Training from the Back of the Room!

From Sharon L. Bowman, the author of the best-selling Ten-Minute Trainer , comes the dynamic new book, Training from the BACK of the Room! This innovative resource introduces 65 training strategies that are guaranteed to deliver outstanding training results no matter what the topic, group, or learning environment.

Training from the Back of the Room! From Sharon L. Bowman, the author of the best-selling The Ten-Minute Trainer, comes the dynamic new book, Training from the BACK of the Room! This innovative resource introduces 65 training strategies that are guaranteed to deliver outstanding training results no matter what the topic, group, or learning environment may be. Now, trainers can replace the traditional "Trainers talk; learners listen" paradigm with a radical new model for designing and delivering instruction: "When learners talk and teach, they learn."
The author's four-step instructional design and delivery process involves learners every step of the way. Designed to be user-friendly, Training from the BACK of the Room! is filled with definitions, descriptions, and practical training strategies for each of the 4 Cs:
Connections-Fifteen opening activities that connect learners to the topic, to each other, and to what they want and need to learn.
Concepts-Twenty strategies that engage and involve learners during the lecture or "direct instruction" training segment.
Concrete Practice-Fifteen strategies in which learners actively review content and practice skills.
Conclusions-Fifteen learner-led summaries, evaluations, and celebration activities.
In addition, the book offers "nice-to-know" information that will add to what you have learned: the secret about adult learning theory, a new way to write learning outcomes, The World Cafe, tips for interactive e-learning, and other useful resources to expand your learning adventure.
"This is a great book-one I will gladly own, share, and recommend to others. It should be required reading for all learning professionals. The writing style is light, breezy, peer-to-peer, informative, and enjoyable. It is a fabulous addition to the current literature on teaching and learning."
-Lenn Millbower, The Learnertainment Trainer and author, Training with a Beat

Foreword xvii
Need-to-know Information From the Front of the Book 1
Warm-Ups for Training from the BACK of the Room! 3
The 4 Cs Reference Guide 5
What's In It For You? An Introduction to Training from the BACK of the Room! 7
Imagine That 8
Do You Want Them to Hear It or Learn It? 9
Who's Doing the Talking? 10
The Power of the Paradigm 11
This Book Will Get You There 13
How This Book Is Organized 14
Using the Thing to Teach the Thing 16
Brain-Friendly Training: Learning About Learning 27
Imagine That 28
From Boring to Beneficial 30
Brain-Friendly Learning and Training 31
Positive Emotional Experiences: From Emotions to Attention to Learning 33
Multi-Sensory Stimulation and Novelty: Timing and Movement 35
Instructional Variety and Choices: Reaching Most of the Learners Most of the Time 37
Active Participation and Collaboration: Stepping Aside While Letting Them Learn 39
Informal Learning Environments: "Do Not Touch" Versus "Make Yourself at Home" 42
The 4 Cs: A Quick and Remarkably Effective Instructional Design Process 51
Imagine That 52
The 4 Cs and Accelerated Learning 55
Design and Delivery Reminders 57
Part One: Connections 71
What You Need to Know About Connections 73
Imagine That 74
Connecting Learners to Learners 76
Connecting Learners to Topic 77
Connecting Learners to Personal Goals 78
Connecting Learners to Outcomes 79
The Primacy-Recency Principle 80
Connections, Not Icebreakers 82
Connections: Warm-Up Activities 89
What Is a Warm-Up? 89
What Does a Warm-Up Do? 89
Getting Ready 90
Five Warm-Up Activities 90
Your Turn 94
Connections: Fast Pass Activities 97
What Is a Fast Pass? 97
What Does a Fast Pass Do? 97
Getting Ready 97
Five Fast Pass Activities 98
Your Turn 101
Connections: Start-Up Activities 103
What Is a Start-Up? 103
What Does a Start-Up Do? 103
Getting Ready 104
Five Start-Up Activities 104
Your Turn 108
Part Two: Concepts 109
What You Need to Know About Concepts 111
Imagine That 112
Teach Only the Need-to-Know Information 114
Provide Graphic Organizers 115
Apply the Ten-Minute Rule 117
Use Interactive Lecture Strategies 117
Include One-Minute Reviews 118
Concepts: Concept Maps 123
What Is a Concept Map? 123
What Does a Concept Map Do? 124
Getting Ready 125
Five Concept Maps 125
Your Turn 132
Concepts: Interactive Lecture Strategies 133
What Is an Interactive Lecture? 133
What Does an Interactive Lecture Do? 134
Getting Ready 134
Five Interactive Lecture Strategies 134
Your Turn 140
Concepts: Jigsaw Activities 141
What Is a Jigsaw? 141
What Does a Jigsaw Do? 142
Getting Ready 142
Five Jigsaw Activities 143
Your Turn 148
Concepts: Concept Centers 149
What Is a Concept Center? 149
What Does a Concept Center Do? 150
Getting Ready 150
Five Concept Center Activities 151
Your Turn 157
Table Center Examples 158

Part Three: Concrete Practice 161
What You Need to Know About Concrete Practice 163
Imagine That 165
What Concrete Practice Is Not 166
Mistakes Are Allowed 167
Elements of Effective Practice 168
Concrete Practice: Teach-Back Activities 177
What Is a Teach-Back? 177
What Does a Teach-Back Do? 177
Getting Ready 178
Five Teach-Back Activities 178
Your Turn 181
Concrete Practice: Skills-Based Activities 183
What Is a Skills-Based Activity? 183
What Does a Skills-Based Activity Do? 183
Getting Ready 184
Five Skills-Based Activities 184
Your Turn 187
Concrete Practice: Learner-Created Games 189
What Is a Learner-Created Game? 189
What Does a Learner-Created Game Do? 191
Getting Ready 191
Five Learner-Created Games 192
Your Turn 198
Part Four: Conclusions 199
What You Need to Know About Conclusions 201
Imagine That 202
Learner-Led Summaries 203
Learner-Focused Evaluations 204
Learner-Created Action Plans 205
Learner-Led Celebrations 206
Conclusions: Learner-Led Summaries 213
What Is a Learner-Led Summary 213
What Does a Learner-Led Summary Do? 213
Getting Ready 213
Five Learner-Led Summaries 214
Your Turn 218
Conclusions: Evaluation Strategies 219
What Is an Evaluation? 219
What Does an Evaluation Do? 220
Getting Ready 220
Five Evaluation Strategies 221
Your Turn 226
Conclusions: Celebrations 227
What Is a Celebration? 227
What Does a Celebration Do? 227
Getting Ready 228
Five Celebration Activities 228
Your Turn 235
Nice-to-know Information From the Back of the Book 237
The Secret of Adult Learning Theory: It's NOT About Age! 239
Once Upon a Time 240
Pedagogy Versus Andragogy 241
Adults Versus Children 241
From Adult Learning to Human Learning 242
Bringing It Home to What You Do 244
Begin with the End: A Fresh Approach to Learning Outcomes 247
What You See Is What They Learned 248
What They Need to Know 250
Use the Formula, Baby 252
Real Outcomes for Real Training 255
Back to the Beginning 256
The World Cafe: An Innovative Process with Conversations That Matter 259
Welcome to The World Cafe 259
What Is TWC? 261
Origins of TWC 262
Cafe Design Principles 263
Where to Begin 266
Final Reminders 268
Wake 'Em Up! Ten Tips for Interactive e-Learning 271
1. Send Out Warm-Ups with Built-In Accountability 272
2. Create an Interesting Graphic Organizer 273
3. Begin with a Fast Pass 274
4. Follow the Ten-Minute Rule 275
5. Build in Body Breaks 276
6. Become Familiar with Interactive Features-And Use Them 277
7. Lengthen the Learning with Follow-Up Action Plans 277
8. Follow Up with Blogs or Wikis 278
9. Give Them Changes and Choices 278
10. Go with the Flow 279
Putting the Tips to Work 279
The Author's Epilogue 281
The Orange Juice Cure 281
Be the Change You Seek 282
Teaching Is Learning, Learning Is Teaching 282
Great Resources 285
Author's Note 285
Need-to-Know Books: The Author's Top Five 286
Resources Cited in Training from the BACK of the Room! (Most from the 2000s) 287
Other Resources (from the 1990s-2000s) 290
Extra Resources 293
A Word of Thanks 297
About the Author 299