Insights into being a facilitator from one of our stars!

Upon making my way  to teach my first-ever course with Hale and Fun in August this year, I was expecting to be talking to a group of people much like my ninety-one year-old nanna - very old, very sweet... and very conservative. Considering that I am a tattooed, pierced lesbian with bits of pink in my hair, and that I was scheduled to be teaching a course entitled 'Banned: A History of Controversial British Literature', I was more than a little apprehensive. Not only this, but for the second week's reading, due to be given out that afternoon in order to leave my students enough time to read it before the next week's class, I had set some poetry by the Earl of Rochester, an infamous Restoration poet whose decidedly, er, 'modern' take on how frequently the words 'c***' and 'f***' should be used in poetry had offended even my fellow uni students during the class I'd taken on him two years ago. I had, of course, tried to choose some of the less offensive works and run the selections by both Daniel and our contacts at the retirement village, but despite their approval I was convinced that I was going to be beaten with handbags and have bottles of blue rinse thrown at me by the next lesson at the very least.

This couldn't have been further from the truth. Over the course of the four weeks, I met some of the most delightful older ladies it has ever been my pleasure to meet. One attendee grew up in Darlinghurst, and claimed that meant that she could handle anything - and it seemed to, another had far more knowledge about my area of study than I'd expected (and, unsettlingly, even more knowledge than me at times!), while a third defended her unpopular opinions with calm logic, and, much to my surprise, by the middle of the first lesson, some of my attendees were even making sex jokes!

They mounted defenses of homosexuality before they even knew I was gay (with far more conviction than Nanna ever did), refused to justify censorship even in the face of 'A Clockwork Orange', and shared many wonderful anecdotes from their wealth of life experience with me. There were seven women at first (with our sole male attendee to appear in the third week), and most of them came every week - and when they couldn't, they'd send their apologies and explain their more pressing engagements. (I swear, some of these retirees seem to have more of a social life than I do...)

 I thoroughly enjoyed our time together and honestly looked forward to my classes every week, despite the almost hour-long drive out to the village. I am very sorry that the classes are over and really hope I get another chance to teach there - and for anyone else who's lucky enough to get a course scheduled there, these oldies will surprise you, challenge you, and really make you smile. I didn't expect them to be so cool, but I'm delighted that they were. Rock on, ladies!

A Guest Blog from an A grade Facilitator

Hello, my name is Andrew Kwon and I’m a recent Master graduate from the University of Sydney and course facilitator for Hale and Fun since July 2012. Despite the fact I haven’t been with Hale & Fun for very long, I ‘hit the ground running’ (so to speak) by overseeing the creation of 2 distinct courses and its facilitation to 3 separate cohorts over periods between 8 to 12 weeks (one course was extended by 4 weeks). Now at the end of all the courses and having learnt a great deal, I feel it’s only right to share some of the things I’ve learnt with anyone who decides that the opportunities at Hale and Fun are for them.

1.       Be prepared:

The most important lesson I learnt from my time as a facilitator is the value of preparation. The level of preparation for class will be definitely reflected on the quality of the class. As I found over-preparation is not a bad thing as esoteric questions on rather obscure sub-topics will not be unheard of throughout class. Another aspect of preparation should be towards class administration. Insuring that equipment and class notes are on hand as well as the stability of PowerPoint presentations can make or break your classes. Although teaching well is the definite priority, organisation should be a close second.

2.       Be flexible:

Be flexible and adaptable to changing conditions. Your coordinator is a safety net but he/she will not always be on hand to help you should you face unforeseen circumstances. A good example is the failure of equipment necessary to the presentation of a class. Often there will be no backup equipment and a coordinator may be unable to assist you. As the saying goes “keep calm and carry on”. These situations are often great opportunities for to develop improvisation, a extremely crucial professional skill.

3.       Be open-minded but firm:

As a facilitator for Hale and Fun you will encounter some of the most intriguing people imaginable, each with their own opinions and ideas. It will not be uncommon to encounter beliefs and even arguments that are not agreeable to your own. In cases like this keep an open-mind but have faith in the work you have prepared. If you feel ideas are being pressed on you that are contradictory to the research you have conducted, be prepared to state your case and stand firmly behind it. Providing intellectual discourse as a facilitator is as much a part of your job description as simply researching and presenting a course. Hale and fun Facilitators are there to stimulate the minds of their classes.

4.       Listen and learn:

Finally I come to my last point which segues well from the one before, to listen and learn. Always be ready to listen and learn from the experience. Hale & Fun provides a unique opportunity of practical experience for aspiring academics. This is not restricted to simply learning from your students but also listening to understand what is good, bad and wonderful about your classes are conducted. As such be prepared to use the opportunity to learn not only at an academic level but also a professional one.

Ultimately each individual facilitators will learn their own lessons, however I hope that my own will help prepare any aspirant towards a great experience with the company and their careers.

Andrew Kwon is a 2012 graduate with a Masters in International Security from the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney. He is currently an Intern at the Australian Institute for International Affairs (NSW Branch) and Course Facilitator at Hale & Fun, the views expressed are exclusively his. He may be contacted via Hale & Fun.

Guest Blog: Senior Learning: The Importance of Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks

Senior Learning: The Importance of Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks

 New research links later-life education to improved intelligence and mental health. Image via US Army Africa

In 1905, Sir William Osler, the most highly regarded physician of his time and the ‘father of modern medicine’, declared that all of the best work of the world is done between the ages of 25 and 40 and that over the age of 40, men are rendered ‘useless’, with no real further benefit to society.

And, well, if a leading doctor says it then it must be true, right?

At least, that was the general consensus and for the next century or so most people accepted his beliefs as fact. Leading neurologists were convinced that our brain cells gradually die off throughout our lifetimes, without being replaced, and psychologists proclaimed that the ability to learn new things decreased as we aged.

Then something strange started to happen. Medicines continued to improve, people began to live for longer and longer, and suddenly doctors started noticing a flood of people well past retirement age who were mentally just as capable as their twenty year old counterparts.

 If what Sir William Osler has said was true, then how was this possible?

Recently, researchers have discovered something amazing – that learning quite literally keeps the brain active, prolonging memory, health and, yes, even life. [1]

Think of your brain as a muscle that needs regular exercise. Don’t use it, and it will slowly waste away, but even if it has been neglected for some time once you start to use it again it will gradually recover and become strong.

Join a class or take up a new hobby to keep your brain active and to meet new friends too! Image via Blackpit Shooting

 So it’s no excuse to say it’s too late in life to go back to education, or to learn a new skill. Research has proven that taking a college degree after middle age slows the brain’s ageing process down by as much as a decade.

When I studied my degree in my early twenties, I was sitting alongside students in their fifties, and one woman on a different course was even into her seventies, so perhaps now that the children have flown the nest and you have more free time on your hands it’s time to do that Art History degree you always dreamed of in your teens!

It’s not just intelligence that education in later life can help with – dementia is a serious illness that affects many older people, but new research has shown that education has the amazing ability of delaying the onset of dementia, even if you have a genetic predisposition. [2] [3]

Learning also has other non-medical but equally-important benefits. Giving the older generation the chance to learn new skills and to develop new hobbies is giving them the chance to keep on enjoying life, reducing the risk of depression.

 Plus, by running classes or groups for senior citizens, retirement homes and town halls give them a chance to expand their social network – it’s never too late to make new friends, after all!

Perhaps if Sir William Osler was here now he’d be horrified to find that our retirement age is well past sixty – more likely however, he’d be enjoying a spot of painting with the other retirees at his local adult learning centre!

 Author Bio:
Estelle Page writes for Optegra, eyecare specialists who offer cataract surgery to help improve your vision, so you can enjoy those activities you used to love again such as reading and painting!

References:
[1] A Sharper Mind, Middle Age and Beyond (2012) Patricia Cohen
[2] Low education is a genuine risk factor for accelerated memory decline and dementia. (1997) Ben Schmand, Jan Smit, Jaap Lindeboom, Carolien Smits, Chris Hooijer, Cees Jonker and Betto Deelman.
[3] Frequent Cognitive Activity Compensates for Education Differences in Episodic Memory (2011) Margie E. Lachman, Ph.D, Stefan Agrigoroaei, Ph.D , Chandra Murphy, B.A. and Patricia A. Tun, Ph.D.

Content is king, but remember it is all in the delivery!

So today, I wanted to finally start cracking on my review of some of the research, hints and tips on teaching and in particular, teaching seniors. Why is this important?  They are our clients and the more we can adapt our teaching styles to suit them the better and lets face it, there is no point re-inventing the wheel after all, if someone else has already done the research lets see if we can build from there. Furthermore, we have to remember that while we are educators, we are providing education for people who are learning for the simple pleasure of learning. Thus, unlike students in high school who are forced there or University students in awe of all the degrees after your name, our clients are exceptionally discerning and rightly demand a very high quality of teaching from our facilitators.

So, I have spent the last couple of months compiling a lot of the research that has been done in this field and hopefully over the next couple of blog entries I will be able to dissimilate this into a working form that can assist myself and Hale & Fun’s growing community of facilitators in better providing educational opportunities for the seniors in our society.

To get the ball rolling the first aspect I would like to discuss is the presentation material, in particular the Presentation material. Power point (and similar programs) are amazing teaching tools and allow us to develop very visual orientated programs. However, their simplicity belies a number of potential pitfalls that a person can fall into, particularly when preparing presentations for the more mature audience. Make no mistake, badly designed slides can distract or worse, irritate the audience.

The first and foremost is content. As the saying goes, Content is king (or Queen or democratically elected leader), but what to include? This really comes to the crux of the matter. You could be forgiven to think, if content is the leader, then logically the more material the better. After all, the audience does want to get their money worth right?

Wrong- Dead Wrong.

The rule of thumb is be concise with your text. The important thing when putting together a presentation is to remember that the actual material up on the screen is meant to be an “aid”.  A very important aid that is true but still only an aid. Many people make the mistake of including pretty much every possible aspect of their class on each slide. Ask yourself this “Do you really want the audience to be sitting there reading what is up on the screen or listening to what you have to say?” and make no mistake, people will read it, it is an instinctive thing, no matter how loud, excited or creative you try to be- if there is a page of words on the screen behind you they will try to read it. I personally like to limit the material I put on the screen to the bare minimum. Use it like a scaffolding- 4 or 5 key points at the most, with maybe 6-7 words in each. Then build up from there using the handouts and your own wonderful personality and speech.  Content is the entire package, the presentation, the handouts, your knowledge and your presentation. The material you cover should be spread throughout all these aspects not just up on the screen.

This does bring another important point about presentations, waay back when I was but a young lad eager to learn the skills of teaching there was this great theory about the cognitive load limits that students are under when learning. Bare with me because I will in no way do justice in my description to this field of research, but fear not, I will be coming back to this topic in a later blog. The main aspect of it was that students have a cognitive limit to how much they can “absorb”. Fair enough, however, the trick for a teacher or facilitator is to maximise this. Now this is important when deciding what should be put on the screen behind you because the last thing you want to do is waste some of this cognitive skill on repeating what is being said in written form as well.  

Which brings us to the second point. The Font. Some important rules are: Use large font size – minimum of 18 or 24 points screen (Although I have been known to ignore this suggestion, however you should consider the size of the audience, the screen on which the presentation is going and how long you will be staying on each slide to decided on how big the font should be). But the important thing is Make it big. Cant fit it all on a single screen, then either cut down how much you have put on or use more than one slide.

In addition,  limit use of boldface, italics, and underlining; Don’t write in all upper case letters; Use common fonts (Times New Roman, Arial, etc,) and no more than two fonts on a screen. These may look  good to you but to the audience they can just be annoying and confusing. In the same way, limit your use of animation and special effects. Once again, it comes back to the idea of whether you want the audience to be looking at you or the screen. Having said that, my main reason for not getting too arty with all of the fonts, special effects etc is because they  just increase the likelihood of something going screwy..and spending the first five minutes of a presentation trying to figure out why the hell all your slides are now in Wingdin really doesn’t convey a sense of professionalism to those watching you.

Having said that- I do really like having video clips, particularly for courses such as animal behaviour where it is really benefit to actually let people see the things being described. All the tools available have their place just remember to not get arty for the sake of arty!

Now what colours to use. Colour is an exceptionally strong influence in the observer. The colours you use can help to convey important meanings and influences the attitudes of the people you are addressing. So it is important to get it right. Now, there is whole fields of vision research on colour perception, on what is best and what works well. In fact and rather surprisingly, Microsoft has an impressively understandable short information sheet on it-have a look if you want to be that person at the party..yeah you know who I am talking about  (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint-help/choose-the-right-colors-for-your-powerpoint-presentation-HA001012072.aspx). http://www.slideshare.net/gdimock/color-theory-power-point-presentation also gives some interesting overview of the whole history of colour theory and aspects of the study.

Now one of the key things to remember (And boy has this happened to me a few times) how something looks on the computer screen may not be the same as how it looks once projected up on the big screen, if possible it is a good idea to test out before hand for this very reason. Nothing makes you lose impact than having a graph that appeared perfectly comprehensible on the computer show up as a solid brown block in front of all your professional colleagues….

But that isn’t always possible- so here are some combinations that do in general work: green on purple, white on black, violet on yellow, blue-green on red. Which is all well and good but to be honest, I personally stick with the tried and true Black or dark Blue. Comes out well on almost any background, is dark enough to be seen even in reasonable light and saves a lot of mucking around (green on purple is just wrong, I don’t care if it works it is just wrong). But it does obviously rely on the background. In this regard remember that patterned backgrounds can make it difficult to read some of the text, particularly if it is really complicated patterns. Personally, I like to stick with the simple coloured ones- maybe a very subtle line pattern or something. Remember the purpose is for the screen to have information, not to be a form of contemporary art.

So to summarise, the first of Daniels Golden rules:

1.       Be concise- don’t not include everything in the presentation written up on the screen

2.       Make it big- particularly, for mature audiences smaller fonts are just annoying

3.       Don’t mess around too much with fonts, special effects and so forth. Remember you are meant to be the focus of the course, not what is on the screen!

4.       Colours- keep it simple but make sure that you have the right contrast combination so that the writing shows up. When in doubt, stick with the classics such as black or dark blue. It is always better for the writing to be seen than for it to look pretty.

For more excellent and easy to read advice- check out http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-tips-for-preparing-a-professional-presentation/

Till next time,

Cheers

Daniel

A monthly catch up- Where we consider whether or not to expand and the potentiality of Hawaiian shirts

Hi All,
Well the end of April is upon us and that means once again it is time for a monthly round up of Hale & Fun. It has been quite the exciting month for us here, particularly with a number of guest bloggers adding their opinions, experiences and stories about education, being a senior citizen and the never ending joy of discovery that comes from continual learning thoughout life.

Beyond that, it has been quite the month in terms of aged care with the Federal Government's $3.7 billion aged care reform package. Most within the industry are very much for some of the reforms (http://www.fightdementia.org.au/alzheimers-australia-welcomes-plan-to-tackle-dementia.aspx) being put in place, particularly in terms of dementia sufferers and their families. Particularly, since recently it has been suggested that it is in this key area that Australian Aged care is most lacking (http://www.australianageingagenda.com.au/2012/04/12/article/WHO-backs-call-to-reinstate-dementia-plan/QKGFPAJHYL.html#.T451dsMvgWo.twitter).

One thing that was lacking from all the debates, conversations and reforms however, and oh I dont know, because I run an education orientated business I may be a little biased, was the lack of work done on implementing preventative measures. Study after study is coming to light that suggest keeping cognitively active (Like say organising for courses at your local retirement home or community centre from the high diverse and reasonably priced syllabus at www.haleandfun.com.au) can assist in preventing cognitive decline and this really needs to be considered when one is discussing the future of aged care in Australia.

But enough of thinly veiled sales pitch, what is going on with Hale & Fun and what does it all have to do with Hawaiian shirts? Well as some of my regular readers and subscribers to our newsletter (For those who are not members of this incredibly cool group- contact me at Daniel@haleandfun.com.au to join!), one of the major business aims for 2012 was to expand our business focus with a move towards teaching/tutoring at the high school level. I really liked the idea of the Carrot and the Stick program, combining lessons on things that high school kids would want to learn - such as the history of computer games, graphic novels appreciation etc as a reward for completing tutoring programs in maths, science etc and I still think that it is a viable model. Unfortunately, the market research suggests otherwise (yes, I know- cant they see the genius of this plan?), this combined with the manpower required and need for diverting resources from the developing Hale &  Fun retirement homes and aged care focus has meant that we will be putting the plans for expansion on the back burner for the time being. Sad but true, but better to delay the launch date by a few months and do it properly than go at it half cocked resulting in a lesser quality product.

The Hawaiian shirts were another sad moment for me in terms of market research. You see I really like Hawaiian shirts, I like the bright colours, the chilled bohemian feel that comes with them, the fact that Hawkeye used to wear them on MASH. This lead me to thinking, now wouldnt that be a cool and different "branding" opportunity for Hale & Fun (yes I have been listening to business podcasts again so there will be alot more terms like branding thrown in). So I was blue skying (no really that is a term used in business, I kid you not) trying to get a really good idea shower happening when I thought wouldnt it be good if the facilitators wore Hawaiian shirts, sort of saying hey look learning is fun, exciting and yet strangely chilled. A real "sitting on the dock" type of experience. Thankfully, after numerous mistakes when starting Hale & Fun, I have learnt enough to know that no matter how much an idea seems like genius to you it may very not be to ...well, so far anyone else in the world.

Never underestimate the importance of good market research! It is worth its weight in gold. Two potentially crippling business decisions averted thanks to simply asking my clients and the facilitators what they thought. But hey on the upside, as part of said market research I was able to purchase a whole heap of Hawaiian shirts...so while I may still have to wear a suit and tie to the meetings and classes..in my heart it is all beach boys all the time...

"Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take ya

Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama

Key Largo, Montego,

baby why don't we go,

Jamaica"

Oh you may also be wonder what was happening with all the research I was planning this month on research and theories on teaching the mature learner. Well, there have already been quite a few postings this month (with guest bloggers for example) and I have already rambled on for quite some time, by now even the most dedicated reader has been wondering if it wasnt easier just to get the summary on twitter or facebook so I figured I will save that for later in the month.
Till next time.
Daniel
P.S. my friends and I won the costume competition at our local Movie threatre for the premiere of Avengers..This has nothing to do with Hale & Fun (although it might explain why I thought Hawaiian shirts were a good idea!) but I am so proud of this fact (which may explain me being single) that I have to tell everyone.

Our first Guest blogger-Grandma’s A Techie by Sunie Levin

What’s this world coming to? I’m an 80-year-old techie now! Me! With nine grandkids. How could this possibly have happened?

Well, truth of the matter is that perhaps I’m not really a techie, but I’m farther along than I’d ever dreamed--so far along that people actually call me for help. Between you and me, most of the time I can’t help them, but amazingly enough sometimes I can.

So how did all this happen? When my first Dell crashed a year ago, I was precisely where most 80 year old grandmas are. I knew how to turn the darn thing on, and I could send e-mails, but that was it. Everything changed when my granddaughters Megan and Amy convinced me to buy an Apple.  They both said it was very user friendly. I believed them. Now, this isn’t an Apple commercial. My new computer was totally different from my Dell, and I nearly went berserk learning the new language and commands.

Anyhow, when I first went into the Apple store to buy the machine, there were two children sitting on the floor, banging on the computer with great precision. When I asked their mother how old they were she said four and five. How humiliating. Then and there I promised myself that if they go do it. I could do it.

So what did I do? I signed up for 6 months of one-on- one lessons.  When I came home from the first lesson, which I’d immortalized on a tape recorder so as to retain all the information, tears started streaming down my face in sheer frustration.  User friendly indeed!

I persevered. I kept pleading with my instructors to please be patient with this old lady, but even now and then I caught them rolling their eyes. After a few months I actually started getting the hang of it. Hey, look at me! I can do it!

Of course what I could do at that point was pretty basic stuff. These computers are miracle machines, and can do thousands of times what we usually ask of them. But can you imagine---after 6 months I was able to build my own web site without any help at all. I’m not saying it was without its moments of sheer aggravation, but the point is, I did it.  Little old 80-year-old me.

This was the kickoff. When Megan was in town from college she got me hooked on social networking. I got myself set up on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. Well, to be honest, Megan helped me just a wee little bit.  I discovered social networking isn’t just for teenagers. Nearly 3/4 of the baby boomers are on some network or other. Over 27 million people 55 and over use social networking.  You can too. For  housebound seniors it’s particularly wonderful; letting them maintain contact with old friends and creating new ones. It’s a magic carpet for finding old school chums you never thought you’d hear from again.

Next came Skype.  It is a camera built into new computers where you can see and talk to friends and family for free, anywhere in the world. If your old computer doesn’t have a camera, you can buy a portable Skype for around $40 at many stores. My husband and I use it frequently. We have a granddaughter and her husband living in Japan we can talk to, and see. During the earthquake and Tsunami it was reassuring to keep in touch.  We can see our long-distance twin 18 month old great grandkids, who by the way, are the cutest you’ll ever see and Skype helps them remember us between visits. One of my friends back in Kansas City watched a wedding of her grandson in New York via Skype because she had just come home from the hospital and couldn’t travel. You don’t know what you are missing.

It’s never too late and nobody’s too old.  Ruth Hamilton died two months before her 110th birthday.  She had been blogging (putting messages on the computer)until the very end. What a remarkable woman who was eager to embrace anything new. You can see and hear her on the website growingbolder.com Then there is Gertrude Crowley at age 97 used Facebook to make new friends. You see with her macular degeneration, her eyesight was almost nil. She acquired almost 100 friends online. A maven friend visited her every day and encouraged her to put stories on her page. He checked and read her e-mails and she dictated her answers.  She claims she was never bored.

For seniors who are housebound and cannot easily use the computer because of arthritis, low vision or other difficulties, there are devices such as Talking Desktop software and speech recognition that can be purchased for around $75.  If you say you are bored or have time on your hands now that you are retired, quite frankly it’s your own fault.  Buy yourself a computer, learn to use it.  There are classes at the local community center, library, and you don’t even have to pay for them.  Become a techie like me!   

   

Sunie  Levin, is a graduate of Missouri University and holds degrees in Psychology and Education. She founded the Midwest Ready and Dyslexia Clinic for children and adults with learning problems in Kansas City Missouri. A popular lecturer, she has conducted seminars throughout the country and has written syndicated columns for many newspapers. She has appeared on local and national T.V. and radio.  Her recent book is Make New Friends Live Longer.  web: http://www.makenewfriendslivelonger.com

   

Copyright © 2012

It is always exciting to hear about retirees and senior citizens entering the exciting world of the internet. I can still remember the fun I had with my Grandmother teaching her how to use online shopping..although my Grandfather was more impressed with the ability to order some of what he lovingly called "Brown lemonade".

As Sunie has pointed out technology today has made it easier and easier for Seniors to gain access to the Internet and we at Hale & Fun (yes..cue the sales pitch- Sorry but I am really excited about these courses and lets face it those of you who know me- I love the Internet and my computers!). are 100% behind encouraging the mature learner to join the technology revolution- we have a number of courses that cover all the basics and can even offer more advance courses if you are interested, some of these courses can be found at the links below:

 

•   Facebook, Twitter and Skype for beginners:
• (http://www.haleandfun.com.au/course_info.php?courseid=56)
•   The Personal Computer and you – amazing things you can do with a keyboard
• ( http://www.haleandfun.com.au/course_info.php?courseid=57)