Facilitator Handbook

1
Facilitator Handbook

• Florida PLT, Wet and WILD Facilitator Handbook
  Highlights

2
Handbook Cooperators

• PLT Jenny Seitz Cohen
• Project Water Education for Teachers (WET)
• Deirdre Irwin
• Mary Alice Wagner
• Project WILD Lori Haynes

3
Table of Contents

• Helps you find the information you seek
• Workshop information Part II Before, part III
  During, and part IV After the workshop
• Appendices list additional workshop tools

4
Introduction

• The main tasks for effective facilitator
  development include
• Becoming familiar with Project WILDs mission and
  goals
• Becoming familiar with the materials
• Understanding the role of the facilitator in
  administering the program

5
Educator Workshop

• Remember The only way to receive the core
  activity guides is through an educator workshop
• A good workshop provides participants with the
  confidence, experience, and inspiration to use
  the materials they receive

6
Workshop Goals

• To learn how to use the activity guide
• To encourage educators to approach learning and
  teaching from an environmental and
  multidisciplinary perspective
• To prepare educators to use project materials by
  providing sample teaching strategies
• To create a setting in which all can share
  information
• To prepare educators and students to make
  informed and educated decisions
• To provide a fun and motivating forum
• To demonstrate how to address the Florida
  Sunshine State Standards (SSS) using activities
  from the guides

7
Workshop Design

• The workshop format should teach how to use
  Project WILD to teach all subject areas
• Workshops should follow the a Learning Cycle
  model such as
• Experiencing Usually starts with an experience
• Processing Involves learners in thinking and
  sharing
• Generalizing Learners explore what they learned
• Applying Learners build on the knowledge they
  have gained

An additional model, The Five Es Learning Cycle,
can be found on pp. 57 of your handbook
8
Registration Fees

• Project WILD discourages a registration fee
• If charging a fee, it must be reported on
  Facilitator Reporting Form
• May charge a fee for snacks and drinks, cost of
  meeting room, and other direct costs
• Additional fees may be required for college or
  university credit or for continuing education
  credit for teachers

9
Facilitator Responsibilities

• Facilitators are the life blood of Project WILD
• Responsibilities include Planning and conducting
  a minimum of one workshop per year
• Setting up a workshop, completing and returning
  forms, and preparing materials
• Structuring a positive hands-on experience that
  allows group members achieve their objective for
  attending a workshop
• Modeling the philospohy of awareness
• Motivating and assisting participants in
  developing applications of program for their own
  settings

10
Before the workshop -Planning

• Preliminary work
• Arranging an educator workshop
• Getting a co-facilitator if needed
• Arranging for in-service or college credit
• Deciding if it will be a combination workshop
• Selecting a workshop site
• Planning the timeline
• Publicizing your workshop
• Considering your audience
• Deciding on your educational techniques
• Motivating your audience

11
Adult Learners

• As learners, adults are different than children.
  Knowing the characteristics of adult learners may
  help you hold successful workshops
• Orientation to Learning
• Adults commit to learning when they consider the
  goals and objectives of the workshop to be
  important to them and immediately useful
• Adults want to initiate their own learning and be
  involved in selecting objectives, content and
  assessment
• Solution Clearly state goals early in the
  schedule
• Help people see the need to learn new information
• Most everyone wants to learn
• Ask participants what they want to gain

12
Self-Concept Experience

• The Learners Self-Concept and Experiences
• Adult learning is ego-involved
• Adults will reject prescriptive learning,
  especially if perceived as an
• Learners come with a wide range of experience and
  will resist learning if feel it is an attack on
  their competence
• Solution Provide a safe learning environment
• Give positive feedback and encouragement
• Accept and value adults learners as a rich
  resource of life experiences
• Encourage cooperative learning

13
Workshop Format

• Selecting the activities
• Using the Sunshine State Standards
• Making Table Posters (a sample is given on pp.
  48)
• Planning your agenda
• Arranging the agenda items
• Planning for food and beverages
• Gathering equipment and materials
• Materials from Project Coordinator
• Use of Project WILDs resources

14
Planning the Agenda

• After considering your audience, select your
  activities while planning agenda for more
  accurate timeline
• Five activities in a six-hour workshop
• Choose activities as it relates to the goals of
  your workshop, interest of the participants,
  time, space, site, and personal preference
• Select activities that involve a variety of
  learning strategies such as writing, drawing,
  games, investigation, and role play
• Select activities that fit a theme or focus on
  the ability to move students from awareness to
  action on environmental issues
• Choose activities that are diverse, demonstrate
  interdisciplinary nature of the materials, their
  usefulness in many subjects, and applicability to
  several grade levels
• In general, choose the activities that you find
  exciting your enthusiasm will rub off on your
  audience

15
Using the SSS

• Most useful to teachers and home-schoolers
• Emphasize that PW compliments their classroom
  goals
• SSS strong marketing tool for teachers and
  administrators
• Highlight at least one standard for every
  activity
• Highlight benchmarks on any marketing and
  advertisement

16
Table Posters

• Table posters showcase a particular activity and
  the benchmarks that apply
• Need file folder, old magazines, markers,
  crayons, glue, scissors, activity guide, and
  standards
• Pick an activity to display as table poster
• Write title, objective, and method of the chosen
  activity on folder
• Cut out pictures that represent activity and glue
  in collage, front and back
• Print standards that correlate to the activity
  and glue to back of folder
• Display folder on table

17
Welcome

• Plan how to welcome participants, introduce
  yourself and other presenters, and give a brief
  overview of agenda
• If offering in-service points allow 15-20 minutes
  to do this as they arrive
• Offer supplies, name tags, copies of the agenda,
  handouts, etc.
• Tell location of bathrooms, planned breaks,
  available refreshments, etc.

18
Icebreakers

• Plan participant introductions
• Icebreakers are fun ways to learn new things
  about each other
• Helps general learning begin
• May also be used as part of a theme or component
  of teaching
• May need to remember time constraints to keep
  workshop on time

19
Project Information/History

• Plan to present the following information allow
  five to 10 mins
• When, why and by whom was the idea for Project
  WILD initiated
• An explanation of Project WILDs national and
  state sponsor
• What materials are offered
• How Project WILD materials were developed, tested
  and evaluated

20
Activities experienced by participants

• Plan to present activities in a way that engages
  learners
• Use different group management strategies such as
  working in small or large groups, as individuals,
  utilize the excellent discussion questions that
  demonstrate higher order thinking skills
• Weather - Be prepared to do activities inside or
  have an alternate activity planned
• Plan an extra activity in case of extra time

21
WILD Walk, Swim, Kingdom, or Hike

• Plan how to help participants become familiar
  with contents of guide
• Conduct a walk-though, point out important
  elements, uses questions in a competition, or has
  participants thinking how to incorporate
  activities into their lesson plans
• Sample of a WWW (Wet, WILD Woodsy) Hike in
  Appendix A
• Samples of Project WILD Walks in the Project WILD
  Facilitator Handbook Supplement
• Decide when to hand out guide, recommended in the
  middle or at end of workshop

22
Individual Classroom Planning

• Most frequently asked question is How can I use
  Project WILD in my classroom?
• Once participants are familiar with activities,
  give time to directly connect new materials to
  the needs of their students
• Plan adequate time for this component even if you
  shorten something else
• Solution Lead a brainstorming session
• Have small groups devise implementation plans and
  present to whole group
• Cluster groups by grade or subject matter
• Have them select activities that are useful to
  what they are already doing in their classrooms
• For in-service credit, often must turn in
  assignments

23
Wrap-up, Evaluation, Certificates Feedback

• Ending as important as the beginning
• Allow 15 mintues for a good ending
• In-service credit requires a pre-post test
• Each participant must fill out an evaluation (in
  WILD Facilitator Handbook Supplement)
• Best to give certificate as the hand in
  evaluation form
• Print beforehand or on the day of
• May distribute in a ceremony where each person
  states something they learned

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The Agenda

• Plan workshop timeline (planning agenda in
  Appendix A, pp. 40-41)
• Helpful to create a visible and invisible agenda
• Always show start, break, lunch and end times for
  participants, post on chart to avoid making
  copies
• In-service teachers will need a copy
• Pace of workshop important, a variety of
  activities will help keep it interesting
• Certain modes work better at certain times of day
• Alternate between indoor and outdoor, active and
  passive
• Try to make accessible to all participants
• Allow for time to reflect

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Food Beverages, Equipment
Materials

• If all-day session will need time for a lunch
  break or plan a working lunch
• People may brown bag or pay a fee to order in
• Prepare a sandwich, fruit and cookie bar, collect
  a small fee
• Lunch on their own allow for at least one hour
• Pot luck ask participants to bring a dish to
  share ( must have refrigeration or coolers)
• Always provide plenty of cool water for hot
  weather activities fee may be collected for
  water and ice
• Materials Plan what you will need for
  activities, flip charts, markers, glue, paper,
  scissors, special items like hula hoops or
  microscopes
• Submit workshop checklist with your materials
  order, including books, certificates, paperwork,
  door prizes, brochures, etc. four weeks before
• Check with Bev and/or Lori about available
  resource materials you can check out for
  workshops
• If using AV, LCD, or computer, check in advance
  to make sure it is working correctly

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Day of the Workshop

• Workshop Tasks
• Setting up
• Consider location, travel time, co-facilitators
• Allow 60-90 minutes to set up space
• Find restrooms, emergency exits, telephone, etc.
• Check all equipment
• Arrange tables, usually round or U works well,
  decide based on space, activities, any special
  needs of participants
• Set up materials where you can easily access them
  for distribution
• May use a separate table for resources or clearly
  mark For Display Only and name
• Place sign up sheet, nametags, pens, pencils, and
  a box for evaluations near the door
• A sign with directions works well

27
Facilitator Resource Trunk

• You may want to make a supply/resource trunk to
  take to workshops with you
• Markers, crayons, pens, pencils, paper
• Tape, glue, scissors, post-its
• Name tags
• Paper clips, rubber bands, push pins
• Rulers
• Reusable bags
• Flip chart or dry board
• Handouts
• Supplies for activities
• Display books or items
• Extension cord and power strip

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Conducting the Workshop

• Welcome, Agenda Overview, and Goals
• Even if clearly stated in advertisement, restate
  workshop goals and objectives at beginning
• Ask them to write down why they are here and post
• If cant address an issue, let everyone know so
  that they expect it
• Check throughout workshop to make sure all needs
  are met if possible
• Make sure all sign in, get a nametag
• Post or handout agenda and discuss
• Take care of housekeeping items, such as restroom
  locations, snacks, breaks, lunch
• Give pre-tests to in-service candidates

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• Getting Acquainted
• Encourage all to join icebreaker
• Activities Experienced by Participants
• Give time to reflect after activity
• Have debriefing after each
• Invite to participants to share
• Process What they observed or realized
• Generalize What science, social studies, math
  concepts were stressed
• Apply What would they like their student to
  learn
• Apply How they might adapt the activity
• Apply Ways to enrich or extend activity
• Apply Classroom management ideas
• Apply How does it address the SSS

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• WILD Walk
• Allow participants to work individually or in
  groups to complete the Walk, Swim, etc.
• Walk around the room to see if there are any
  questions
• Hand out books and do hike after lunch to hold
  interest
• Other Resources
• Introduce resources after guest speaker or when
  applicable
• Individual Classroom Planning
• Planning time is valuable
• Teachers use more readily if allowed to plan

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• Wrap-up and Evaluation
• Collect post-tests from in-service teachers
• Focus on renewed commitment to teaching and the
  environment
• Use memory circle have participants share their
  experience
• Complete this sentence I plan to use this guide
  to
• Certificates and Feedback
• Give certificates in a ceremony or hand out when
  evaluations are turned in
• Mail with letter if necessary

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Workshop Tips

• Take time to greet individuals before
• Begin and end on time
• Keep an eye on the pacing of acitvities
• Follow the agenda, stay on task
• Provide contact info for all facilitators and
  guest presenters
• Review workshop checklist and facilitator
  checklist
• Have enough copies of all handouts

33
After the Workshop

• Participant Feedback
• Read the evaluations to find out what went well
  and what did not, strengths weaknesses
• Consider why and what could be done differently
• Evaluating the workshop
• Spend time evaluating for yourself
• Jot down thoughts on improvements for next
  workshop

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• Sending forms to Tallahassee office
• ASAP send completed Facilitator Reporting Form,
  participant evaluations, sign-in sheets,
  pre/posts if used, travel forms, final agenda,
  etc.
• Important for participants for official record of
  workshop
• Return extra materials and guides to Tallahassee
  office or keep until next workshop.
• Please do not hold books too long, they need to
  be used before next reprint
• Turn in requirements for in-service credits
• Additional follow-up (optional)
• A nice thank you email or note with summary of
  key concepts, list of participants, email list
  for future workshops, email list for forum
• Send certificates or other promised materials
• Follow-up with school district for in-service
  points

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Closing Thoughts

• You have just digested a lot of material, but
  dont be afraid
• The handbook is your resource and reference
  manual
• You cant interact with a book, mentors are
  available all over the state
• Project WILD organization are made up of many
  individuals who are here to help you answer
  questions, address concerns, offer support -
  from the national to the state level, and always,
  your fellow facilitators
• Conducting workshops take a lot of time and hard
  work, but you should get enjoyment from your
  association with Project WILD and know you are
  deeply appreciated!