Hi Friends,
Please find below the Part II of the IceBreakers...........
Requesting you to send your comments on the this Article.......
[b]Ice Breakers : Part - II
Icebreakers[/b]
Topic Lead-in sometimes when a group is meeting for a workshop on a specific topic, participants already know each other well. In these situations, use an icebreaker that leads into the content of the gathering. A topic lead-in can play a number of functions. It can:
* generate interest in the topic of the meeting or training
* activate participants' prior knowledge of the subject
* help the facilitator and participants to identify individual learning needs and goals
* encourage the sharing of information and resources
* Surface resistance to discussion or learning
Topic lead-in questions can be answered collectively or individually. Use topic lead-ins liberally: it is appropriate to use them in every session, and you can use both types in a single session.
GROUP ACTIVITIESGroup lead-ins are particularly useful for introducing the topic, discovering what is already known and activating that prior knowledge.
Here are some examples:
Word Tree
Generate a list of words related to the topic. For example, in a health and safety workshop, ask participants to give you words related to the phrase, "hazardous materials." Participants may suggest: 'dangerous,' 'corrosive,' 'flammable,' 'warning,' 'skull and crossbones,' etc. Write all suggestions on the board, clustering by theme where possible. You can use this opportunity to introduce essential terms, too.
Multiple Choice or True/False Quiz
Rather than giving participants a multiple choice or true/false quiz at the end of a session, try giving it at the beginning. As facilitator, you can walk around and discretely scan participants' responses -- this can help you to identify where to focus your attention during the training. Check the answers with the group at the end of the session.
INDIVIDUAL LEAD-IN QUESTIONS
Individual lead-in questions are designed to identify individual learning needs and goals, encourage the sharing of information and resources, and/or surface resistance to learning. Participants can respond to questions in a predetermined order (eg., left to right around the room), or popcorn-style, by volunteering responses in random order. If you let participants speak in random order, remember that one of the purposes of this activity is to get people talking, so try to ensure that everyone in the group makes a contribution.
Here are some topic lead-in suggestions:
* State one or two "burning questions" you hope will be answered in this session.
* Describe one strategy/resource you have successfully employed recently (relevant to the topic of the meeting/training).
* State your personal definition of the topic (eg., in a customer service training, "Customer Service means...").
The following lead-ins are particularly useful when the subject matter challenges established beliefs beliefs or practices:
* State your opinion on the topic. ("I think...")
* Complete a phrase or phrases (eg., in a customer service training on handling customer complaints, "A customer service representative should NEVER respond to a complaint by...").
To encourage free-flow participation, ask participants to listen to all contributions, but reserve their comments for discussion later in the session.
Keep learning!!
Best Wishes,
Sridhar.
Executive - HR
Invensys India Development Center
From India, Hyderabad
4Please find below the Part II of the IceBreakers...........
Requesting you to send your comments on the this Article.......
[b]Ice Breakers : Part - II
Icebreakers[/b]
Topic Lead-in sometimes when a group is meeting for a workshop on a specific topic, participants already know each other well. In these situations, use an icebreaker that leads into the content of the gathering. A topic lead-in can play a number of functions. It can:
* generate interest in the topic of the meeting or training
* activate participants' prior knowledge of the subject
* help the facilitator and participants to identify individual learning needs and goals
* encourage the sharing of information and resources
* Surface resistance to discussion or learning
Topic lead-in questions can be answered collectively or individually. Use topic lead-ins liberally: it is appropriate to use them in every session, and you can use both types in a single session.
GROUP ACTIVITIESGroup lead-ins are particularly useful for introducing the topic, discovering what is already known and activating that prior knowledge.
Here are some examples:
Word Tree
Generate a list of words related to the topic. For example, in a health and safety workshop, ask participants to give you words related to the phrase, "hazardous materials." Participants may suggest: 'dangerous,' 'corrosive,' 'flammable,' 'warning,' 'skull and crossbones,' etc. Write all suggestions on the board, clustering by theme where possible. You can use this opportunity to introduce essential terms, too.
Multiple Choice or True/False Quiz
Rather than giving participants a multiple choice or true/false quiz at the end of a session, try giving it at the beginning. As facilitator, you can walk around and discretely scan participants' responses -- this can help you to identify where to focus your attention during the training. Check the answers with the group at the end of the session.
INDIVIDUAL LEAD-IN QUESTIONS
Individual lead-in questions are designed to identify individual learning needs and goals, encourage the sharing of information and resources, and/or surface resistance to learning. Participants can respond to questions in a predetermined order (eg., left to right around the room), or popcorn-style, by volunteering responses in random order. If you let participants speak in random order, remember that one of the purposes of this activity is to get people talking, so try to ensure that everyone in the group makes a contribution.
Here are some topic lead-in suggestions:
* State one or two "burning questions" you hope will be answered in this session.
* Describe one strategy/resource you have successfully employed recently (relevant to the topic of the meeting/training).
* State your personal definition of the topic (eg., in a customer service training, "Customer Service means...").
The following lead-ins are particularly useful when the subject matter challenges established beliefs beliefs or practices:
* State your opinion on the topic. ("I think...")
* Complete a phrase or phrases (eg., in a customer service training on handling customer complaints, "A customer service representative should NEVER respond to a complaint by...").
To encourage free-flow participation, ask participants to listen to all contributions, but reserve their comments for discussion later in the session.
Keep learning!!
Best Wishes,
Sridhar.
Executive - HR
Invensys India Development Center
From India, Hyderabad
Dear Sridhar, thatz a good one too, I would like to add few more stuffs of Ice breakers, because you have taken up this topic.
The Magic Wand
You have just found a magic wand that allows you to change three work related activities. You can change anything you want. How would you change yourself, your job, your boss, coworkers, an important project, etc.? Have them discuss why it is important to make the change. Another variation is to have them discuss what they would change if they become the boss for a month. This activity helps them to learn about others' desires and frustrations.
Marooned
You are marooned on a island. What five (you can use a different number, such as seven, depending upon the size of each team) items would you have brought with you if you knew there was a chance that you might be stranded. Note that they are only allowed five items per team, not per person. You can have them write their items on a flip chart and discuss and defend their choices with the whole group. This activity helps them to learn about other's values and problem solving styles and promotes teamwork.
The Interview
Break the group into two person teams (have them pick a partner that they know the least about). Have them interview each other for about twenty minutes (You can also prepare questions ahead of time or provide general guidelines for the interview). They need to learn about what each other likes about their job, past jobs, family life, hobbies, favorite sport, etc. After the interviews, reassemble the group and have each team introduce their team member to the group. This exercise helps them to learn about each other.
Who Done That?
Prior to the meeting, make a list of about 25 items relating to work and home life. For example, a list for a group of trainers might have some of the following:
Developed a computer training course
Has delivered coaching classes
Is a mother
Knows what ADDIE means and can readily discuss it
Enjoys hiking
Has performed process improvement
Served in the Armed Forces
Is a task analysis expert
Ensure there is plenty of space below each item (3 or 4 lines) and then make enough copies for each person.
Give each person a copy of the list and have them find someone who can sign one of the lines. Also, have them put their job title and phone number next to their names. Allow about 30 minutes for the activity. Give prizes for the first one completed, most names (you can have more that one name next to an item), last one completed, etc. This activity provides participants with a list of special project coaches and helps them to learn about each other.
The ADDIE Game (Analysis, Design, Development, Implement, Evaluate)
Make up a reasonable problem scenario for your organization where people need to get introduced, e.g. "The manufacturing department is bringing in 20 temporaries to help with the peak season. They want us to build a short activity that will allow the permanent employees to meet and introduce themselves to the temporaries." Break the group into small teams. Have them to discuss and create a solution:
Analyze the problem - Is it a training problem? If they decide that it is not a training problem, then remind them that most problems can be solved by following an ADDIE type approach. Perform a short task analysis - How do people get to know each other?
Design the activity - Develop objectives, sequence.
Develop the activity - Outline how they will perform the activity and trial it.
Implement - Have each small team in turn, introduce themselves in front of the group using the activity they created.
Evaluate - Give prizes to the most original, funniest, etc. by having the group vote.
This activity allows them to learn about each other's problem solving styles and instructional development methods, it also introduces the members to each other. This method can also be used to introduce the ADDIE method to new trainers. Time - about 60 minutes.
Finish the Sentence
Go around the room and have each person complete one of these sentences (or something similar):
The best job I ever had was...
The worst project I ever worked on was...
The riskiest thing I ever did was...
This is a good technique for moving on to a new topic or subject. For example, when starting a class and you want everyone to introduce themselves, you can have them complete "I am in this class because..."
You can also move on to a new subject by asking a leading question. For example if you are instructing time management, "The one time I felt most stressed because I did not have enough time was ..."
Will try to post more stuffs in this section sooon!!
From India, Bangalore
The Magic Wand
You have just found a magic wand that allows you to change three work related activities. You can change anything you want. How would you change yourself, your job, your boss, coworkers, an important project, etc.? Have them discuss why it is important to make the change. Another variation is to have them discuss what they would change if they become the boss for a month. This activity helps them to learn about others' desires and frustrations.
Marooned
You are marooned on a island. What five (you can use a different number, such as seven, depending upon the size of each team) items would you have brought with you if you knew there was a chance that you might be stranded. Note that they are only allowed five items per team, not per person. You can have them write their items on a flip chart and discuss and defend their choices with the whole group. This activity helps them to learn about other's values and problem solving styles and promotes teamwork.
The Interview
Break the group into two person teams (have them pick a partner that they know the least about). Have them interview each other for about twenty minutes (You can also prepare questions ahead of time or provide general guidelines for the interview). They need to learn about what each other likes about their job, past jobs, family life, hobbies, favorite sport, etc. After the interviews, reassemble the group and have each team introduce their team member to the group. This exercise helps them to learn about each other.
Who Done That?
Prior to the meeting, make a list of about 25 items relating to work and home life. For example, a list for a group of trainers might have some of the following:
Developed a computer training course
Has delivered coaching classes
Is a mother
Knows what ADDIE means and can readily discuss it
Enjoys hiking
Has performed process improvement
Served in the Armed Forces
Is a task analysis expert
Ensure there is plenty of space below each item (3 or 4 lines) and then make enough copies for each person.
Give each person a copy of the list and have them find someone who can sign one of the lines. Also, have them put their job title and phone number next to their names. Allow about 30 minutes for the activity. Give prizes for the first one completed, most names (you can have more that one name next to an item), last one completed, etc. This activity provides participants with a list of special project coaches and helps them to learn about each other.
The ADDIE Game (Analysis, Design, Development, Implement, Evaluate)
Make up a reasonable problem scenario for your organization where people need to get introduced, e.g. "The manufacturing department is bringing in 20 temporaries to help with the peak season. They want us to build a short activity that will allow the permanent employees to meet and introduce themselves to the temporaries." Break the group into small teams. Have them to discuss and create a solution:
Analyze the problem - Is it a training problem? If they decide that it is not a training problem, then remind them that most problems can be solved by following an ADDIE type approach. Perform a short task analysis - How do people get to know each other?
Design the activity - Develop objectives, sequence.
Develop the activity - Outline how they will perform the activity and trial it.
Implement - Have each small team in turn, introduce themselves in front of the group using the activity they created.
Evaluate - Give prizes to the most original, funniest, etc. by having the group vote.
This activity allows them to learn about each other's problem solving styles and instructional development methods, it also introduces the members to each other. This method can also be used to introduce the ADDIE method to new trainers. Time - about 60 minutes.
Finish the Sentence
Go around the room and have each person complete one of these sentences (or something similar):
The best job I ever had was...
The worst project I ever worked on was...
The riskiest thing I ever did was...
This is a good technique for moving on to a new topic or subject. For example, when starting a class and you want everyone to introduce themselves, you can have them complete "I am in this class because..."
You can also move on to a new subject by asking a leading question. For example if you are instructing time management, "The one time I felt most stressed because I did not have enough time was ..."
Will try to post more stuffs in this section sooon!!
From India, Bangalore
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ICE breakers for Team work.doc
Team-building-M aterial-&-ice-b reakers.pdf