Take your dog training classes online

Giulia Forsythe https://flic.kr/p/9sDqRL

During this unsettling time when we are advised to self-isolate because of coronavirus, many dog training professionals are exploring ways to continue business as usual in an effort to serve their clients and to maintain income. Taking your training classes online is one way to achieve this.

While the current priority is to fill in a gap until work life returns to normal, think of this as an opportunity to develop new lines of business and materials that will support your work well into the future.

This resource is intended as a sweep through a few key considerations as you design and implement your first online course. The goal is to get you up and running quickly. Down the road, you may wish to invest more energy into developing a robust online learning component of your business. For now, let’s just get started!

Initial Steps

“Wolf” by Sheep’R’Us is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

There are endless configurations for how you might go about implementing your course. First and foremost, the models and strategies you choose should be driven by the needs of the learners and the nature of the topics and objectives. It can be tempting to tell your students everything you know, but deeper learning happens when they are actively engaged in the learning process.

Dog training classes would typically use one or all of these three instructional models:

Direct

Is the focus on developing skills? Are you providing step-by-step instructions to achieve a specific outcome? Then you are probably going to lean toward direct instruction.

Examples of methods in this category include teacher-led presentations, written instructions, and demonstrations.

Indirect

Is the focus on exploring concepts and encouraging critical thinking? Then more indirect approaches can help your students to make connections and problem-solve.

Examples of indirect activities are quizzes, matching exercises, analysis of content (videos, documents, etc), and creation of training plans.

Experiential

Will your students benefit from doing different exercises, and reflecting on their own performance and progress? Experiential learning is a process of developing knowledge and skills through direct experience. No doubt all dog training classes aim to achieve this. However, true experiential learning takes the doing a step further; as instructors we need to foster ways for learners to identify needed changes in their own skills and understanding.

Experiential learning activities includes anything learner driven and hands-on. For example, following a demonstration of training a dog a new behaviour, you might ask your students to create a video of themselves following the same steps. This can be followed by self-reflection and peer or instructor feedback.

Before we move on

There are additional instructional models that focus on independent study and collaboration. As there is considerable overlap with the three listed above, they are not elaborated on here.

Creating your design and content

Keep it simple

Online course design work is never finished. You will always be improving the materials and format of your course. In light of that, do what you can now so you can move more quickly to continuing your dog training services.

In the early days of online teaching the focus was on organization and structure because there simply weren’t a lot of tools available. Nowadays, there is no shortage of ideas and tools! It is easy to be attracted to the bells and whistles and lose sight of our original instructional goals and learning outcomes. Stick to tools that are familiar to you or easy and quick to learn, and if a tool doesn’t fit your goals, put it aside.

Be mindful of the amount of time you spend on making your content look polished. For example, when creating PowerPoint slides or websites, it’s easy to spend more time selecting a colour scheme and layout than it is actually creating meaningful content.

Be inclusive

Use tools that your clients will likely be able to use easily.

While platforms like Facebook may offer quick and easy solutions for you, keep in mind that not all clients are also familiar with, or interested in using, this platform. If step one is to ask a client to create a Facebook account, then abandon that choice. It is simply too much to ask.

Don’t underestimate the benefits of simple email communication! It is accessible and, used well, it can be very effective.

Many free content hosting, learning management, and communication platforms provide exactly what you need to ensure everyone can participate. See the resource section below for links to these tools.

Remember online is different

It is impossible to replicate the classroom experience. This means you need to rethink design and format, and sort through different scenarios of how you will accomplish your course goals.

For example, in the classroom you may be able to speak passionately about your dog training experiences and hold attention for a long period of time, but keep in mind that in that venue you are communicating with more than your voice and can also receive clear signals from your learners about their level of interest.

Giulia Forsythe https://flic.kr/p/dyRiGC

You will also need to consider that communication is not always immediate. This is not necessarily a bad thing! It allows more time for thoughtful and organized questions and responses.

Provide easy access to content

Avoid sending content as email attachments. Hosted content respects the individuals on the receiving end who might have challenges downloading and viewing materials sent through email. There are many free online services that store your content: Google Docs, YouTube, Dropbox, WordPress, Wix, to name a few.

Even with hosted content you need to consider the format and file size of any materials you intend for clients for download. Most students will be able to read on the web or download a PDF. Other less common file formats should be reconsidered. Ideally, your hosted materials have options for both viewing online AND downloading.

Organize your content using standardized headings, file names, and structures. Avoid publishing the same information in a different places. This what the Web is designed for – linking! This consistency and streamlining will make it easier for students to find and revisit content.

Keep the course manageable

Determine how much of your interactions with your students need to be scheduled (real time) and what can be done through asynchronous (anytime) communication. You may be surprised at how little really needs to be scheduled.

Chunk your content into small, manageable pieces, and keep it on topic. For example, a 3-minute instructional video is more likely to be watched to the end than an 20-minute video.

Consider the learning curve for your students. It takes time to learn and navigate a new learning environment, and to create their own content such as videos of their training sessions.

Delivery

Create a rhythm and flow

Plan activities and your communication around a schedule. For example, consider a Sunday “Get ready for…” sneak preview of the week, or a short weekly recap video. Use your imagination and keep it the same each week. The more we build anticipation in our courses the stronger the engagement.

Communicate clearly

It takes time to craft your communication so that it is clear and concise. Students may not realize the effort you take, but they sure will appreciate it. Some quick tips:

Use headings to chunk the information
If you mention a resource available on the Web, LINK to it rather than explain how to find it. (Starting out you might include navigation tips, but fade these out over time for the sake of brevity.)
Keep your writing crisp and concise
Use bullet points instead of long paragraphs
Use visuals to convey information quickly
Any important details that students might need to revisit, such as due dates, should be in written text (not video!)

Manage time well

While there is a place for one-to-one communication with individual students, this is simply not scalable in an online course. You will soon run out of time if you try to respond to questions and provide feedback to each student. Instead, consider that all students will benefit from hearing the questions and answers that emerge throughout the course.

Publish a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page that you can add to over time and re-use in future courses.

Build a database of “canned” responses over time to avoid re-writing the same information.

Depending on your strengths and skills, it can be less time-consuming to create short videos than to write everything out (However, consider your students’ time as well.)

Make good use of any scheduled time with your students. If you plan to lecture, consider recording that and instead use “real time” for discussions and other activities.

Always create content with the idea it can be reused in future courses.

Be yourself!

Just as with in-person classes, the more you appear relaxed, use humour, and admit to your shortcomings, the more likely your students will feel comfortable in their participation.

Having said that, it’s possible to inject too much of yourself into the course. For example, turning the camera on yourself is a great way to be present and establish a connection with your learners. However, there is no need for your learners to watch you during an entire lecture. Give them speaking points and visuals instead!

Final comments

As mentioned, this resource only touches on some of the key considerations for designing and implementing your first online course. There’s much more to the process and it takes time and effort to create really effective learning experiences. You don’t need to do everything all at once! And remember, some of the most successful courses use very basic tools and simple designs.

Resources

As I was busy assembling a list of free, cloud-based tools to support dog trainers who would like to move their classes online, I came across this amazing crowd-sourced resource launched by Stephen Downes. Following my own advice not to duplicate information, I’ll consider merging my findings with this list!

Creating an Online Community, Class or Conference – Quick Tech Guide

Cultivating an interest in trying new things

Do you ever encounter dog training clients and colleagues who are stuck in their ways and challenge your advice?

I came across this article by Harvard professor Sendhil Mullainathan: Why trying new things is so hard. His explanation for reluctance to try new things is that, in general, people don’t conduct experiments in their day-to-day lives. This got me thinking about this issue of being stuck as it relates to dog training. It’s one thing to be told there are better ways to train your dog, but quite another to discover it. How do you encourage people to try a new course of action?

These key points popped out at me.

Habits are powerful. We persist with many of them because we tend to give undue emphasis to the present.

I think this statement goes hand in hand with where you situate yourself. Are you mostly concerned about the dog? Or is this really about you? If you are expecting or promising instant results, then face it, this really is all about you.

It can be difficult to form a picture of what you want your dog to be like in the distant future, especially when coached to proceed mindfully –first with the foundational exercises, always considering the dog’s emotions, and all along calculating how you are going to get there. The present consists of mini iterations toward your goal. If you are in the habit of using harsh methods to arrive at your goal quickly, then you’re missing all kinds of opportunities for experimentation.

On the other hand, if your concern is primarily for the dog, and you are also attentive to what is happening in the present moment, then you can use your observation skills to decide if you need to try a new course of action. Observation skills come with practice; it is common to misinterpret canine body language. For example, to a skilled trainer, images of dogs posted as cute and funny can be absolutely horrifying.

Overconfidence also holds us back. I am unduly certain in my guesses of what the alternatives will be like, even though I haven’t tried them.

While many speculate about what leads to overconfidence, most agree on the outcome — these individuals focus on showing what they know or can do, and fail to pursue opportunities to learn and change. Do you know any professional dog trainers who fall into this category? 😉

I act without thinking; I automatically grab bottles of Diet Coke as I wheel my cart by.

Sound familiar? As a dog trainer you see your client repeating cues and applying unnecessary force. They’ve lived with these methods for a long time, so it makes sense that they would persist. In dog training this stems from rote learning, aka a dog trainer telling them to “do it this way”.

An expert told me to jerk the leash to get my dog’s attention. I saw on TV that I should ignore my dog when I come home from work.

This type of advice is accepted without question by so many dog owners because they believe it must be good advice. Diet coke tastes good and has no calories, so that’s what I’ll buy!

What’s the takeaway?

What does this mean for our practice as dog trainers? An interest in conducting experiments is cultivated. Rather than transmitting what you think and know, ask questions of your clients:

What did you notice? Is that what you expected? Did your dog seem clear about what you were asking? How do you know? What do you need to do to prevent this behaviour from happening? What do you need to do to encourage that behaviour instead?

For me it highlights the benefits of integrating canine body language and observation skills into our curriculum, and to encourage exploration and experimentation through questioning.

For example, in my basic manners classes we practice weaving through cones evenly spaced across the room, one dog-handler team at a time. This comes after a few classes where we focus on foundation exercises and principles of positive reinforcement training — you know, the stuff that comes before the distant future 🙂 I provide two instructions:

Use your leash only for safety, and not for communication
Do what you need to do to keep your dog happy, engaged, and moving

We then share what we observed, and what worked and what didn’t for individuals. During this conversation I notice a shift from my dog pulls / only wants to visit other dogs, etc to what this is what I tried that worked (and why).

Try it!

How I plan for a series of dog training classes

A friend and dog trainer recently shared with me that she gets really stumped when it comes to planning for classes. She identified 3 main issues:

Going too deep into the theory — like way beyond what her learners want or need to know. This is common! We’re so passionate about our work that we go overboard.
Talks too much during class. This happens to individuals who are gifted with excellent verbal skills, and also to those who are worried about filling in the time. For both types, a detailed plan that predicts how much time to allow for each activity is really helpful.
The classes are fun but don’t always end up being what she had envisioned. I look at it this way. It’s important to develop a plan but it’s also important to be flexible and responsive. And when things don’t go according to plan, you always learn something — sometimes you learn a better way to organize your class.

I have a new series of classes beginning this week, so I thought I would share a bit of my process as I go. I keep it very simple, but I do put a lot of effort into the planning. To get started I tackle these 3 things:

Big picture: What will the students learn? How will I know?
Build a syllabus, and use that as a handout
Session plan: for the first class, and perhaps sketch out the second class

I’ll outline #1 and #2, and write about the session plan in a separate blog post.

Big picture: What will the students learn? How will I know?

Asking what the students will learn might seem like an obvious question, but from my experience this is are often overlooked. You might have in mind that the dogs in the class will be taught some basic behaviours and manners, and perhaps the content you wish to share and how, but this doesn’t really get at what the students will be learning.

At this point you’re not thinking about how you will teach, you’re focusing on how you will know the students are learning. Think of it as describing how students will provide evidence of their learning.

training session — Bunny + Jewel practicing click, THEN reach into treat pouch

The class series I’m preparing for is called “Dog Obedience” (not my choice for a name) and is aimed at dog owners who are new to positive reinforcement training. Here are my statements:

By the end of this series of classes you and your dog will be able to:

You	Your Dog
* Deliver clear cues, and accurately mark and reinforce correct behaviours	* Perform foundation behaviours on cue, such as Touch, Target, Mat, Sit, Watch, Down, Stay/Wait, Come
* Interpret your dog’s body language and vocal communication	* Offer behaviours to help you understand what you need to do differently
* Describe the benefits of positive reinforcement training	* Demonstrate that she or he is a willing partner in training
* List the top 3 items that reflect your training progress	* Give you a High Five for a job well done!

Notice that each statement focuses on what the learner will know or be able to do in a way that I will be able to assess their learning. In other words, I will know if learners have met these intended learning outcomes based on what I see and hear.

I also always include a reflective piece: I want individuals to be thinking about their own progress. Sometimes they don’t realize how far they’ve come until they articulate it. Also, reflection can help individuals to identify how they could have advanced more (for example, by practicing with their dogs between classes!)

Build a syllabus, and use that as a handout

A syllabus is where all the important overview and organizational bits and pieces are assembled. I write out a description (usually already done for promotion), expectations, responsibilities, schedule, and communication. I also include the intended learning outcomes so the participants are clear what they are working towards. I keep this to one page, double-sided, and find people are more likely to read bullet points.

Here’s a snippet of what I’ve assembled so far, aside from dates and times:

Notes

The first class is people only!
Come early enough to carry in your supplies, organize your station, and give your dog a chance to settle in
A typical class is 50 minutes, allowing 10 minutes for transition time in and out of the building, and individual questions
The real learning for your dog happens between classes, so be sure to carve out time in your schedule to practice!

What to bring to class

4 to 6-foot leash
Harness (preferable) or flat collar
Mat (something easy to roll up and carry is best)
Treats (small and chewy are best)
Treat pouch or container
Poop bags
Chew, stuffed kong, or stuffy to soothe your dog (optional)
A dog 🙂

What I will bring to class

Clickers
Water bowls
Extra treats
Paper towels and vinegar to clean up any accidents
Class props, toys, materials

Rules and Responsibilities

Dog greetings happen outside only
Pick up after your dog
You are welcome to bring a friend to class to assist you
Hold on to your leash at all times
Always keep plenty of space between dogs (at least 10 feet), especially in doorways!
You are responsible for your and your dog’s well-being. Feel free to take a break and get refreshments as needed

Communication

Email me (sylvia@beingwithdogs.ca) I’m happy to answer your questions
Websites:
- roverandchubby.com
- beingwithdogs.ca (coming soon) / fb.com/beingwithdogs
- sylviacurrie.ca

I like to write about my dog training experiences. If you are not comfortable with your photograph being shared publicly, please let me know.

Course Learning Outcomes

(These are the statements of what the learners will be able to do by the end of the series, as listed above. I also add the following paragraph to reinforce that this series of classes is really to teach humans how to train; the dog’s skills are not assessed.)

Dog training is much more than a checklist of skills and behaviours. I like to think of dog obedience classes as education for the caregiver – learning the principles and concepts that guide how you teach, and build a relationship with, your dog. What you learn about positive reinforcement training will open up endless possibilities, so even if we don’t get through the foundations list in this class series, you will be able to carry on to train many behaviours.

Themes

Each week I like to introduce a new theme, and draw attention to these topics throughout the class. Some theme examples that have been successful in past foundation classes include:

Motivation
Developing habits
Benefits of foundation training
Body language
Ensuring success while increasing difficulty
The good enough dog (with credit to Nancy Tucker)

What’s Next?

After working through these steps I have all the details I need to prepare a handout to distribute during the first class. Then I start sketching out what the 8 weeks will look like, including the sequence I plan to introduce concepts and skills. After that I get down to the details of each session. I begin with session 1, and possibly some of session 2, but I don’t get too far ahead in planning because I want to keep the process responsive and flexible; sometimes if everything is all laid out in front of you, you simply follow it.

This is all part of a big picture planning phase. In future articles I’ll drill down to describe the process of developing session plans, and include some of the activities, resources and teaching aids I’ve found useful.

They used my work!

Have you come across this before? — canine professionals who express outrage that their work has been used elsewhere without permission or attribution?

In some cases I can understand, and relate. There’s nothing worse than putting a lot of effort into something and then not getting the credit you deserve. However, I’ve noticed this reaction is often not about the importance or quality of the work at all. It could be about a blurry snapshot posted to Facebook of a dog digging a hole. The “photographer” is still mad as hell it got shared.

What if you made it easier for others to “steal” your work? It may sound counterintuitive, but allowing people to use your work without having to go through the process of asking for permission can result in you receiving the recognition you want.

The case of the terrible photos

I’ve come across my images used in articles around the web. For example, this [terrible] photo of Maxwell in a Thundershirt was used on a PETA website: www dot petalatino dot com/en/blog/help-dogs-on-fourth-july*

Mat skills

Also, this image of Maxwell and Maggie was used in an article on iHeartDogs: 7 Reasons Why Your Dog Should Learn How To “Go To Bed” On Command.

Mat skills

Why are my terrible photos being used?

I make it easy for people to use my work, even crummy photos, by using a Creative Commons (CC) copyright license.

CC licenses let you easily change your copyright terms from the default of “all rights reserved” to “some rights reserved’.

Informed authors searching for appropriate media to use in a blog post or curriculum materials are likely going to try CC licensed materials first. This is becoming easier to do using tools like Creative Commons Search. Some web services have built in tools, like Flickr.

The advantage of using CC licenses is that you can be clear about the terms under which your work can be used. So rather than defaulting to ‘all rights reserved’, which others don’t necessarily understand or respect, you are giving permission up front to use the work in a way that suits you.

Here’s a list of the licensing options, conveniently copied directly from the Creative Commons website because the content on that site uses a CC-BY license. (See how easy it is?)

Attribution (by)

All CC licenses require that others who use your work in any way must give you credit the way you request, but not in a way that suggests you endorse them or their use.

ShareAlike (sa)

You let others copy, distribute, display, perform, and modify your work, as long as they distribute any modified work on the same terms.

NonCommercial (nc)

You let others copy, distribute, display, perform, and (unless you have chosen NoDerivatives) modify and use your work for any purpose other than commercially.

NoDerivatives (nd)

You let others copy, distribute, display and perform only original copies of your work.

"License Conditions” by Creative Commons is licensed under CC BY 4.0 / removed final sentence in each section

Note that with CC licenses, attribution is always a requirement, regardless of the combination of options you choose.

Which license to use?

The content of sylviacurrie.ca is licensed as follows:


 This work by Sylvia Currie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

I chose the noncommercial clause because I prefer that any articles, dog training handouts, etc., not be packaged up and sold. Right now I’m not sure anyone would want to, but as the body of work expands, that is a possibility.

Likewise, Julia Morton and I make the content on Rover and Chubby, (stories, illustrations, etc) available at no cost, and also license it noncommercial. Further, we include a ShareAlike requirement in the CC license. This means that others must use the same terms for any publications that include our work. It’s not too much to ask, really. It makes sense that we preserve this cost-free access when the content is in the hands of dog trainers, publishers. and the like.

“Guilty Side” by Julia Morton is licensed under CC BY NC SA 4.0

As for the images of my dogs? In hindsight, I probably should have make those photos Public Domain, meaning free of any copyright restrictions. I mean, they’re terrible photos! However, I still like that attribution is given, and with the ability to track links to your website it’s fun to see your terrible photos pop up elsewhere. 🙂

Why make your work freely available for others to share and repurpose?

My dog photo examples are creations I don’t really care about, so in those cases there’s really no reason not to use CC license. But I also assign a CC license to articles, stories, poems, lesson plans, guides, presentation slides, etc.

Here’s my rationale:

A CC license isn’t instead of copyright; you still own the copyright, and it doesn’t prevent you from doing whatever you want with your own work.
Your work is more likely to be noticed. An article that is copied and passed around is obviously reaching a larger audience. If you aim to raise awareness about your beliefs, philosophies, ideas, services, business name, or whatever, then a CC license will help you. Frankly, I think this is the most important strategy the force free dog training community can take.
Others can benefit from what you share and you can benefit from what others share. If you need a handout on force free vet visits to give to your clients, how much sense does it make to start from scratch? If there’s a CC-licensed version, use that! Then spend all that precious extra time playing with your dog.
There’s a possibility that the work will be improved by someone else, which you in turn can use (if you use the right license). How great is that!
Openly sharing your work doesn’t make it less sought after. In fact, being very protective of your creative and intellectual property can turn people away. Ever click through a series annoying marketing teasers only to find you need a paid subscription? Consider making a selection of resources available even if your plan is to charge a fee for content packages. Or rethink your business model altogether; focus on your services instead.
Remember that content does not a teacher make. Your value to your clients is in your planning, coaching, teaching, consulting… you get the idea.

Be proactive

As I look around the web I see very few dog training professionals using Creative Commons licenses. So rather than complain that people are using your work without attribution, why not use a copyright license that makes it clear how they can use the work, and ensures you get the credit you deserve?

* I do not support PETA in any way and therefore don’t link to their websites

Open Letter To My Teacher

This week I came across an Open Letter to My Students by an Agility Instructor and it stood out for many reasons. I shared it in the Teaching Dog Trainers How to Teach People Facebook Group thinking it might stir up some discussion. My question to the group was:

This Open Letter to My Students makes me want to write an Open Letter to My Teacher. What should it say?

I assumed others would take issue with the very teacher-centric thinking expressed in the open letter, but there was no uptake. I noticed the article being shared around in social media, but the reactions were mostly instructors nodding in agreement, or students slumping down in their seats declaring their guilt.

It got me wondering, is it common for trainers/instructors to feel this level of frustration with students? Is is typical for instructors to believe that they are doing everything possible to help their students learn, and that students are entirely responsible for their own success in a class?

So I decided to write an Open Letter To My Teacher. It’s just a draft, waiting for your additions and edits…

To My Teacher:

Thank you for caring about my success in becoming the best dog handler and guardian that I can be. As your student, I want this to be an excellent learning experience for me and my dog. Here’s how you can help:

– Begin the class at the scheduled time. If you run consecutive classes, allow enough transition time for one set of students and dogs to leave, and the next set to enter and get set up.

– Prepare learning plans. It can be flexible, but show that you have thought about what we will be doing that day.

– Be as ‘present’ as possible during the time we have together. If you find you are consistently rushed or distracted, you may be taking on too much.

– Distribute a course syllabus, guidelines for managing our dogs, class “rules”, and expectations. We want to know what is expected of us.

– Find out if anyone has any special “asks”.
e.g. Can I move my dog to the corner to give him more space?
Can I skip doing the group activity today? Benji seems more anxious than usual.
Tell us your special “asks” as well.

– Plan and organize the learning space. If you need help, decide how that will be done and what those who aren’t helping should be doing. Don’t expect us to jump in to help you arrange props and equipment without being asked.

– Help us to understand your way of working. For example, if you like to take advantage of a learning breakthrough, and will spend extra time in class working with a specific team, let us know that. Then we won’t be wondering why we’re having to wait so long for our turn.

– Let us know that we are responsible for our own comfort and well being. Visits to the washroom are completely acceptable and expected. Stopping to put on a jacket while everyone waits is ok.

– Don’t try to cram too much into one lesson. Make room for questions and reflections.

– Determine if everyone in the class will benefit from hearing your responses to an individual’s question. If so, include us all. If you feel it would be more appropriate to have a discussion with just that individual, make space to do that when we’re engaged in other activities.

– Build in time for socialization. We learn from one another, so making these connections is important.

– Understand that we all arrive to a course or workshop with different goals and ambitions.

– Admit when you’re stuck on solving a problem, or you don’t have an answer at your fingertips. Why not ask your students to jump in with ideas?

– There are infinite reasons why we might miss something you say. It could be that you are not waiting for us to be ready listen. It’s possible you are telling us too much at once, or we might be tending to the needs of our dog. Maybe we find the volume or pitch of your voice irritating. 🙂 Remember, important information is always worth repeating.

– If you choose not to address our questions because you think we should already know the answer, you are missing the point of what good teaching is.

– You could be a huge influence on what we choose to do in the future. Think beyond the specific class, and how you might help us to develop more enthusiasm for learning and advancing.

– If you notice that we aren’t understanding instructions, think how you might be more effective in delivering the information.

– Important concepts take time and effort to grasp. It might not be enough to simply tell us something. Often we need analogies, repetition, practice, examples, etc. Also keep in mind that we can learn a lot by problem solving and developing ideas on our own and with our peers.

– Create a safe environment for trying new things, making mistakes, and taking risks. At the same time, allow us to opt out of performing and speaking in front of others.

– You have a lot of expertise, and we want to learn from you. However, we also come with expertise. Provide opportunities to learn from us as well. For starters, let us help you to improve your teaching.

Thank you for listening,

Your Students

Afterthoughts, from reading comments about this open letter

– Remember that the dogs are not the only ones who need positive feedback! We need it, too. Point out areas we need to work on, but remember to reinforce our behaviour when we get it right.

Pedagogical Content Knowledge

My quest: What are some examples of powerful representations that convey complex concepts without overwhelming novice caregivers?

Have you experienced these types of exchanges in dog training? The moment when someone deep into the science of how animals learn (and sometimes that means new to the science) steps into the conversation and launches into quadrant talk? The intentions are good — to help that unsuspecting individual who asked how to keep her pup from jumping up on visitors to her house. But, aside from quadrants not necessarily being the best way to think about our interactions with dogs, does that caregiver leave the conversation with an understanding of what to do?

Here are some wise words from Ian Dunbar that I highlighted a few years ago:

The first gift that we can give to all animal owners, parents and teachers is to simplify the ridiculously ambiguous and unnecessarily complicated and confusing terminology.

Yet, I don’t come across very many examples of these ‘gifts’. Coming from a background in education and applied science, I looked to a framework that combines what we want to teach, with how to teach it.

What is Pedagogical Content Knowledge?

PCK venn diagram — Many PCK diagrams exist, but this is my own attempt at explaining to a canine professional audience

Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) is a concept introduced by Lee Shulman in the mid 1980s. In a nutshell, this work aims to highlight the special teacher knowledge that emerges from mastery of a subject area, and, through practice, the most effective ways to engage learners about those subjects.

Within the category of pedagogical content knowledge I include, for the most regularly taught topics in one’s subject area, the most useful form of representations of those ideas, the most powerful analogies, illustrations, examples, explanations, and demonstrations—in a word, the ways of representing and formulating the subject that make it comprehensible to others.

Lee Shulman – Professional Education

What do we mean by a useful form of representations of ideas?

This poster by Lili Chin is a good example to use here. It represents a complex subject in a way that is comprehensible to others. If we were to remove the operant learning lingo, it would become more appropriate for a novice caregiver audience.

The Four Quadrants

The Four Quadrants by Lili Chin CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

What are some other examples of PCK in the dog training industry?

Last month my sister, Julia Morton, and I launched a new website called Rover and Chubby — Life with dogs and humans through the eyes of Rover and Chubby, our imaginary childhood personas who seemed wise beyond their years. Julia and I spent hours and hours in character when we were kids, and we’re having the best time, some 50 years later, reliving that freedom.

We have two main goals for this project:

Engage people in stories and scenarios in an effort to go beyond explaining steps and concepts, and;
Provide resources for others to use in their own teaching and learning.

We’ve been playing with the two main ‘teaching’ categories of this website for awhile.

The Flip Side presents one situation but from two different perspectives. This can be two humans, or one human and a dog, reacting to, and making sense of, an incident. Once we got rolling on writing these stories we realized that we have bags of our own experiences to draw on — some of them real head shakers!

Ask Rover is advice offered by a dog in response to another dog’s dilemma. These are fun to write. I mean, who doesn’t like to imagine what a dog is thinking? And actually, that’s a big part of what we are asking caregivers to do — consider the behaviour you see from your dog’s point of view.

Simply put, Julia and I believe that telling a caregiver what to do is less effective than having them contemplate options and arrive at a solution for themselves. So far we’ve had good response to our Rover and Chubby posts. It will take more practice to craft these in such a way that they have broad appeal, and also invite more feedback and dialogue. Suggestions always welcomed!

More examples of PCK, please!

It goes without saying that a big part of our work as professionals in the dog training industry is centred around teaching. The ideas around PCK are worth considering when we work with our clients. Do you have examples to share?

UPDATE: An excellent article about PCK, including examples from the animal welfare sector, by Emily Douglas (AKA Peaches’ mom)

Educational philosophy statement

To avoid making a path, please vary your route — Photo by Alan Levine

Here’s a challenge. Try to come up with a twitter style (140 characters or less) educational philosophy statement. Here’s mine:

Learning should be a continuous process that invites multiple perspectives, reflective practice, and new, sometimes unplanned, experiences.

Now to tease it apart:

Learning

Many educational philosophy statements start out with the individual’s beliefs about ‘teaching’. But learning doesn’t happen because you were taught. Good teaching helps, but it’s just one type of experience that helps you to gain knowledge. The learning part is the whole shebang.

Should be

This simply implies that it isn’t always! Right?

Continuous process

We are never finished learning. I notice that dog trainers who refer to their learning as a credential are usually completely missing the point. 😉

Invites

This is the opposite of being required to do something. An invitation is attractive, evokes curiosity, and is optional.

Multiple perspectives

This suggests we should always ask questions, and seek information about different views. Learning is not about acceptance and agreement.

Reflective practice

This seems self explanatory, but what is key here is that reflective practice becomes a habit. Your goal should always be to improve your work, and therefore your profession. It’s not something you check off a list; it’s a proactive way of working and learning.

New experiences

Reading and observing are essential, but there’s no replacement for the doing. The ability to transfer knowledge and skills to new contexts is essential, and allows us to advance and refine our learning.

Unplanned experiences

My favourite part! Embrace the unexpected, bust out of the curriculum, venture into unknown territory, learn from mistakes, avoid making a path…

Use of Analogies

3921968993_9bccb97118_z — Needle in a Haystack by James Lumb

Analogies can be a powerful way to introduce new and complex topics, or to build a case for thinking differently about a phenomenon or problem. Building connections to familiar information enables the learner to instantly relate, or to apply an existing schema in a new context.

But there is a risk. Sometimes analogies can cause confusion, or result in the opposite outcome to what was intended. For example, it’s common to hear references to children when talking about dogs. Usually it’s to express horror in an event: “I mean, would you let your children bla bla bla?” This works for some, but for others this does nothing more than conjure up images of those spoiled dogs that live in handbags.

An analogy I hear all the time as a way to explain the use of classical conditioning in behaviour modification is to connect the common human fear of spiders to day-to-day fears a dog might experience. This doesn’t work at all for me. I can’t imagine that continuously feeding me chocolate in the presence of a spider will change my reaction to that spider or any future spider. I just can’t.

I’ve been thinking a lot about analogies lately, so I notice when people use them in conversation. In a recent discussion about how a professional photographer feels when asked if they feel threatened by public access to ubiquitous, inexpensive, high quality cameras, my friend Tanya Vivian said:

When you are presented a wonderful meal from a chef, no one asks what kind of stove he/she uses because it isn’t the stove that makes the magic.

Wow. Now this is a powerful analogy. If I ever thought about photography as equipment first, artist second, then I certainly won’t now.

I remember another analogy that really hit home for me (even though I now can’t recall the context!). It was about yoga practice — a reminder that NOW, this moment, is not a measure of what can be accomplished. I often think of that analogy in the context of dog training.

What makes the yoga analogy useful? Is it only powerful for me because I understand what it’s like to progress (struggle) through yoga poses?

In a local dog Facebook group I once used this analogy to illustrate why bark (shock and spray) collars should not be used.

In my mind the question we should be asking is how is the dog feeling? Sure a shock or blast of just about anything will stop the barking. If someone sat at the dinner table with a loaded slingshot aimed and ready for the moment I opened my mouth I’d probably choose to keep my mouth shut. I might even appear calm, but more likely I would be feeling helpless and miserable. You probably only have to use that slingshot once to get that behaviour.

There were many active participants in that discussion, and many more just reading along. My analogy didn’t appear to have any impact. My guess is the dog owner went out and bought a bark collar.

I wonder why. Was it too drastic? Was it taken too literally — like, were people wondering why I would have a slingshot at the dinner table? I’m not sure. Perhaps a large public Facebook group is the wrong venue to use analogies in an effort to get a point across.

Intellectually, as an educator, I know that the use of analogies can help learning. But practically, I’m not so sure how to use them in conversations about working with dogs.

How would you use analogies?

For example, what analogy could you make to explain what having a fearful dog is like? To celebrate a training accomplishment? To describe the relationship you have with your dog?

I have a feeling that analogies can be very useful in our work as positive reinforcement dog trainers/enthusiasts. We just need to figure out which ones are useful! Help!

What resonates with you?

I’ve been re-reading a book about engaging audiences called Resonate: Present Visual Stories That Transform Audiences, by Nancy Duarte. The full book is available to read online, but I also bought the print copy because I like to support people who provide free materials (that’s another topic!)

The book is full of gems about connecting with people, presenting new ideas, and compelling others to question their own ideas and beliefs. As I leaf through the book, this time using a dog training lens, so many things are popping out at me! If you get a chance to browse through, do you see what could help you with your own practice? Here are questions I’ve jotted down so far:

What are some ways to make information meaningful?
How much of what you say to clients is about YOU? Your knowledge and experience? Your reasons for doing x? Your beliefs?
How much “noise” do you contribute to your classes?

Assembling the materials

This morning I began searching for images and videos for the upcoming HELP for Your Aggressive Dog seminar. Well, now it’s afternoon and I’m far from done. This is both good and bad.

Good because it means there is an abundance of excellent multimedia related to this topic out there to use in a presentation and to anchor some good discussions. And also good because finding good materials shouldn’t be a quick process. Rather, it’s better to be mindful and selective.

Bad because so much of these materials that clearly convey what not to do are out there for public consumption. We live in a time where self determined learning is popular and encouraged. However, many people (including dog trainers) lack the skills to know if the resources are credible and reputable. This point highlights the importance of instructor presence in the learning process. With all the chaff on the Web, it’s not much wonder there are so many troubled canines in this world!

Copyright

cc-2015-share — Photo by Got Credit, CC BY 2.0

I choose to license my own materials using a Creative Commons license. That way when I share handouts, presentation slides, or anything other creations, it is very clear how it can be used. There are several licenses to choose from, and the one I use most often is Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY). This simply means that all I am asking for is attribution. The materials can be used for commercial purposes, so that includes dog trainers.

I’ve noticed that many people misinterpret Creative Commons licensing to mean giving up control over copyrighted materials. It’s quite the opposite; the license spells everything out, thereby reducing misuse. Using a Creative Commons also means that more people are likely to benefit from the materials. A real bonus is that others might revise and improve the work. What’s not to like about that?

So how does this work if I am integrating media created by somebody else? My starting point is always the Creative Commons search page. Since I’m using a CC-BY license, I look first for photos and videos that carry the same license. That keeps is it simple, although I can always use the “unless otherwise stated” phrase if I end up using works licensed with more conditions.

Photos

Generally photos are easy to find. I have the most success with Flickr. For example, when looking for images to use for the section on canine body language, a search on ‘dogs’ turned up over 840,000 images, including 45 of my own uploads. I later narrowed down my search to ‘aggressive dogs’, ‘shy dogs’, ‘guilty dogs’ and so on. It’s amazing how many people interpret a dog that is terrified of what the handler will do next as “guilt” (another topic).

Once I find a photo I want to use I download it, then collect 3 things:

URL (use the ‘share’ option to get a shortened URL)
Name of photographer
License (even though I search on CC-BY materials, I still need to double check the license assigned to the work)

Videos

While there are many places to upload videos, I’ve noticed that most dog trainers use YouTube. Fortunately, it’s possible to search just on those videos assigned a creative commons license. This is where I spent the most time. My goodness there are a lot of videos! It can be a time-consuming process.

Just as with photos, I collect the basic information I need to use the media:

URL (use the ‘share’ option to grab the link)
Name of person who uploaded the video
Check the license.

Sometimes the individual managing the YouTube channel or individual uploads does not adjust the settings to allow for downloading. Logically, if you are using a CC-BY license, you should let people export or download since the whole point is to be able to use and modify the work. If the proper settings aren’t switched on, I use an online service called SaveFrom.net to handle the downloads. It’s free and as easy as pasting in the video URL.

screen shot YouTube also has a video editing service that allows you to search and remix Creative Commons licensed works.

Note that the standard YouTube licence is effectively ‘All Rights Reserved’. This means you can view the video, but you can’t download or edit it without permission. I’m sure many people use this default license without even thinking about it. With the default license, If the author enables embedding, then you can integrate the video into a web page, but you need to clearly state it is an ‘all rights reserve’ license if your publication uses a more flexible license.

Organizing all the stuff

I will be using PowerPoint and my own laptop computer for the seminar. That way I don’t need to rely on internet access to access websites and play videos. Using PowerPoint or Keynote (Mac) is actually a really convenient way to assemble the materials. Just add media and use the notes section to keep track of attributions and points you want to make about each slide. Even if the final product is published online, PowerPoint is a convenient way to keep everything organized during the planning phase.