As a radar instructor at the Nordic "NOMEK course", I fine-tuned the style of this year´s exercise.
The style of the exercise I call "ambassadeur style".
Approximately 25 persons were divided into 5 groups, each provided with a different radar exercise. The radar exercise consisted of images of different radar products from one or more different weather situations. The task were to recognize the present meteorological phenomenons, and if so, explain why it could be seen in one product and not in another.
After 6-7 minutes I interrupted them with:
"Each group now has to find an ambassadeur of your group. Some of you might feel shy or in general do not like to do this. If you feel this way, please volunteer now - this is just to be nice to you, because the exercise is not over yet!
As an ambassadeur, you bring your exercise number/material with you to the next group. Let your new group fellows interpret your exercise. Help and add if necessary".
Ambassadeur/Exercise 1 moved to group 2, Ambassadeur/Exercise 2 moved to group 3,...., Ambassadeur/Exercise 5 moved to group 1.
I let the groups work with their new exercise for 6-7 minutes.
Then I interrupted again.
The style was repeated, with emphasis that "the 2nd shyest person should volunteer now".
Then the new ambassadeur of group 2 took exercise 1 with him/her to group 3, etc.
Again the groups had 6-7 minutes for interpreting their new exercise.
Last interruption: "now a 3rd person should volunteer to be ambassadeur, and this time the most EAGER person should volunteer".
Before I finished talking, some of these 3rd ambassadeurs began moving on to the next group, as the thought the had got the concept now. I had to stop them, and tell "you don´t know what you volunteered to do. You volunteered to present/explain the exercise to all of us up here in front. If you need help from the audience, don´t hesitate to ask them".
These 3rd ambassadeurs did really fine, and the whole exercise style finished in a positive, active and enthusiastic atmosphere, thanks to the participant´s engagement!
Birgitte Knudsen
Aviation forecaster & radar coordinator
Danish Meteorological Institute
The style of the exercise I call "ambassadeur style".
Approximately 25 persons were divided into 5 groups, each provided with a different radar exercise. The radar exercise consisted of images of different radar products from one or more different weather situations. The task were to recognize the present meteorological phenomenons, and if so, explain why it could be seen in one product and not in another.
After 6-7 minutes I interrupted them with:
"Each group now has to find an ambassadeur of your group. Some of you might feel shy or in general do not like to do this. If you feel this way, please volunteer now - this is just to be nice to you, because the exercise is not over yet!
As an ambassadeur, you bring your exercise number/material with you to the next group. Let your new group fellows interpret your exercise. Help and add if necessary".
Ambassadeur/Exercise 1 moved to group 2, Ambassadeur/Exercise 2 moved to group 3,...., Ambassadeur/Exercise 5 moved to group 1.
I let the groups work with their new exercise for 6-7 minutes.
Then I interrupted again.
The style was repeated, with emphasis that "the 2nd shyest person should volunteer now".
Then the new ambassadeur of group 2 took exercise 1 with him/her to group 3, etc.
Again the groups had 6-7 minutes for interpreting their new exercise.
Last interruption: "now a 3rd person should volunteer to be ambassadeur, and this time the most EAGER person should volunteer".
Before I finished talking, some of these 3rd ambassadeurs began moving on to the next group, as the thought the had got the concept now. I had to stop them, and tell "you don´t know what you volunteered to do. You volunteered to present/explain the exercise to all of us up here in front. If you need help from the audience, don´t hesitate to ask them".
These 3rd ambassadeurs did really fine, and the whole exercise style finished in a positive, active and enthusiastic atmosphere, thanks to the participant´s engagement!
Birgitte Knudsen
Aviation forecaster & radar coordinator
Danish Meteorological Institute
Birgitte, this seems like a great way to increase involvement in the exercises, and to gather many perspectives along the way. We all know that teaching is the best way to learn, so it is good to force people into that role sometimes. Kudos to you.
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