Add@Me Learning Methods Database (EN)

The facilitator tells the participants that they are going on a picnic and in order to come to the picnic, they need to go through the green glass door. To get through the green glass door each participant must bring something to the picnic. What they can bring to the picnic depends on the first letter of their first name. Each person may only bring objects to the picnic that start with the first letter of their first name.

For example: The facilitator (whose name is Sam) would start by saying. "I am going through the green glass door and I'm bringing Sandwiches, but I am not bringing the watermelon. What are you bringing Larry?" Larry might respond by saying I'm going to bring the potato salad, but I am not going to bring the juice. In which case the facilitator is saying, I'm sorry Larry, you can't bring the potato salad, but Patty, you could bring the potato salad. Continue doing this until everyone catches on to the rule.

Variations: If everyone catches onto the rule quickly, the facilitator can create more difficult rules. Suggestions are: Participants may only bring items that have double letters in them, (i.e. balloons, food, berries, cheese, etc.), participants may only bring items that start with the first letter of their last name, etc. In order to create an atmosphere for the picnic, the vi facilitator can organise this exercise near the door of the room, where particiapnts can use it as an imaginary Green Glass Door.

Participants have blindfolds on their eyes. These short exercises relieving tension with the whole group can be carried out in pairs or in a circle. Participants are seated in a circle the way, that each of them should have in front of them the back of another person. Participants do the massage following the facilitator’s instructions:

- The sun is shining – the participants stroke the back with the whole hand, with a circular movement;

- We are going for a walk – a light knocking with fists along the back;

- We are admiring spring flowers – we draw flowers on the back with one finger;

- It has started to rain – tapping on the back with single fingers on the whole back.

This exercise should be played in a team of 2: one sighted person and the other with visual impairment. There should be a minimum of 3 teams and it will be played as a competition.

On a table you will have to lay down 3 pots. In the first pot there will be something that you can smell (for example mint, or fruits, or flowers etc). In the second pot there will be something that you can touch (anything except liquids). In the third pot something that you can taste (food).

The idea of the game is that the person who has visual impairment has to guess as fast as possible the things that are in the pots. If they cannot make it the other person from the team that can see what is in the pot can give them instruction in order for them to guess, but they are not allowed to describe the object in detail but only provide pointers. The team who guesses first is the winning team. You can organize the game with several rounds increasing the level of difficulty. Try to be as creative as possible in choosing the things to put in the pots.

Ask participants to stand in two lines facing each other. Introduce the stick by calling it “helium stick”. Ask each participant to hold his/her index finger of their right hand outstretched to chest high. The vi facilitator places the “helium stick” on top of the outstretched fingers. Participants are then asked to perform the following challenge – to lower the stick to the ground while keeping everyone’s fingers touching the stick. In case anyone’s finger loses contact with the stick, then the activity starts again. (At first the stick will seem to rise, this is the reason why the activity is called Helium Stick – this is simply due to the upwards pressure of everyone’s fingers causing the stick to go up instead of down). If the facilitator is visually impaired a sighted acompanying person would be advisable to be present in the room to offer support when necessary.

The participants are sitting on chairs in a circle. The chairs are as close as possible to each other. The facilitator is giving the instructions to the group. There are few things that the participants should do. 

They are clapping with their hands on their knees all the time. 

The facilitator can choose and order however he wants the next steps to be done by the participants which have to all follow the instructions of the facilitator. The parts can be mixed and repeated. 

Obstacle: everyone jump by stomping with their feet 

Passing by the queen (wave with your hand) 

The horse is going to the left or to the right (the participants are clapping with thier hand on the knees of the person to the left or to the right).

A duo composed by a vi facilitator and a sighted assistant will be the best formula to carry out this game. On small papers which are hung on leads / or on post-it papers, there are notices with descriptions of different behaviours occurring in groups, and the indications of how we react to them. Each participant draws one paper hung on a lead in a way, so that he/she does not see what is written on it. Participants put labels on their backs in a way that other people can read what is written there. For the sighted participants, it can be small papers, like post-it, put on the front of their heads.

There are following labels (you can add more of them, roles can be doubled – it depends on the group size).

1. Chief – you have to agree with me;

2. Introvert – you have to drag everything out of me;

3. Wallflower – don’t pay attention to me;

4. Expert – consult everything with me;

5. Comedian / clown – laugh at me;

6. Deviant – I am different;

7. Scapegoat – make me feel guilty;

8. I am delicate – treat me gently;

9. Take me, for whom I am;

10. My opinion does not count – make fun of me / make me ridiculous.

Players are supposed to treat other players according to the labels they have. Observers take notes from what is going on. The facilitator encourages players sitting in the circle to speak on a pre-defined topic.

The group sits in the circle. The facilitator demonstrates to participants how to guide a person with visual impairments. Then the participants go into process to try (they take each other by the hand alternatively wearing a blindfold and moving in space, changing direction, passing between obstacles, sitting on chairs). The best place to organise this activity would be outside in a park in order to have proper and large enough space.

The participants stand in a circle with their backs touching - facing away from each other.  The facilitator ask team members to raise their right hand and take someone else’s hand. Repeat the process by asking them to raise their left hand in the air and take another hand. The task of the team is to try to untangle the knot without letting go of their hands. A visually impaired facilitator should be supported by a sighted person during this exercise.

The facilitator asks the participants what type of communication do they find difficult to communicate and why? Also, what type of communication do they find easy to communicate and why?

After a round sharing of opinions and discussions the facilitator introduces the four types of communication highlighting their basic features as follows:

- Verbal Communication is a type of oral communication where the sender shares his/her thoughts in the form of words. The tone of the speaker, the pitch and the quality of words play a crucial role in verbal communication.

- Nonverbal communication includes all the ways we communicate without words (Ivy & Wahl, 2014). In the literature it is supported that nonverbal type is a very important tool because it conveys thoughts, attitudes, perceptions and meaning. Nonverbal communication refers to vocal expression.

- Visual Communication is the type of communication which refers to the use of signboards, displays, hoardings, banners, maps etc.

- Written Communication refers to the use of letters, circulars, manuals, telegrams, memos, emails, reports etc. to send messages to others.

Once the above features are well understood by everyone, then the facilitator invites the participants to make pairs and match their difficulties and preferences regarding communication into the above four types of communication using their own comments.