Posts Tagged ‘education tips’

Tips to Presenting a Great Training Course

To present a great training course you need to be prepared and be comfortable with the information you are passing on. You need to be well versed in the topic yourself and fully prepared for questions. You also need to be able to present the training in a way that is clear and concise, and helps the trainees improve their skills. Training other people is a skill in itself, but one that can be taught. Undertaking a course like a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment can help you present a great training course.

1. Preparation and Professionalism

You need to be prepared. Make sure you understand everything about the subject you are teaching. Study your notes and be prepared for questions. Also be prepared to be flexible while conducting the training course as your method of teaching may have to adapt to those you are training. For example, some people learn better with visual clues, while others can happily sit and be lectured to and retain all the information. Make sure that you are familiar with the space that you are presenting the course in and that you have any equipment that you need ready beforehand. If you are using computers or presenting slides, for example, then make sure you know how to use this equipment and that it is working properly. You also need to be professional when conducting the training, so knowing your topic is vital, and you also need to speak clearly, use good grammar and not use any slang words.

2. Timing

You will have a set amount of time given for your training course, whether it is an hour, a full day or even a week. When you are planning your course work out the timing of your presentation and make sure you pace yourself. Don’t fly through the information and present it too quickly otherwise you will not only be finished too early, but you also might not cover the topic properly and leave your trainees confused. Make sure you don’t speak too quickly otherwise you will be hard to understand, and also make sure you don’t bombard your audience with information. Give them time to digest what you are teaching them. Don’t just stand and lecture to them. Break up your course by including interactive elements. Have them work in pairs or groups to solve problems and do their course work. Make sure the focus isn’t always on you otherwise your course will become boring.

3. Participation

Prepare a written plan for your training course but don’t tie yourself to it. Be flexible and allow the participants of the course to help guide the training. They may be a group that likes to ask lots of questions, so make sure you allow for this. It may mean that you skip over certain points and pick them up at a later stage. Remember that the training course is for the trainees so let them dictate to some extent as to the direction the course takes. Encourage input from your trainees as they may have some new information and knowledge about the subject that is of benefit to everyone, even you.

 

 

Tips for Beginner Online Trainers

Before starting to teach an online course, it is important to be certain that you have the ability to do it. It might seem quite easy at first – you don’t have to be anywhere specific and you don’t have to be online at a certain time either. But you do have to have the availability to spend a couple of hours online everyday, in order to read what the students discussed and provide them with feedback (ideally in less than 24 hours). The ability to solve problems and work well in difficult situations is a quality that you should have as an online trainer. Patience and the desire to interact with learners day after day also matters. And there’s the obvious feature: being able to cope with technology on a daily basis, which includes good typing skills.

It is recommended that before starting to teach online you actually goes through the experience of being an e-learning student. It’s even better to use the same platform for both learning and teaching: this way, you will be more prepared to solve technical issues or help students. By studying online yourself, you will be more careful with the directions, the organization of materials, feedback and deadlines. Consequently, you will be able to provide a more pleasant experience to the students. Additionally, by trying out several online courses, you will be able to discover your own style of teaching. Some trainers are more passive through the course, while others like to be 100% in the virtual classroom. Either way, finding the style that suits you best will reflect in the experience of the students.

Interactivity is crucial to the online environment, so, as a trainer, you should make sure that the course has this feature. Trainees should interact with each other (through discussions and group work), as well as with the teacher (who gives prompt feedback). It is not enough to just hand out information to the students, you have to show them how to use it. When deciding the communication methods of the online course, you should consider both synchronous and asynchronous methods. The synchronous methods (e.g. live chat, conference) are spontaneous and they happen in real time, but they’re quite difficult to schedule, due to time difference or availability. Asynchronous methods, on the other hand, are more reflective (e.g. forums, wikis, emails, essays) and time consuming, but they’re also very flexible. Ideally, a course would contain both methods, so that everyone can participate in one way or another. For example, chats can be used for Q&A sessions, while forums can be used for discussions.

The step between traditional and online training is not irrelevant. Even experienced classroom teachers might encounter problems in this rather new environment, as all the process and methods are so different. Some tricks that work as attention-grabbers in the classroom will probably have little or no effect online. It is more difficult to retain the attention of participants in an online class, so extra-effort should be invested in good design, creative content and continuous interaction.

Are you looking for more resources to help you create training materials, hosting online training, or tips for rapid development of online training?

 

 

How to Become a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant)

It may seem odd, but the best way to learn how to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is to ask your prospective employer. Although it may seem like putting the cart before the horse, different facilities have different training programs, requirements and ways for the aspiring CNA to implement in how to become a CNA.

So the first step in learning how to become a Certified Nursing Assistant is to research the facilities in your area. You are going to have to decide whether you want to work in a hospital or a long-term care facility. Both types of facilities usually have websites with complete information in the human resources section on how to become a CNA on their staff.

They will explain whether they want applicants who have already received training and certification or if they have a training program that prepares the applicant for the CNA exam within their institution. This is the ideal method of how to become a Certified Nursing Assistant because the training is usually free of charge and there is a strong possibility of employment once you have successfully completed the exam. Even if that particular employer does not hire you at the end of the certification process, you will have obtained certification for little or no cost.

The other approach is to do it independently. There are several training courses and programs available. They can be found on the internet, in the classifieds of the newspaper and even on television. These agencies charge for the classes but financial is usually available to those who need it.

In your research on how to become a Certified Nursing Assistant, you will also come across online Certified Nursing Assistant training courses. These are a good option for people who need more flexibility in their schedule. However, at some point in the training, you will need to be able to practice the hands-on skills necessary to pass the Certified Nursing Assistant exam.

Once you have determined the source of your training and completed it successfully, the final element in how to become a Certified Nursing Assistant is passing the CNA exam. This two-part test is administered by the state in which you will be employed and must be passed in order to receive certification.

The test consists of approximately 70 multiple-choice questions and a skills test of 5 tasks which must be completed before a Registered Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse acting as an agent for the state.