Rainer Stens
Overview
The education and training of voluntary helpers and youth group leaders at Malteser-Hilfsdienst e.V. in Bad Honnef follows a regulated curriculum. Both training formats include input on the history of the Order of Malta and the Order of St. John, from which the Order of Malta developed.
Topic
In order not to allow the historical topics, which are allotted approximately one hour in the curriculum schedule, to become a boring flip chart or PowerPoint-based presentation, I used TeamNavigator as an energizer. This then enabled me to leverage the synergies from the experience of the tool later on when we tackled team building, teamwork, and communication.
Staging
a. Preparation
TeamNavigator was set up on a table placed in the center of the room. I moved the surrounding furniture aside to allow for a clear area of twelve feet in each direction around the table.
A folded sheet of plain flip chart paper was clamped in the TeamNavigator. On this sheet was a path with curves, tight angles, and narrow points. I made sure that there was enough distance to the edge of the TeamNavigator so that the pen could be guided between the lines.
I removed the paper from the TeamNavigator and made incisions along the drawn path with the help of a cutter. I then clamped the sheet of paper back in place. I inserted pre-prepared laminated, strips of numbered text into the slots with only the numbers showing. The strips of text contained the historical milestones in chronological order as well as background information. The number of slots corresponded to the number of strips to be inserted.
Finally, I threaded the strings through the holes according to the TeamNavigator instructions and placed a felt-tip pen on the table next to TeamNavigator.
b. Performance
“As a group, you will now ‘walk’ through the history of the Order of Malta and the Order of St. John along an 18-station path from the Middle Ages to the present day. Please gather around the TeamNavigator so that each of you is holding one or two ends of a string.
Like any navigation system, TeamNavigator will show you the path you are traveling – provided it gets the right information from you via the strings. Just like the Highway Code, there are a few ‘rules of the road’ you need to observe:
• The strings must be held only by the wooden toggles at the end.
• The strings must not be shortened.
• The strings must remain taut.
• Do not let the pen cross over the lines after the first third (red mark in the plan). You have time to practice.
Transfer to the real World
| Elements in the learning project | Elements in the real world |
|---|---|
| Path on the flip chart | Path through history |
| Stations | Information on the historical milestones |
| Strings | Influence of the participants on how the organization’s work is carried out |
| Rules | Directives, laws, and general conditions |
| Pen | Own actions and/or the actions of the group |
I would like you now to maneuver TeamNavigator to the starting field, where I will place a pen in the middle slot. With this pen in place, you have to travel along the path to the target field. On the way, you will encounter a series of numbers. Shortly after the inserted number you should park the TeamNavigator and pull out the laminated paper strip and read it out. This can be done taking turns going around the group. Off you go!”
Reflection
Feedback was conducted as a team and immediately also set up the subsequent lesson content on the topics of “working in a team” and “communication in the team and with vulnerable persons.”
In the reflection, the participants discussed factors for success, adherence to rules, and communication within the team, writing down what individuals or the group did on the flip chart.
Conclusion
The use of TeamNavigator in teaching historical content turns seemingly boring content into an almost casually energizing experience. When they carry out the activity, the content gets connected with the experience, and lays the foundation for the course content they will subsequently cover. By linking the group experience and the insights gained, it turns the historical content (which the participants often perceive as dry) into an important enrichment for the individual participants and the group that trainers can build on.