T R A I N I N G

  But in reality "out there" most TOTs are plain training courses with no or little preparation of participants on how to replicate the instruction they are receiving, so the process stops after the "TOT": the snowball never grows to an avalanche. This is why TOTs have gradually lost their credibility in most of our eyes. How did it happen?

  There are, at least, two reasons for it.

1. Misunderstanding the concept of TOT. Most TOTs are designed on the assumption that participants do have all the basic training skills for the process and that they need introduction only to the new content area. This is a wrong approach for two reasons:
   1. You can never separate content from process.
   2. Most of TOT participants are not experienced, self-designated trainers, who picked up their training skills by doing it after a couple of experiences as participants. This is not a problem at all as long as the needs assessment is comprehensive enough and the TOT design is made accordingly, which unfortunately is not the case.
2. Lack of real TOTs. Most trainers have no first-hand experience of authentic TOTs so they have no model to follow.

  What can be done to restore the reputation of TOT? Providing good TOTs and making their design and documentation accessible for interested parties.

  I am one of those lucky 35 who participated in an excellent environmental education TOT of US Peace Corps in September in Poland. Participants came from Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Bulgaria, Albania, Romania, the Ukraine, Moldova, Mali and Guinea.

  The workshop had five objectives:

1. Enhance environmental education in the Eastern and Central European region;
2. Enhance the skills of local trainers in the region to design and conduct environmental education training;
3. Introduce environmental education materials to support environmental education training and programs;
4. Enhance the quality of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) programs through environmental education infusion;
5. Explore the application of computer and electronic technologies to environmental education.

  Let's see what were the critical elements of the success of this TOT:

• thoughtful needs assessment in time (four months prior to the TOT);
• collaboration among fundraisers, organizers and participants was well-coordinated;
• collaborators: Environmental Protection Agency, North American Association for Environmental Education, US Peace Corps, USAID;
• participants were given full responsibility for planning and delivering the second day of the four-day TOT by using "Open Space Technology;"
• the TOT was facilitated by a team of three experienced trainers of very different but complementary personalities that provided participants with versatile presentation style to meet their diverse learning preferences;
• demonstrations of both training theories and techniques - e.g. how to conduct an effective workshop, effective use of TOT resource materials, time management skills that are appropriate for adult learners, different ways of monitoring and evaluating a workshop, effective presentations skills, using participants as primary resource - were modeled and practiced throughout the TOT;
• essential concepts of workshop were revised;
• daily schedule ran 9:00 am through 5:00 pm to leave enough time to relax, play and network;
• participants were provided with relevant and copious resource materials at the end of the workshop to take home with them.

  This TOT was especially effective as participating Peace Corps country teams were given much TOT resources including a disc with TOT session designs as well as a list of environmental education organizations with their Internet addresses, PLUS an excellent selection of 50 plus (!) publications on environmental education called Environmental Education-Technical Information Packages (EE-TIPS) to further support their development in various aspects of environmental training/education. What is more, "just" to make sure that the critical mass is really reached, each participating country was given the opportunity to receive through an application process another set of twenty of EE-TIPs in the near future.

  If you are interested in the design of this TOT, and/or the list of EE-TIPs publications, and/or you have further questions, please contact Andrea Deri, Peace Corps/Hungary or the EMTC Network. I hope next time you are invited to a TOT you know what kind of questions you have to ask to make sure your expectations of TOT will be met. Long live TOT!

Andrea Deri, Program Manager/Environment, Peace Corps/Hungary: aderi@budapest.uspc.hu