The term workshop has multiple meanings in the field of education, but all can be traced back to the idea of collaborative learning among students and educators. A workshop in education is essentially an interactive, hands-on learning activity that encourages teachers and students to work together to develop skills, knowledge, and understanding in a particular subject area. In some cases, workshops are designed to provide supplemental material for teachers who are already working with their students on a subject; in other cases, workshops take place outside of the classroom environment and have nothing to do with specific courses or classwork at all.
The Benefits of Teaching with Workshops
It’s hard to deny that workshops have revolutionized learning. With their interactive exercises and group projects, workshops are engaging, exciting ways to get your students more involved. Workshops can help kids make important connections between their studies and real-world applications, enabling them to retain more of what they learn and apply it more effectively in future courses. Here are three key benefits that workshops offer for teachers and students alike
Types of Educational Workshops
When it comes to educational workshops, there are many different types. Most workshops cover an entire subject area, and often times multiple grade levels as well. For example, special education teachers might hold a workshop on adapting classroom activities for students with autism. This workshop would include information about autism spectrum disorders (ASD), what kinds of disabilities fall under ASD and related terminology, how to prepare materials and strategies for handling children with ASD in the classroom setting, etc.
Benefits and Uses for Businesses
Workshops are held for educational purposes, most often for students to learn a particular skill or topic. Workshops help students stay engaged with a subject, and assist them in actually applying what they’ve learned from textbooks to real-world situations. In business, companies use workshops to train employees on new software or products that they may be unfamiliar with at first.
Examples of Educational Workshops
Everything from creating engaging lesson plans to brainstorming new ways to engage students. A workshop, or session as it’s sometimes called, can be built around topics relevant to your classroom, or ones that your department wants you to become better acquainted with. In some cases, teachers are encouraged to incorporate workshops into their existing curriculum—giving them specific instructions on how they should do so—while other times they may run as an after-school activity or during a teacher’s prep period.
How to Set Up an Educational Workshop
Workshops have many potential benefits, but they aren’t necessarily easy to put together. To create and run an effective workshop, you’ll need to do plenty of planning ahead of time. As well as making sure that you have appropriate materials for your group, it’s important to consider what you want your audience to gain from attending your workshop and how best to accommodate their needs. Here are some basic tips on how set up an educational workshop.
Potential Pitfalls
Workshops can be intimidating for new teachers, and it’s important to prepare for them. Even more experienced teachers often have trouble thinking about them in advance. After all, workshops are opportunities to practice skills that you already know how to do. As with any skill, there are helpful tips and tricks you can use to improve your performance during a workshop or presentation. Keep these tips in mind while preparing and delivering your presentation at your next workshop.
