Friday, March 26, 2010

Blended Learning article

An article by Beverley Walters (Blended Learning - Classroom with On-line), posits that combining delivery modalities provides an efficient and effective educational experience for learners, with the added value of increased learner accessibility to programs.

Is there a place for this approach in trainer training?

Monday, March 22, 2010

essay "The Trainer" by Brian Chudy

The CALSCA website has an essay by Brain Chudy called "The Trainer" that informs this discussion.

http://calsca.com/Writings/the_trainer.htm

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Spirituality in Life Skills

Spirituality is a topic that I'd like to see approached in trainer training. Here are some recommendations that I made in my Masters thesis (http://calsca.com/thesis/cover.htm) about integrating spirituality into NewStart Life Skills, and I offer them as a beginning to the larger discussion of trainer training criteria.

1. that coaches / coach trainers use a process of discussion and consultation within the group to find either a consensual definition of spirituality, or points on which to agree to disagree;

2. that coaches / coach trainers accept self-evaluation as sufficient for assessing competency with inner skills like mindfulness and meditation;

3. that criteria for inclusion of lesson material and resources rest with applicability in the context of Life Skills groups, group members, group situations, and coach / coach trainer competence;

4. that coaches / coach trainers who wish to (or are willing to) address spirituality with their group members take steps to explore their own spirituality, and, that at a minimum, the skill of mindfulness, which is basic to many other practices, be explored;

5. that coaches willing to approach spirituality in their groups use the emergent approach;

6. that coach trainers who wish their graduates to be ready for at least a discussion of spirituality be direct in their approach to spirituality with their training groups; and

7. that coach trainers who are direct in their approach to spirituality with their training groups have some understanding of the theoretical constructs that underlie spirituality and NewStart Life Skills, and be able to demonstrate, and/or refer their training groups to, appropriate spiritual awareness and growth techniques and resources.