot help but feel grateful.
Mary, one of the Training and Assessment Certificate participants based her ‘program presentation’ around the importance of flexibility and the resulting engagement in participants in her classrooms. Working with her current student cohort Mary introduced a simple activity, picked up in her TAE class, that yielded a great results. The activity, the kind passed on from facilitator to facilitator, was picked up on a recent professional development trip to San Diego by Denise Meyerson.
The “onions” activity promotes questioning, discussion and ultimately the kind of creativity a presentation or lecture simply cannot prompt. Mary decided to use it in her design class to encourage students to express themselves in an atmosphere free from boundaries.
At first, she said, the students were bemused, this was all a bit daunting to them. Even design students presuppose there will be clear guidance and direction in what in the ‘results’ expected of them. After reinforcing and clarifying the activity was one of genuine self expression Mary showed the “find the right answer” philosophy a clean set of heels.
The students, with some coaxing, eventually lost the bemused looks on their faces, and started to truly create. She advised that this simple activity (which carried for almost an hour) and what it represented in her class, a break away from the rigid chalk and talk and instructional design classes, saw her participants transformed. Her account suggests they learnt more about each-other and themselves that day than they had in any session until that time.
Mary explained how the students opened up, started to discuss and collaborate, and I must say the results are very impressive.
Thanks for sharing our experiences with MCI Mary, well done."
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