HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR WORKSHOPS: ONLINE OR FACE-TO-FACE?

On Monday 20^th February, the next Triple A visual arts workshop starts.

I’ve been leading DP visual arts workshops for around eight years (since 2004), initially only face-to-face, in towns as far apart as Bratislava, Oakham, Munich, and Athens – but over the last few years also online, through the technological expertise of Triple A, which allows participants to stay where they are and have a longer (three or six weeks) and more-in-depth experience.

Face-to-face has an immediacy,  but its rather short-lived – ask me a question during the 3 or 4 days and of course  I’ll give you an answer – but after that period teachers return to their homes and their regular lives, and I only occasionally hear from them again.

Online it’s a different story: maybe not as intensive, but for some, in a lot more depth.

At the end of the f2f workshops there are thanks and farewells, and sometimes a few follow up emails, but I’ve been happily surprised at the end of the online workshops to receive many very appreciative and positive emails.

I have copied and pasted three examples of what online participants have sent me:

March 2011

I have to be very honest and say that my learning experience these past few weeks has evolved from knowing absolutely nothing about where to start to actually hearing my brain explode with happiness when everything started coming together.

I had never taken a class on line, so the introduction week was great for the practice. I still go back to see what I may have missed and definitely get lost in Cyberspace. I enjoyed reading all of the student workbook investigations and experiencing their creativity.

At one point I became so absorbed, I realized I had to go back and actually write the comments and grade them.

December 2011

The course was really wonderful. It was a much better experience than the two other online courses I have taken over the years. You are a great mentor/facilitator. The dialogue was very succinct and helpful.

The immediate responses were very helpful and relieved much of the stress of completing the assignments. The quality of your feedback, knowledge and structure of the class facilitated the understanding the IB visual arts DP programme. I gained many resources and knowledge from the course. When are you offering part 2? Thank you again for your dedication and professionalism!

November 2011

Many thanks for your positive feedback and support over the last 6 weeks: I have greatly enjoyed the experience and found it very stimulating, as well as challenging: being taken in to the core of the course and being asked to work personally and creatively with it, is an excellent way of learning and gaining confidence.

I have attended so many dispiriting A-Level courses over the years that it is so refreshing to be inspired. I’ll be recommending this course to my colleagues!

Interested? Check out the Triple A Learning DP Arts Workshops site

World map from http://www.psdgraphics.com/backgrounds/world-map-background/