Learning By Dialogue Workshops

Dr. Norris is currently not conducting in-person workshops or seminars.

Learning By Dialogue workshops are offered at your site. Each session is tailored to suit your group's needs. Your participants can expect an interactive, hands-on experience that raises all voices and results in immediately useful teaching strategies. Time frames can be adjusted to fit your scheduling requirements. Call or e-mail for more information, availability, and cost.

From Telling To Teaching : A Dialogue Approach to Design. This two day workshop (12 hours) features key principles and practices that support a dialogue approach to adult learning. Content includes what it means to be learner centered and why it matters, especially now. The fundamental practices that result in dialogue, e.g., open questions and partnering, are offered and practiced. Also included are learning style considerations, graphic organizers and language reinforcers. After being introduced to a dialogue design format, participants will - in teams - create an actual lesson design using the Four A's (anchor, add, apply and away) and present it to colleagues for feedback. Minimum enrollment: 12. Maximum: 24. This workshop is most appropriate for educators who have lesson design responsibilities. Past participants include Food Bank nutritionists, allied health instructors, and employment training professionals. Books are available at a group discount.

Ya Gotta Have Heart... But Is It Enough? Well, no, it isn't - nor is just the presentation of content. When heart and content are combined with a dialogue approach to teaching, though, the results can be especially engaging and memorable for the learners. In this one-day workshop (5 - 6 hours), participants will check in with their teaching heart, and then move on to specific practices that increase learner engagement and raise all voices. These practices include honoring key adult learning principles, setting adult friendly learning environments, using open questions and partnering, designing anchoring warm-ups, implementing six key facilitation skills, and closing with power. This session can be offered to groups of any size. It is especially appropriate for educators who are working with limited resource families and must go "the extra mile" to connect with learners and gain their trust. Past participants include Cooperative Extension nutrition programs, WIC, veterans' weight loss initiatives, and new nurse educators. The time frame can be reduced to 3.5 - 4 hours. Books are available at a group discount.

"Do You Care For Me?" Your Participants Want to Know! According to John Maxwell, author of Everyone Communicates - Few Connect, participants in your sessions are asking not only "do you care for me?" , but also, "can I trust you?" and "can you help me?" This 90 minute session addresses the key communication skills your folks need to respond to these three questions in both verbal and nonverbal fashion. Workshop participants will witness and practice at least five key skills and decide how to apply them in their own work. This workshop can be expanded to 3 hours and include how to ensure that participants are understanding what you are communicating. This session is appropriate for all audiences, and especially so for educators working with limited resource families, parents, guardians, and other adults in challenging circumstances.