Icebreakers and Active Learning Strategies

Originally published in the Learning and Teaching Newsletter (internal publication) at Saskatchewan Polytechnic

Winter semester seems far away, especially since we haven't seen much of winter weather yet. But perhaps you are starting to plan. And you are thinking about adopting some new techniques. Well, here is a list of icebreakers and active learning strategies that you may wish to add to your repertoire. I recently attended a workshop and I thought I would share some of the suggested activities that we learned about. Recommended reading: Nimble: A Coaching Guide for Responsive Facilitation by Rebecca Sutherns.

Idea #1: Icebreaker
Instructions: Ask a prompting questions, such as: what do you wish you could do more of? Everyone answers in the chat. Then you ask for one participant to ask a question (something that they are curious about) to another participant. 
Example: Reading. Participant #1 asks participant #2 “what is the best book that you read this year?”

Tip: For introductions ask yourself, how much do they need to know each other. If they already know each other, is there an opportunity to dig deeper. If they don’t but also don’t need to, a brief introduction will suffice.

Idea #2: Icebreaker or active learning strategy for Zoom
Instructions: Turn cameras on/off based on a response to a question.
Example: Everyone leave their cameras on if you have a dog.
Benefit: You may find that all participants leave their cameras on following the activity. Be sure to create a safe space online where kids, pets, and mess are all welcomed. 

Idea #3: Active learning strategy
Instructions: Go into the video settings in Zoom and have participants "hide non-video participants:. This is a great way to highlight specific speakers who have been assigned a task, such as a presentation, debate, or are representing their group in a debrief following a breakout room. 

Idea #4: Active learning strategy
Instructions: Go around the room creating a story or narrative. The catch - each participant contributes a sentence but the next participant must use the last word of the previous sentence or the last letter in their contribution. 
Example: Participant #1 states “Ask prompting questions”, and participant #2 follows up with “questions are a good way to brainstorm ideas”. Participant #3 starts off with “ideas….”.
Benefit: This is a great listening exercise. Also, an excellent way to break up content, review key concepts, or energize the group. 

Idea #5: Wellness
Instructions: Run a timer on the screen for breaks. Play music. Build in self care for breaks – make time for fresh air, snacks, and hydration. Encourage participants to not go straight from one device to another.

Idea #6: Icebreaker or active learning strategy
Instructions: Zoom, ask participants to find an item in their space. This activity could be used for a scavenger hunt, sharing circle, or to incorporate a sensory experience.

Idea #7: Incorporate UDL
Instructions: In Zoom – switch it up. Allow for times of audio only. Switch from content delivery to tasks (personal or group). Turn off self view if it is too distracting. Give options – you can work in a breakout room, or you can work alone. Label breakout rooms with topics, so that participants can choose what they are interested in. Create safe spaces by allowing for the cameras to be on/off.

Great Quote

One of the learners in my Writing for Engagement course shared this wonderful quote with our class. 

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone"

Neale Donald Walsch American author, speaker, screenwriter, and actor

It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me

Originally published in edublogs, Writing for Learner Engagement. Part of the Class Home Room Blog from a course at the U of T. Posted under Always Something More to Learn, URL 

Quoting the incomparable Taylor Swift, Antihero

Sometimes it seems like I am the only one who worries about things. I have been excused of being antiquated and out of touch with technology. Am I the problem? If we circle back to my earlier post about Writing Being Under Attack, I wonder if we all really want to sound the same? In my opinion, part of communication is about the unique uses of language. How I might phrase something is completely different from how someone else might do it. Some of the things that make my writing unique are my purposefully negation of contractions, use of Canadian spellings, and my conversational academic tone, which aims for professionalism, but is also friendly, approachable, and polite. I am a firm believer in reading things out loud and triple checking before submitting or hitting send.

There are many useful tools that help us write. I have come to rely on spell and grammar checkers that are built into Word, PPT, and Outlook. Predictive text on my iPhone helps me craft a text with one hand while I pet my dog with the other. Having struggled with language arts as a younger child, I often feel at a significant disadvantage in the grammar department. Another compelling reason to incorporate writing aids.

Yet what happens when we let artificial intelligence “correct” our work or even “write for us”. Think for us, do the work for us. Do we analyze the text, or trust the machine? As someone who has been in the work world for decades, I feel like I have a strong foundation of knowledge. I recognize potentially fraudulent information, incorrect use of terminology, information that does not make sense, or lacks evidence. What happens to those who are entering post-secondary education or the work world. Do they have this same discretion? Do they question what they find online, or are they easily swayed by a provocative headline? Is this true? Here is an article on the rampant spread of misinformation on social media.

Case in point, here is an example from an email that I sent out earlier today. I was wondering if the individual had a preference for date and time when we should meet.

The editor in Outlook wanted to change this to ‘Do you prefer date/time?’ Without a list of options, this does not make sense.

So, what is the solution? Be discerning. Verify information from multiple sources. Trust reliable sources. Trust your instincts, and find your own voice. Use evidence to back up your opinions. Not sure about a grammatical rule, double check on Google. Use the tools, but also learn from them.