24Aug 2021 by Katrina Kennedy No Comments
Five Things You Need To STOP Doing In Virtual Training

Five Things You Need To STOP Doing In Virtual Training

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You've probably facilitated more virtual classes in the last year than you can count. You've unmuted, muted, and shared your screen numerous times. And, like me, you've made some mistakes. Whatever your experience level there are five things you need to stop doing in virtual training. These five things distract learners from your content and make you look unprofessional. Stop leaving computer notification on. Stop saying this isn't like "real" classroom training. Stop using the wrong method to get learner responses. Stop using multiple bullet pointed lists. Stop missing opportunities for learners to do the work. Are you doing any of the five? Now's a great time to stop. Let me explain each. STOP Leaving Computer Notifications On I don't want to hear your computer ping with notifications. Hearing someone…
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30Sep 2019 by Katrina Kennedy No Comments
Stop Counting People To Form Groups

Stop Counting People To Form Groups

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Do you use groups while you train? Forming groups to conduct activities during training is essential for engagement and active learning. Sometimes groups are formed to break up undesirable behaviors and to help move through material more quickly. How do you create those groups? If you said you count them like you did for third grade kickball teams, I'm going to scream. Really. I'm going to scream. It's not pretty. Please stop. Everyone (including my third grade self) will appreciate it. But, what are you left with then? Okay, before we get there, let's address a little bit of why you need to stop counting people. Quite simply -- it doesn't work. People forget their numbers. People confuse their numbers with other peoples. People aren't paying attention when you say…
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30Sep 2019 by Katrina Kennedy No Comments
Stop Asking Learners To Read Out Loud

Stop Asking Learners To Read Out Loud

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He sat in the back of the room with his head down. I could see the tiny pieces of eraser he'd been nervously tearing apart as his turn to read approached. I knew he wasn't listening, you could see it in every part of his body language. He was calculating. Which paragraph would be his? He was pre-reading in hopes of making it easier. And then his turn arrived and all eyes were on him. If you guessed this was a story of my son in third grade, you are correct. He is dyslexic. No, he doesn't see numbers and letters backwards. It's more complex than that and current research is showing it is a brain wiring difference beyond just reading. Click here if you are curious about what he…
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27Sep 2019 by Katrina Kennedy 2 Comments

Stop Cramming So Much On A PowerPoint Slide

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"I know this is hard to see in the back." How many times have you heard those words as you watch a slideshow crammed with so many words, you could barely read them from the front of the room. Government codes, lengthy definitions, examples of forms and documents. You know the culprits. Funny thing is...if the learner can't see it, they aren't going to get much value from it. And if every slide is crammed with stuff they can't decipher, they are walking away with almost nothing. PowerPoint sides are cheap. Having "too many slides" isn't really a problem. What you do with those slides is the bigger issue. How Many Words Are Too Many? I've been around long enough to have lived through the Rule of 7x7 which morphed…
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