[Dialogue] Group Facilitation - Online

[Wayne Nelson]

Just a wee update.

We are teaching our very first Group Facilitation course in a totally online environment.  We're teaching the straight-up GFM course, but not trying to teach them to facilitate online at all. 

There are a total of 6 two hour sessions. 3 for the Focused Conversation method and 3 for the Consensus Workshop method. Monday - Wednesday and Friday. They have homework assignments between sessions including practicing the method in a real setting.

We have people from across Canada as well as one in Barbados and one who is, for this week, located in Hawaii.

We're using Blackboard Collaborate - a shared whiteboard - small group rooms - very good audio and a bunch of group work tools.  We can share our own computer screen, go to a website, play videos. It uses PowerPoint for contextual material, instructions and pages for group work. For example, we upload the Focused Conversation worksheet and they can type directly on it. A small group works together to help someone design a conversation. The person can download it, refine it and use it.  At least one of the participants will be using the conversation in his church group this evening.

They seemed to grasp the basics of the method and they can see themselves using it in their life and workplaces.

It's our first time and there are a few clumsy spots, but we are very excited about the possibilities.

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- - - - - - - - - - Wayne Nelson
wnelson at ica-associates.ca
O - 416-691-2316
M - 647-229-6910