UAA Department of Health, Physical Education & Recreation Wil Rickards
Session Planning Form:
Purpose:List up to 3 goals (participant experiences) & up to 3 Learning Outcomes (what do you want them to think about?) / Persona:
Who am I going to be today?
If you can, make this measureable. / People:
Who am I working with? What do they want? What do they need? What do they respond to? What do I need to avoid?
Model creating laughter & fun in the classroom
Model setting up for collaborative work
Model the experiential model / Fun – see smiles from all participants
Easy going – participants ask questions & offer input freely
Prepared & Informative – set up w/ handouts / Professors – small grp perhaps thinking about large classrooms
Probably looking for tools they will use immediately
Provide games which demonstrate the theory
Avoid over theorizing
Pieces:
What kind of games do I need to play to satisfy my purpose & persona & also my people? / Progressions:
Given the people & the pieces, how do I organize them to work with the most “ahaa”? / Processing:
Given my persona, the people& the purpose, what style of reflection will work?
Name games
Accelerating knowing each other
Fast paced fun – lots of short games
Reviewing games / Set tone
Names
Learn about each other
Reviewing games throughout / Non threatening quick
Learning may come later
The (Pieces) Activities:
Name
/How to Play
/Likely Learning Outcome
/Props
/Time
Yes Lets / When I say “Hey” you say “Hey What?”When I say “Lets” you say “Lets What?”
“Lets… “ “Yes Lets!” / Wake up, tone setter, time for fun / N/A / 5 mins
Points to cover:Source –
Lets stand in a circle
Post Session:
Gotchya / Stand in circle. Left palm up. Right finger above neighbors left palm. On the word “please” try and grab the finger of your neighbor while not allowing yours to be caught. / Non threatening wake up – establish the well formed circle / N/A / 5 minsPoints to cover: I found it on
Benefits of the circle and setting a light tone.Post Session:
Name
/How to Play
/Likely Learning Outcome
/Props
/Time
Consensus Thumbs / Thumbs up - I agreeThumbs horizontal – I am not sure but I am happy to take one for the team.
Thumbs down – I need to talk about this more as I do not currently agree. / Put people at ease – we all have an equal voice / N/A / 5mins
Points to cover: Source - Trad in A teachable Moment Cain, Cummings & Stanchfield
How allowing everyone a level of input raises buy in and therefore work.
Challenge by choice & comfort zones.
Post Session:
Simon Says Doh / Inclusive Simon Says – instead of being out have to say “Doh” and look at your mistake from across the circle, when you cross the circle everyone else claps. / It is ok to make mistakes / N/A / 10 mins
Points to cover: Source - I saw Faith Evans do it at a conference may be in 101 of the best corporate…
Tone setting
Post Session:
Changes / Pairs change places in as many different ways as possible in 1 minute. / Change can be fun / N/A / 5 mins
Points to cover: Source - I saw Faith Evans do it at a conference
A chance to describe changes that you would like to see in your students.
Post Session:
Making Connections / Say your name and give a piece of information about yourself that is not obvious and then put your hand on your hip. If someone else has that in common with you they place their arm in yours, say their name and something about themselves and repeat. The idea is to make a complete circle. / We all have something in common, if we focus on these we can make a cohesive group / Handout / 15 mins
Points to cover: Source – The Empty Bag, Cavert & Hammond (see handout)
What do we have in common?
Post Session:
Name
/How to Play
/Likely Learning Outcome
/Props
/Time
First Impressions / See handout / How others see you & the chance to meet 2 others & be stretched. / Raccoon CircleHandout / 10 mins
Points to cover: Source see handout
Now we have formulated ideas about people let’s try and find out the real them – let’s start with names.
Post Session:
Ball Toss / Say your name and throw the ball to someone else.
Variation 1 Say your name and then the person you are throwing it to.
Var 2 say the name of the person it came from and the person it is going to. / The names of others in the group / Ball / 15 mins
Points to cover:
There are a number of different name games – this is a classic for a reason – it is quick and efficient
Post Session: Source - traditional
Group Juggle / Same game-ish different agenda / Look at process, efficiency, refining strategy / Balls
Handout / 15mins
Points to cover:
Focus on how when a team works well, we each have a role and if we focus on perfecting our role everything else falls into place. Also focus on personal juggling in the written reflection and then why it is so important to separate students lives from the classroom. A 5 min game at the start of class could do that.
Post Session: Source - traditional
Toilet Roll Icebreaker / Find out! / Toilet roll / 10 mins
Points to cover: Source –
The power of enigma.
Post Session:
Name
/How to Play
/Likely Learning Outcome
/Props
/Time
Have you ever? / Leader stands in the middle and asks “Have you ever…?” (They must have done it themselves!) If the answer is yes participants leave their place high 5 in the middle and try and find a new place. If you are left without a place you are the next to ask “have you ever?” / A chance to disclose (or not) raises trust among the group allows participants to see what they have in common. / Places (disc or seat) / 15 minsPoints to cover: Source Karl Rohnke (I cannot remember which book)
Post Session:
Backwriting / Sit in a line. Person at the front of the line comes up to see a diagram. Without saying anything they draw the diagram on the back of the person at the back of the line. They then draw it on the person in front of them. The person at the front of the line draws it on a piece of paper. No talking, no redraws. Compare diagrams. / Review in small groups. What did you find out about communication with this game? / 5 mins
Points to cover: source
Post Session:
Story Telling in Rounds / Without any practice or planning and against the clock (say 2 minutes) the group is challenged to tell the story of the last activity in rounds. Each person may say only one word (or punctuation mark) when it is their turn. / This is a fun communication exercise requiring a lot of concentration. / 5 mins
Points to cover: Source –Roger Greenaway
Post Session:
Something I will take from this experience / Share one thing that you will take with you into your classes / labs / etc / 10 mins
Points to cover:
Closure is important – focus on the positive
Post Session:
CAFÉ Workshop – Experiential Tools for the Classroom Fall 2006