Movies depend on “suspension of disbelief” for us to get into the plotline and thoughtlessly accept whatever we see. But what happens when someone, with perhaps a critical or cynical nature, watches a movie thoughtfully, looking out for the idiosyncrasies? Lora Haasl, supervisor of the Instructional Innovation and Technology lab with Texas A&M, uses the following “information” as an icebreaker while participants are entering the room. The statements are put into PowerPoint. “Most of these are set to run continuously and to loop until you stop the slideshow,” Haasl said. “I play music in the background.”

Adapt this puzzler to your content. Once the puzzle has been worked out, use the activity to start a discussion on attention to detail, creative thinking or problem solving. Set-up Script Pretend you are training pharmaceutical representatives or medical professionals of any kind. Once they have the puzzle (either projected or on chart paper), ask which Margaret likes doing: writing scripts or giving samples and why? Hint: Where are the silent letters?

Lora Haasl, Supervisor of Instructional Innovation & Technology Lab, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, put together a variety of optical illusions and graphics in PowerPoint to get discussion going as participants first enter the room. “Most of these are set to run continuously and to loop until you stop the slideshow,” Haasl explained. “I play music in the background.” You’ll see two of her chosen illusions here. One is a chalk drawing—to make this truly an opener, ask how this artist has challenged perspective, or what it means to create something larger than one’s self. Or perhaps ask how one can truly interact with one’s work or be truly involved in the process.

Odd Man Out Puzzler Most presenters and trainers rarely, if ever, open a presentation; they just start. They rarely close with anchoring their main point; they just end. They rarely keep their participants energized once they’ve begun a presentation. Yet, the research is out: Sleep Learning doesn’t work; involvement does. Failing to open, energize and close is an unprescribed sleeping pill to which this book is the antidote.

What’s wrong with the way many training programs close? There may be no close; people are asked to give a hurried evaluation of the program; and nothing happens to reinforce the key ideas of the program. Any good presentation has an effective opening, a relevant middle, and a strong close. Too often a training presentation has no close at all. The presenter simply runs out of time! A major issue for trainers involves transfer of the learning or skill back to the work place. In Bob Pike’s Creative Training Techniques Handbook, Pike lists the six components of memory—including primacy (that which came first—the opener) and recency (that which came last—the closer). People remember beginnings and endings.

Creative Training Technique: Opener Name: Four Quadrant Name Tent Objectives: Break the ice Become better acquainted Provide focus on the topic For a class three hours or longer For any audience For a group of 12 or more in subgroups of five to seven Time 10-15 minutes Equipment: copy of the name tent sample on an overhead transparency One copy of the name tent template for each person. A pen or fine-point marker for each person. Process: The trainer gives each participant a copy of the four quadrant name tent and asks everyone to fold the paper into thirds

Following are two openers/energizers you can easily use in your training classroom. These two activities were specifically chosen because they meet many of the seven objectives for an effective opener: icebreaker, networking, team building, task tension, reduce relationship tension, alleviate personal tension or focus activity.

What are the Top Ten countries according to “The Top Ten of Everything 2005” with the most telephones (wired)?