I just came back from a week-long trip to see my family and the one thing I left back home was my laptop. I got so used to writing these emails on the laptop, that smaller screens just don't cut it. The thing is, we get really attached to our way of working and our tools. But it's always good to look at things from a new perspective. What would happen if? That sort of thing.
Workshops are no different.
What would happen if you had to put away your laptop and your phone and use a pencil and post-it notes to solve problems?
And pencil and paper aren't the only tools you can use in a workshop to encourage divergent thinking and spark creativity.
Here's my list of tools and techniques that I rely on most for accessibility workshops:
- Of course, post-it notes and sharpies. It's good to have differently coloured notes and of different sizes. Black sharpies are enough.
- Letter-sized sheets of paper to draw on or write on.
- Voting dots and stars. Again, I go through a lot of these for a workshop and I also like to have different colours at the ready.
- Sticky tape, scissors and paper clips. Always needed.
- Magazines and newspapers. I use these to cut out different sections and stick them together to make a point. Unconventional? Yes. Effective? Also yes.
- A flipchart and/or a white board and eraser. Useful for sticking notes onto where everyone can see them.
- A way to keep and display time.
- Double sided disks in red and green with No/Yes written on each side. Useful for quickly gathering feedback on something without long discussions.
- A playlist of mellow tunes. Especially during the no talking sections, it would be great to have these play in the background.
- Snacks and drinks. Non-alcoholic and non-sugary because the last thing you want are drunk or hyper participants. Yes, hold the Red Bull, you don't need the wings.
And for me as the facilitator, I always carry my phone (only to take pictures) and a notebook to write my notes on.