Bag of Nouns Activity for Review, Reinforcement of Content, Formative Assessment, and Fun!
Many of the inspired educators that I work with have shared variations of this playful party game for active review and formative assessment in the classroom or training sessions.
Get Them Moving! Physical Activity Improves Learning.
There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating the positive impact of exercise on brain development and function – and therefore memory and learning throughout life. Exercise
Gallery Walk: Active Group Reflection and Information Gathering
This time of year I find myself facilitating vision and goal setting retreats, training programs and project oriented planning meetings with many schools and organizations. Time an
Using Metaphor to Build Community and Positive Climate – Postcard Strengths Activity
This post was originally published in March of 2013. As the school year comes to a close I have been using this technique quite a bit with great success. I am posting this article
A Tag Game That is So Much More: Practicing Collaboration, Consensus and Decision-Making Through Play
This time of year I find myself facilitating a number of student team-building programs, “step up” days where students visit their new school and new classmates for the
Choice, Control, and a Sense of Ownership
One of the tenets of experiential education is that people learn best when they perceive a sense of control, and have choice and ownership in their learning experiences. Think abou
Strong Beginnings: Find a Hook to Engage Your Groups!
This evening as I sit cutting out quotes with “new year” and “new beginnings” themes in preparation for some upcoming workshops, I have been reflecting on
The Brain, Learning, and Reflection
A century ago, John Dewey emphasized the importance of engaging learners in reflection. He believed that our experiences shape us, and when reflective practice is part of the learn
The Value of Reflection
Reflection brings learning to life. Reflective practice helps learners find relevancy and meaning in a lesson and make connections between educational experiences and real life sit
Allowing for Labor in Learning
The art of teaching and group facilitation requires a careful balance of challenge, observation, encouragement, guidance, and the ability to know when to step in to help learners,
Communication Focused Activities Part Three
In today's post, I offer another activity that is useful for exploring how complicated communication can be, and how miscommunication arises. This activity is sure to initiate mean
Communication Skills Building Activities Part Two
In yesterday's post I shared one of my favorite activities for jumpstarting reflection and conversation with groups about communication and the pitfalls of miscommunication called
Communication Skills Building Activities Part One
One of the most fundamental aspects of team-building and developing a positive learning and working environment is effective communication. Communication skills are an incredibly i
Re-Purposing “Ice-Breaker” Activities for Academic Review, Reflection, Context Setting, and Formative Assessment
The teachers, corporate trainers, high school advisors and other educators I work with are constantly trying to create a balance of learning in their classes and groups. These inte
The Importance of Names
During this “back to school” and fall program kick off time of year educators engage groups in introductory activities, ice-breakers and get to know you activities. Reg
Team Tally Part Two: Back to School Version
On Thursday I shared one of my favorite methods for sparking conversation and building rapport in groups that I call “Team Tally”. This group commonalities questionnair
Team Tally: A Simple Group Building and “Get to Know You” Activity
It’s time once again for back to school and fall program kick off. Here is an activity that is perfect for building rapport in new groups coming together for the first time,
The Power of Using Objects, Pictures, and Other Metaphoric Methods in Teaching and Group Facilitation
My summer travels forced me to take a break from the blog. Today I’m inspired to write again after reading Adam Clark’s comment on my June post about “Making the Most of Tran
