Add@Me Learning Methods Database (EN)

This also works best for small groups or for each small group sitting together as a team (4-6 participants). The vi facilitator gives the group a specific time (perhaps 5 minutes) to write a list of everything they all have in common. Tell them to avoid the obvious ("we're all taking this course"). When time is up, the vi facilitator asks each group how many items they have listed. For fun, ask them to announce some of the most interesting items. 

The participants should wear a blind fold and stand in a circle. The vi facilitator will ask them to form various shapes such as a square, triangle, a letter, etc. without letting go off to their hands. As the game progresses the shapes become more challenging.

Facilitator starts the story: E.g. "You were in a plane, the turbulence occurred because of a huge storm, the navigation devices went frantic and the pilot lost the orientation of where the plane was…. We had to touch down in an emergency. We are now at the desert Island, and we have to organize our life here….” it is possible to name the island, to name the village, to name the slogan, the way of saying hello, totem. Other things are the tasks for the participants.

They have to distribute the roles and organize the life on the island (helpful suggestions: You have to build the settlement and organize your life on this Island: provide food, food stocks sharing, take care of the safety, protection from animals, cold, rain; prepare places for sleeping, eating; you have to find a way to signal your presence on this island to the boats passing by.) What are you able to do at your best in order to help others? E.g, someone might become a hairdresser; establish the rules that are needed on the island, etc.

The participants are divided in 2 groups standing in a row one person behind the other, with just 30 cm between them. The facilitator tells to the last person of the row a shape. The last person of the raw should draw the shape with his finger at the back of the person in front of him. The person that the shape was drawn on should now draw the shape on the one in front of him. This continues till the beginning of the row. The first person in the row (the last one that was drawn the shape on), should say out loud what the shape looks like. The exercices continues and the facilitator gives out another shape to the last person. The first person can become the last in the row with each round. Three rounds are recommended. The winner is the group that guessed more forms.

Facilitators prepares an introduction about daily life of a visually impaired person.  Topics like : the guide dog, white cane or the role of an accompanying person should be tackled.

According to the tools that each facilitator has, she or he can ask participants to experience guidance via white cane/ a blind person with a guide dog / a sighted accompanying person.  At the end of each activity, the facilitator initiates a feed-back session with participants.

Participants are seated on the floor (on their heels), or in chairs, in a circle. First round is played with the blindfolds on the eyes, the second without blindfolds. There are many options of gestures and sounds to use in this game. Facilitator can choose some of them, e.g. only two or three, or all of them, depending on the available time, groups' needs and preferences or can invent new onces depending on the current group situation. While the participants have blindfolds on their eyes, facilitator has to explain it in detail the gestures and show precisely the sounds to be made.

At the starting point, facilitator informs that now we are going to take part in the horse race, (famous horse race in the Czech Republic). We say farewell to our loved ones, we get on a horse (the option to sit on chairs) and we go.

Basic rules: Horses get started slowly (even rhythmic tapping of the hands on the knees). They are already galloping (accelerating the pace), rushing across the pavement (hitting their chests with their fists), jumping over an obstacle with water (2 taps on the knees), and now they have to jump over the fence (jump with a shout of hop!). Attention, a sharp turn is approaching right (tilting right) and left (tilting left), etc. The final stretch, final stretch…………, goal!!!!!!!!! Showing great joy — we won the race!

The ride is accompanied by various gestures and noises - options to choose from:

- we drive slowly (we hit our knees with our hands);

- we go fast (we hit our knees quickly);

- we cross the bridge (clenched fists tap each other's breasts);

- we pass the bushes (throw out the right hand with the shout "shu");

 - we pass the female stands (squeal);

- we pass the men's stands (cheers: Ooooh!);

- we pass the movie stars (oh la la!);

- we pass the nuns (exclamation: Amen!);

- we pass the Native Americans (exclamation and optionally, we pull an arrow from behind the back and gesture a bow shot)

- we pass the stand with the children (exclamation: We want a candy bar!);

- nettles (sounds "ow, ow!")

- a fly (sounds of "bzzzz" and we try to catch it in our hands or drive it away), etc.