Workshop Presentations
Get a Life (Financial Literacy)
"Get a Life" is a reality based program designed to keep students engaged in learning. Students develop and employ “life skills” through a fully integrated, cross-curricular study based on the life of a young adult. Critical financial literacy skills are addressed and explored. Students work through the process of finding a career, creating job application packages, employment interviews, banking, saving, investing, renting apartments, budgeting, comparative shopping, getting a drivers licence, purchasing a vehicle, income tax and negotiating a salary increase. Cooperation and collaboration, as well as critical thinking and problem solving, are some of the many skills developed throughout this program. The students find themselves in many situations where responsible decisions must be made.
The curriculum is integrated and woven seamlessly throughout the program. Differentiation of instruction and assessment is easily applied and all students, regardless of their learning abilities, become fully engaged in the learning process. The excitement level heightens in the room as the students move further into the world of the young adult. Role playing activities give the students the opportunity to “practice” real life experiences, many of which they will use in the world beyond school.
Get Diversified Summary
"Get Diversified" is a program designed to create a real world experience where each student works as an active member of the company, making critical decisions as a member of the planning team. The first part of the program is designed to give the students the opportunity to explore and develop the skills needed to be successful in the Get Diversified business community. Links are made to the strategies used by successful companies such as IDEO, Walmart, UPS, Toyota and so on. Through these examples come crucial conversations on topics of global concerns. By creating company related "situations" the students are challenged to use their skills to effectively solve problems by using critical thinking, team work, collaboration and creativity.
Both oral and written communication skills play a critical part in the problem solving process. Students engage in many levels of exchanging ideas and information and must apply effective communication skills through a variety of mediums. The introduction and reinforcement of these skills are critical to the success of the program. The application of these skills are used as the students explore the world of product design, marketing, consumerism and the global economy. As a team member, they will be asked to create a new product for our company and to sell it in the world market. The demand for quality is imperative and each team must strive to develop a plan that is rigorous, creative and thorough.
The Power of the Team
A high performing team is so much more than a group that works together. They work hard and have fun doing it. A focus on good process skills, and attention to people instead of just on the task, can help develop a strong team. This two day workshop is designed to create a powerful, high performance functioning team. The team life cycle will be explored as we move through the stages of Forming, Norming, Storming, Performing and Transforming. Team skills will be integrated into the learning experience. The workshop is relevant, engaging and the learning is lasting and enduring.
• Cohesion. Teams have a sense of oneness that shows a sense of bonding and camaraderie.
They share the same vision and goals. Individuals begin using ‘we’ more than ‘me.’ There is an
atmosphere of trust and acceptance, and a sense of community.
• Communication. Teams are committed to open communication. They are honest and
constructive in their conflicts with each other. Teams create a safe space where they can honestly
state their opinions, thoughts and feelings. Listening is as important as speaking. Differences of
opinion are valued. Conflict is acknowledged and dealt with constructively.
• Self-Awareness. They respect each other and learn to maximize each person’s strengths.
Through honest and caring feedback, members are aware of their strengths and weaknesses as
team members. The strengths of each member are identified and used to the team’s advantage.
• Flexibility. They work inter-dependently and trust each other. Teams are flexible enough
to perform task and process functions as needed. The responsibility for team development and
leadership are shared. They are democratic and non-hierarchical, ignoring rank over skill.
• Morale. Team members are enthusiastic about their work. Each person feels pride in
being on the team. Team spirit is high. They laugh and have a sense of humour and perspective.
• Results. Teams produce results with a high degree of satisfaction in working with one
another. They have fun working together and take pride in their accomplishments.
Management for the 21st Century
Management for the 21st Century is a two-day workshop designed to provide managers, teachers and administrators with research-based strategies that will enhance self-confidence, foster self-direction and improve engagement in students and employees. Theory and hands on experiences will help develop the “managers” role as leaders and coaches.
As we move forward in the 21st century, there is a need to be prepared to meet the challenges of the new global community. We must give opportunities to our employees and learners to develop an abiding respect for themselves and others, to make decisions based on values rather than immediate feelings, to have a clear sense of capacity for influence and responsible behaviour and to initiate appropriate action and follow through. Whether we are teaching students in a classroom or training our employees, the development of 21st century skills is critical for the success of our learners and employees.
Get REEL: 21st Century Learning
Get REEL is a teaching method that enables students to develop the skills to become life-long learners. It is learning with relevance, allowing the student to see the reason behind the concepts, to make connections to their world and their learning styles. It gives their learning meaning a sense of making a difference. It is learning that is engaging and personal, with many opportunities for the student to become actively involved in the learning process. It is enduring and lasting. Student involvement, engagement and personal connections leads to a deep level of understanding and retention. It is learning, learning in a way that is truly meaningful and powerful. There is nothing more rewarding as a teacher then that moment when we see the sparkle and shine in a student’s eyes because they understand and have internalized the learning.
This three day workshop will take you through the steps involved in Get REEL teaching.
Active Listening Workshop
Of all the communications skills, listening is arguably the one which makes the biggest difference. The most brilliant and effective speaker ultimately comes undone if people fail to listen properly. Listening does not come naturally to most people, so we need to work hard at it; to stop ourselves 'jumping in' and giving our opinions. Poor listening skills prevents us from fully understanding what is being said which often leads to miscommunication. The effectiveness of a team is based largely on the skills of each individual team member. Active listening is a critical skill. This one day workshop is designed to develop strong active listening habits.