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Roger Greenaway's Active Reviewing Tips ~ ISSN 1465-8046
is no longer published but you
can view more back
issues in the ARCHIVES For Roger's blog and other writings please see the Guide to Active Reviewing |
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Active Reviewing Tips
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A
C T I V E . R E V I E W I N G . T I P S Vol.
1.6 November 1998.
~~~~~~
A
C T I V E . R E V I E W I N G . T I P S
~~~~~~ the free monthly newsletter linked to the web-based ~~~~~~ 'GUIDE TO ACTIVE REVIEWING AND DEBRIEFING' ~~~~~~ Editor: Roger Greenaway roger@reviewing.co.uk ~~~~~~ Vol. 1.6 November 1998. ~~~~~~
From
the editor ~~~~~~
GETTING
'INVOLVED'
IN LEARNING
''You get out what you put in.'' (plus a bit more) The
core
idea in 'active reviewing' is that the more you get
INVOLVED in learning, the more you learn. That's not very profound, but it's surprising how often this principle is brushed aside or misunderstood. When
'left
and right brains' are both tuned in and when 'body,
mind and spirit' are fully engaged in the learning process, there are instantly more ways of learning open to us. More dimensions of learning become available. By
involving
more of our own personal resources we notice more,
take in more, process more, remember more and benefit more. The more of ourselves we invest in the learning process, the more we gain from it. Each
learner
should spend as much time as possible at the optimal
level of involvement. That matters more than anything else. If learners are not switched on, then any process you lead them through (or 'urge' them through or 'facilitate' them through) is just going through the motions. It hardly qualifies as 'experiential learning' if the experience is not engaging. For
the
most effective learning from experience, learners need to
be fully engaged in the reviewing process - as well as in the experience being reviewed. You
will
need to look wider than 'active reviewing' for ways of
getting learners involved, but 'active reviewing' certainly places a high value on involvement - before, during and (especially) after the learning 'activity'. ~~~~~ REVIEWING IN ACTION ~ PART 2: HOW? ~~~~~ Here
are
some 'hows' to go with the 'whys' (as promised in the
last issue). You will also find a few more 'whys'! HALF-TIME
BREAK
Bring out (and give) positive comments about group and individual performace during the 'first half'. Consider revising strategy, tactics, positions, roles (or even goals!) for the 'second half'. COMMENTARY
During an activity individuals make a running commentary - talking aloud about their experiences to a partner. PAIRS
(and
PREDICTIONS)
At a break in the activity, learners talk in pairs about the part they've played so far. They also look ahead and make predictions about what will happen. QUICK
QUESTIONNAIRES
Use quick mid-activity questionnaires to help focus attention on key issues for the second part of the activity. Refer back to these during the end-of-activity review. OBSERVERS
In preparation for a later review, observers take it in turns to withdraw from the activity and make notes, or do tape-recording or video-recording.... JOGGER
CARDS
(since renamed 'Goal Keepers')
This is an unobtrusive way of reminding individuals of their goals or action points during an activity. Each individual chooses up to three personal goals (or action points) arising from a recent review e.g. 'I should speak up more', 'listen more', 'not give up easily'. Each person records each goal on a 'jogger' card (as in 'memory jogger'). The cards are given to a team of observers. Ideally half the group observe the other half in action. During the activity, observers look out for individuals who do not appear to be implementing their action points, and quietly show them the appropriate card. Any disputes about this feedback are postponed until the review. SOLO
REFLECTION
Create time out during an activity, especially if you are working outside in an inspirational setting. Give people space away from the group and time for private reflection - away from observers, questions and noise. A solo break for 5 - 10 minutes enjoying the view or looking up at the sky provides a pause for thought before resuming or restarting the activity. Such breaks often result in special insights that may not be 'available' in the normal setting for reviews. CATCHING
THE
MOMENT FOR REVIEWING
There are limitless ways in which reviewing can be introduced within the action, alongside the action or in 'mini-breaks' during the action. All of these help to bring the worlds of doing and reviewing closer together. They are also ways of 'catching the moment' and providing reviewing opportunities close to the action. 'Catching the moment' draws people's attention to things that they might not otherwise notice or remember. There
will
always be a place for reviews AWAY from the action and
AFTER the action. Such reviews can only benefit from the insights gained from 'reviewing IN action'. But
some
groups may learn more if you let them find their own
solutions rather than continually use reviewing to prompt corrective action. When helping people to learn from experience you have at least three opportunities - BEFORE, DURING and AFTER. You should now have a few more options about how to generate reviewing DURING the action. Since writing this article I have revisited this topic many times - each time from a different perspective. These articles are brought together in Active Reviewing Tips 12.2 ~~~~~~ Site News: New Pages ~~~~~~ •
'Solo Challenge' or 'Anyone Can Veto Anything'
<http://reviewing.co.uk/toolkit/solo.challenge.htm> •
1 0 0 . A C T I V E . R E V I E W I N G . M E T H O D S
This ideas list was available by autoresponder for a few days in October and will be available again once technical troubles are fixed. Meanwhile you can view a web page version at: <http://reviewing.co.uk/toolkit/methods.htm> or you can download it as a zipped (.txt) file at: <http://reviewing.co.uk/toolkit/methods.zip> (Paste the .txt version into your email programme if it supports active hyperlinks.) ~~~~~~ Other Websites with 'Toolkits' ~~~~~~ 4
of the best organised trainers' toolkits on the web:
<http://www.trainingzone.co.uk> <http://www.learnativity.com> [The other two toolkits have disappeared from the web since publiscation of this ezine] Do you have any favourites you would like to recommend? ~~~~~~ Other Ezines About Reviewing ~~~~~~ POWERQUOTES
In my search for other ezines about reviewing, the best I have yet found is PowerQuotes. This is a short free daily ezine from Kevin Eikenberry of the Discian Group. Every day you receive an inspirational quote PLUS some reviewing tasks or questions to help you make productive links between the quote and your own life/work. Seeing
an
inspirational quote and then hunting around for an
experience to fit may seem a little 'back to front' if you are used to starting with the experience and then hunting around for phrases, metaphors, images etc. to help 'bring out' the meaning. But
a
'Back to Front' approach to reviewing can make a refreshing
change. With PowerQuotes you also get ideas about how to use the quotes. The emphasis is self-development, but the ideas can be adapted for group settings. Quotes
can
be equally inspiring in a group setting. Just as with
picture postcards you can display or scatter a collection of quotes and ask people to choose quotes that are (for example): • closest to what happened • furthest away from what happened • closest to what you would like to have said yourself • closest to how you would like things to be next time Listen out for good quotes too and add some real quotes from learners to add to your collection. One
way
or another you will find 'PowerQuotes' a source of
inspiration! If
you
know of good ways to use 'quotes' in reviewing, share your
thoughts for publication in 'Active Reviewing Tips'. Write to: roger@reviewing.co.uk ~~~~~~ FUTURE ISSUES ~~~~~~
•
NEXT: Reviewing for Individuals, plus a chance to take part
in some real reviewing! • Shapes in Reviewing: Using Circles • Creating Fresh Perspectives: Why and How • Disability and Recognising Ability • Reviewing to Achieve Objectives Here's 5 opportunities to 'get involved' - if you would like to contribute or suggest links or references on any of the above topics. You can do this anonymously, but I would prefer to give you full credit for your ideas. It's your choice. |
Roger Greenaway's Active Reviewing Tips ~ ISSN 1465-8046
is no longer published but you
can view more back
issues in the ARCHIVES For Roger's blog and other writings please see the Guide to Active Reviewing |
|
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HELP |