Facilitation Tools
- Facilitation. Throughout this booklet, we will refer to the teacher as "facilitator," rather than "teacher." A teacher’s job is to pass on knowledge and information, on which the students will later be examined; a facilitator’s job is to enable the development of the group’s learning process without controlling the process. A facilitator rarely gives out the “right” answers, but instead will suggest that students seek new information themselves through various channels available to them. S/he will then process this new information together with students, and help them ask more questions and seek more answers. The facilitator will encourage active listening and open expression of the different opinions and feelings of the students. Sometimes, when a student’s opinion is not countered by the other students, the facilitator may challenge the opinion by expressing the opposite views. It might be helpful to think of the facilitator as a person who opens up the space in which learning can happen.
- Sitting in a circle. We encourage teachers to break the 'regular' setting of the classroom by choosing to sit in a circle, with a teacher sitting as part of the circle. This setting encourages a more egalitarian conception of the workshops, whereby everyone is equal in their standing and we all learn from each other rather than everyone learning from the teacher. This setting resonates with the conception of the teacher as facilitator. At Windows, we've found that this setting enhances participation and enriches the learning process for all.
- Continuity. It is important throughout the entire program to maintain continuity of what is being learned, in order to enhance comprehension, processing and development of the group process. Therefore, we suggest that each workshop begins with a short revisiting of what was discussed in the last workshop. Furthermore, it is important to link the various activities in each workshop. For example: “We have discussed the role of the media in our lives and we've seen that it influences us. Now we will have a look at different types of media”. This rephrasing and re-examining of issues maintains the flow of the process, and helps the students see the connection between activities and gain a better understanding of the process.
- Flip Charts. Throughout the program, we will be using several flip charts with large sheets of paper, which will be kept by a teacher and re-used from workshop to workshop. The use of flip charts has several advantages :
- Issues that are raised and not thoroughly discussed within a workshop can be written down and discussed later on; students can feel that their words matter and are taken into account by the teacher and other students.
- Visual Repetition: issues that are dealt with within a workshop are re-iterated and revisited in the following workshops, allowing better understanding and internalisation of materials and ideas.
- Evaluation and Continuity: the flip charts constitute a visual mapping of issues that were raised during the workshops, and make evident the process which the class has gone through. Expression of the class’s feelings and opinions in the beginning and end of the workshop sessions can reveal the differences in comprehension of the subject and the learning process. Furthermore, the flip charts help the students maintain continuity and coherence throughout the process.