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Maybe participants have just eaten a meal, it’s early morning or evening, or you notice energy levels have dropped. If you notice that participants need a short break after a period of instruction, but you want to use your time efficiently, consider the following strategies.
Micro-Macro Stretches
- Explain to the group that micro stretches mean moving a small part of the body (e.g. a finger, toe, eye). Macro stretches mean moving a large part of the body (e.g. a leg, hand, arm).
- Direct the group to stand if they want to, or remain sitting if that is more comfortable. Tell them you will model a micro or macro stretch and they are to do it with you to the best of their ability. While everyone stretches, you verbally state one fact you covered that’s topic-related.
- Then, ask for another participant to model a micro or macro stretch. While the group repeats the stretch with that person, they state another fact learned about the topic.
- Continue to ask participants to model stretches. After three or four micro or macro stretches, participants sit and you continue with the instruction.
- Virtual adaptation: Ask participants to stretch from wherever they are joining the virtual workshop. Invite them to have their camera’s on if they feel comfortable.
Moving and Mirroring
- Participants stand and pair up (triads are okay too to ensure no one is left out).
- One person is the “mover” and one person is the “mirror.” The mover does a “slow-motion” move while the mirror follows the movement, doing it along with the mover. The mover states one fact or question pertaining to the topic. The mirror answers the question or states a fact relating to the first fact.
- Then the partners switch roles and do the moving/mirroring activity again.
- Virtual adaptation: All participants who wish to participate to turn on their camera and change their virtual display as “gallery view” such that they can see everyone in the workshop. The activity begins with the facilitator doing a simple movement and the others copy/mirror that movement. If wanted, the facilitator can call on participants one at a time to take on the leader role and the rest of the group must mirror their movements.ĚýĚý
Stand Up, Sit Down
- Direct participants to form standing cluster groups of 3-5 people. If some participants prefer to remain seated, you might ask all groups to remain seated in their groups and raise a hand.
- Each person in the groups tells the others one thing they remember or have just learned. That person then sits. If the participants are already sitting, you might ask them to lower their raised hand. The activity continues until everyone in each group is seated. Call time after a few minutes, even if some groups haven’t finished.
- By incorporating movement, you are making sure that your learners stay physically awake and alert.
- Virtual adaptation: Direct participants into breakout rooms of 3-5 people, each is getting their turn to speak and tell the others one thing they have learned.
Questioning Bee
- Have the entire group stand in place or assume a position in which they feel comfortable.
- Ask them a question pertaining to the information you’ve just presented. Make the question difficult enough that many will not know the answer.
- Direct them to tell a neighbour what they think the answer is. Then tell them the right answer. All those who answered it correctly remain in the bee. Those who didn’t have the correct answer are no longer being asked questions.
- Repeat the procedure one or two more times until only a few people remain.
- Give the remaining participants a round of applause or hand out small prizes.
- Virtual adaptation: Use an online polling or quizzing software
You Bet On It
- Ask a question related to the information you just presented.
- If your question is moderately easy to answer, say: “please stand (or raise your hand) if you are absolutely sure you know the answer and you would bet on it.”
- If your question is a moderately difficult one, say, “please stand (or raise your hand) if you are pretty sure you know the answer, but you would not bet on it,” or “stand if you not only know the answer, but could come up here and teach it to the group.”
- Then, have the people who agree to each statement explain their answers to the people around them.
- After that, tell the whole group your answer.
- Virtual adaptation: Provide participants with the statements, give a few moments to ponder, and ask them to write their chosen statement in the chat or have a live poll that they can select their statement from.Ěý Assign participants at random to breakout rooms and ask each to explain their answer.ĚýĚý
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