Acronym Jeopardy

Heard about a great activity at a workshop I did this morning. The reason for the activity is to make sure everyone has a common language, particularly for acronyms.

You know what it is like when everyone knows what PITA stands for, except you? Well in order not to leave anyone out, this is a quick review.

So you set up a couple of categories. I might use:

1) Everyday acronyms
2) Educational acronyms
3) Partner acronyms

Then create a board kind of like Jeopardy in which people can ask for an acronym from any category. Example" I would like Educational Acronyms for $200 please".

At this point the facilitator takes off the card that is covering the acronym and reveals the following "BCTF". The person who chose it now has the opportunity to say what it stands for.

"What are the initials for the British Columbia Teachers' Federation" and ta da, they win $200. (or chocolates or whatever)

Now the reason you put everyday acronyms in there is so that people who are new or don't know the industry acronyms can still play. Use ones like

CBC, Scuba, Nato, AT and T, GVRD, or any you think your group will understand.

Have fun with this.

Page 32

Here is a game I read about online. I thought it could be applied in a training session for a fun break.Grab a book at hand. (Now if they all grab the same book it wouldn't be any fun). So send this as a project to do at home, or at their desks.Open your book to page 32.

Choose the nearest whole sentence to the fourth line down.

Now apply this sentence to what you are learning about in this workshop.

I picked up Crystals by Ann Zavala.

The sentence reads"It was too early in the morning for her to think straight, but there was definitely something wrong here."

So I apply that to something in my life. Well that means something to me. I hate early mornings and my thinking is never straight at that time of day.
The message I get is to avoid early mornings as my "productive time of the day:.

Anyhow, I challenge you, go ahead and try this.

page 32

fourth line down.

Post if you get great insights.

If the Shoe Fits

At a workshop I did tonight, a participant, Janet shared a great little icebreaker she has used. I enjoyed it because it was short, easy and didn't need much in the way of equpment. Thank you Janet.

Join with others in this group who have shoes like yours. How you create these categories is up to you.

I think we formed into shoes that:

1) were pointed
2) had square toes
3) were boot like
4) were runner like

Anyhow, it got everyone up and moving.

Walk Through Index Card

http://www.teachmeteamwork.com/teachmeteamwork/2005/03/teambuilding_pu_1.html

A lovely video from Teach Me Teamwork that shows how the index card gets cut in such a way as to be able to walk through it. Lots of fun, and very useful in a training session.

On the Record

Upton Sinclair said:

“It is difficult to get a man to understand a concept when his livelihood depends upon his not understanding it.” "

How I Would Use This

I am not sure, but I just like it. There are some quotes in this world that are just so darn useful. Anyone want to share their favourites?

Statistics

Bob Pike, as usual, has some great and creative ideas for training.

http://www.bobpikegroup.com/web/articleid/21350/columnid/2745/articles_view.asp

Check out how he uses statistics and applies it to training ideas.

I enjoy reading Pike's ideas, because he finds ways to make interesting connections.

Mechanic

Saw this on a training website. Alok Sharma posted it and I really love it. I haven't quite figured out how to use it, but I think it makes some interesting points.

A mechanic was removing the cylinder heads from the motor of a car when he spotted the famous heart surgeon in his shop, who was standing off to the side, waiting for the service manager to come to take a look at his car.

The mechanic shouted across the garage,"Hello Doctor! Please come over here for a minute."The famous surgeon, a bit surprised, walked over to the mechanic.

The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and asked argumentatively,

"So doctor, look at this. I also open hearts, take valves out, grind 'em, put in new parts, and when I finish this will work as good as a new one.
So how come you get the big money, when you and me is doing basically the same work? "

The doctor leaned over and whispered to the mechanic...What did he say ???

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"Try doing it while the engine's running."

What's Your Name

Here is a great icebreaker than comes from the , "Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants" by Dave Pilkey: In the book the evil Professor forces everyone to assume new names.

Follow the instructions to find your new name.

Use the third letter of your first name to determine your new first name: a = poopsie b = lumpy c = buttercup d = gidget e = crusty
f = greasy g = fluffy h = cheeseball i = chim-chim j = stinky
k = flunky l = boobie m = zippy n = pinky o = goober p = doofus
q = slimy r = loopy s = snotty t = tulefel u = dorkey v = squeezit
w = oprah x = skipper y = dinky z = zsa-zsa

Use the second letter of your last name to determine the first half of your new last name: a = apple b = toilet c = giggle d = burger e = girdle
f = barf g = lizard h = waffle i = cootie j = monkey k = potty
l = liver m = banana n = rhino o = bubble p = hamster q = toad
r = gizzard s = pizza t = gerbil u = chicken v = pickle w = chuckle
x = tofu y = gorilla z = stinker

Use the fourth letter of your last name to determine the second half of your new last name:
a = head b = mouth c = face d = nose e = tush f = breath g = pants
h = shorts i = lips j = honker k = butt l = brain m = tushie n = chunks
o = hiney p = biscuits q = toes r = buns s = fanny t = sniffer
u = sprinkles v = kisser w = squirt x = humperdinck y = brains
z = juice

So I would be Lumpy Apple Nose

How I Would Use This

Just for fun.


Got this idea from this fellow's blog:

"Flunky"Michael LemmFreedomFire Communications

http://ld.net/mscprezhttp://Broadband-Nation.blogspot.com

52 Pick Up

I saw a deck of cards at a bookstore yesterday. They were a bit unusual. The cover said they were - "52 Best Pick Up Lines Ever". So I opened the deck and looked through the pick-up lines. They were, I admit, pretty corny and fairly tame.

But what struck me was how willing I was to actually fan through each and every card. If this had been a list, I don't think I would have been so attracted to reading through it.

So it makes me think that if we use cards instead of papers it might interest our audiences more.

What could be put into cards:

-52 financial tips
-52 things I wished I learned before I left home
-52 ways to upset your employees

You get the idea. Now if 52 seems like too many for you to create, how about getting your group to create a whole deck of cards. They might want to spend some time making them look good and then send them on to another person or group.

Sometimes it is just fun to play with cards.