“Learning,” Vicki Halsey writes, “is the gateway to optimal life experiences. Learning transforms people's lives, and teaching, in any forum, is the art and science of bringing out the brilliance that drives those transformations.”
Or it should be. But what often happens is that people who teach—in classrooms, meetings, workshops, coaching sessions, or any other setting where learning happens—don't know how to transfer their great content to others effectively. They spend 70 percent of their time on what they are teaching and only 30 percent on how to teach it, when it should be the other way around.
Halsey is here to reverse that equation, laying out a comprehensive instructional design model that deeply engages and energizes learners because it focuses not on how smart they are but on how they are smart. She shows how to create content that is clear, relevant, easily absorbed, and readily retained because it is tailored to each participant's specific needs, abilities, and inclinations.
Halsey's six-step ENGAGE Model replaces the old “sit 'n' get” model with “woo 'n' do”—learners are actively drawn in and perform activities that reinforce the learning. She presents hundreds of proven ideas, strategies, and practices that will enable you to Energize learners at the beginning of any learning session; help them Navigate the new content and Generate personal meaning and relevance from it; Apply their learning to the real world; Gauge and celebrate their progress; and Extend their learning to action.
Brilliance by Design offers a systematic way to reach joyfully into the soul of learners and facilitate their brilliance so they can make a positive difference in the world.
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Shows how to dramatically improve learning by making learners, not teachers, the focus of instructional design and delivery
-
Offers a model that can be adapted to any setting
-
Filled with tips, practices and tools -- including a free online assessment of personal learning style
"Learning," Vicki Halsey writes, "is the gateway to optimal life experiences. Learning transforms people's lives and teaching, in any form, is the art and science of bringing out the brilliance that drives those transformations."
Or it should be. But what often happens is that people who teach -- in classrooms, meetings, workshops, coaching sessions, any setting where learning happens -- don't know how to transfer their great content to others effectively. They spend 70% of their time on what they are teaching and only 30% on how, when it should be the other way around.
Halsey is here to reverse that equation, laying out a comprehensive instructional design model that deeply engages and energizes learners because it keeps them front and center every step of the way. She offers a bevy of tips and techniques for developing a learner-centered mindset -- focusing not on how smart learners are, but how they are smart. Building on this foundation she shows how to create content that is clear, relevant, easily absorbed, and readily retained because it is tailored to each audience's specific needs, abilities, and inclinations.
But content, however expertly designed, doesn't teach itself. Halsey's six-step ENGAGE model makes the old "sit and git" learning model obsolete and radically democratizes the teaching process. She presents hundreds of proven ideas, strategies, and practices that will enable you to Energize learners at the beginning of any learning session; help them Navigate the new content and Generate personal meaning and relevance from it; Apply their learning to the real world; Gauge and celebrate their progress; and Extend their learning to action. Brilliance by Design offers a systematic way to reach joyfully into the soul of learners and facilitate their brilliance so they can make their contributions and realize their potential.
“Learning,” Vicki Halsey writes, “is the gateway to optimal life experiences. Learning transforms people's lives, and teaching, in any forum, is the art and science of bringing out the brilliance that drives those transformations.”
Or it should be. But what often happens is that people who teach—in classrooms, meetings, workshops, coaching sessions, or any other setting where learning happens—don't know how to transfer their great content to others effectively. They spend 70 percent of their time on what they are teaching and only 30 percent on how to teach it, when it should be the other way around.
Halsey is here to reverse that equation, laying out a comprehensive instructional design model that deeply engages and energizes learners because it focuses not on how smart they are but on how they are smart. She shows how to create content that is clear, relevant, easily absorbed, and readily retained because it is tailored to each participant's specific needs, abilities, and inclinations.
Halsey's six-step ENGAGE Model replaces the old “sit 'n' get” model with “woo 'n' do”—learners are actively drawn in and perform activities that reinforce the learning. She presents hundreds of proven ideas, strategies, and practices that will enable you to Energize learners at the beginning of any learning session; help them Navigate the new content and Generate personal meaning and relevance from it; Apply their learning to the real world; Gauge and celebrate their progress; and Extend their learning to action.
Brilliance by Design offers a systematic way to reach joyfully into the soul of learners and facilitate their brilliance so they can make a positive difference in the world.
-
Shows how to dramatically improve learning by making learners, not teachers, the focus of instructional design and delivery
-
Offers a model that can be adapted to any setting
-
Filled with tips, practices and tools -- including a free online assessment of personal learning style
"Learning," Vicki Halsey writes, "is the gateway to optimal life experiences. Learning transforms people's lives and teaching, in any form, is the art and science of bringing out the brilliance that drives those transformations."
Or it should be. But what often happens is that people who teach -- in classrooms, meetings, workshops, coaching sessions, any setting where learning happens -- don't know how to transfer their great content to others effectively. They spend 70% of their time on what they are teaching and only 30% on how, when it should be the other way around.
Halsey is here to reverse that equation, laying out a comprehensive instructional design model that deeply engages and energizes learners because it keeps them front and center every step of the way. She offers a bevy of tips and techniques for developing a learner-centered mindset -- focusing not on how smart learners are, but how they are smart. Building on this foundation she shows how to create content that is clear, relevant, easily absorbed, and readily retained because it is tailored to each audience's specific needs, abilities, and inclinations.
But content, however expertly designed, doesn't teach itself. Halsey's six-step ENGAGE model makes the old "sit and git" learning model obsolete and radically democratizes the teaching process. She presents hundreds of proven ideas, strategies, and practices that will enable you to Energize learners at the beginning of any learning session; help them Navigate the new content and Generate personal meaning and relevance from it; Apply their learning to the real world; Gauge and celebrate their progress; and Extend their learning to action. Brilliance by Design offers a systematic way to reach joyfully into the soul of learners and facilitate their brilliance so they can make their contributions and realize their potential.
“This is the book I have been waiting half my life for. Now millions of leaders, educators, coaches, therapists—all of us in the business of growing people—have an opportunity to read and apply it. It's that essential, that important.”
—Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor of Business Administration, University of Southern California, and author of Still Surprised
“Vicki Halsey is Blanchard's master learning conductor. This book is a treasure for all of us who want to ‘borrow' Vicki's thirty years of innovative design and delivery experience!”
—Ken and Margie Blanchard, bestselling authors and cofounders, The Ken Blanchard Companies
“Vicki's Brilliance Learning System plays a fundamental role in the creation of all our training. Her ENGAGE Model has enabled us to revolutionize the learner's experience.”
—Marcus Buckingham, New York Times bestselling author of Go Put Your Strengths to Work and CEO, TMBC
“Brilliance by Design is a contagious and disruptive book. Vicki's deeply personal, passionate, and reality-based approach, complemented by emerging neurosciences, calls for a radical departure from traditional learning methods. It is an inspiration.”
—Bruce H. Price, MD, Chief, Department of Neurology, McLean Hospital, and Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School
“Fresh, engaging, and spirited…connects us all to our innate brilliance and shows us how to bring out the best in ourselves and in others.”
—Lisa Dokos, Director, Leadership and Organization Development, GlaxoSmithKline
“You will never teach the same way again!”
—Keith Ferrazzi, CEO, Ferrazzi Greenlight, and author of Who's Got Your Back and Never Eat Alone
“Start a learning and performance revolution. Teach, learn, and lead so people release their brilliance with Vicki's models, stories, and insights.”
—Marshall Goldsmith, world-renowned executive coach and author of the New York Times bestsellers Mojo and What Got You Here Won't Get You There
“Dr. Halsey reminds us that what is learned is more important than what is taught and that learning takes place in the heart and mind of the student, not the teacher.”
—Sheldon Harris, former President, Cold Stone Creamery
"This powerful book reminds us that every business, political, or nonprofit leader is a teacher while providing the necessary tools to unleash brilliance in way that excites, inspires, and empowers our people. Brilliance by Design could truly be the difference between success and failure. “
—Betsy Myers, former Executive Director, Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership
“This is not a book about just training or teaching. It's about touching lives, creating lasting confidence, and igniting people's innate curiosity. If you are an educator, a consultant, a counselor, or a parent, or if you simply care about the personal and professional development of another, this is a must-read.”
—Christopher Granger, Senior Vice President, Team Marketing and Business Operations, National Basketball Association
“Teach anyone anything with Vicki's Brilliance Learning System. I LUV it!”
—Colleen Barrett, President Emeritus, Southwest Airlines, and coauthor of Lead with LUV
“No fluff, no fantasy! If you want to expand your influence as a leader, learn from a rock star in the training community how to ENGAGE people. Vicki Halsey delivers a powerful model that works. That's why companies from all over the world are using her approach. If your desire is to increase your ROI on training and creating a culture where learning changes lives, Brilliance by Design is your blueprint.”
—Kevin and Jackie Freiberg, coauthors of Nuts! and Boom!
“This book, filled with aha moments, is impossible to put down.”
-—Jan Baldwin, Co-CEO, Nth Generation Computing
“I've had the good fortune to experience Vicki's Brilliance Learning System directly, and I have brought it to WD-40 Company. When given a window into their own brilliance, your people will develop faster, learn more, and innovate at the highest level.”
—Garry Ridge, President and CEO, WD-40 Company, and coauthor of Helping People Win at Work
“Vicki leads us to the summit of true enlightenment and expertly shows us how to uncork the brilliance that lies in every person.”
—Simon T. Bailey, author of Release Your Brilliance
“Brilliantly written, easily understood, and a model for life-changing impact. Vicki's work with us at the San Diego Padres Guest Service Training to a staff of 2,000 employees and follow-up implementation evolved into one of the most talked-about fan experiences anywhere in the world.”
—Richard L. Andersen, CFE, President and CEO, Northlands
“Brilliance by Design presents a proven and powerful educational design strategy. The concepts are simple and the rewards are infinite.”
—Jim Irvine, Manager, Talent Management and Organizational Learning, Nissan North America
“This book will inspire every educator to engage every learner.”
—Marc Muchnick, author of No More Regrets!
“Unmatched in the arena of adult learning, Brilliance by Design is the culmination of best practices in one easy, juicy, digestible resource. Like Vicki herself, this book is a gift.”
—Victoria Cabot, Director of Field Operations, Vistage International
“This book should be required reading for all school administrators and teachers! Vicki blows traditional teaching methods out of the water by exposing a new generation of educational strategies that focus on delivery to ensure content mastery.”
—Melissa Holdaway, CEO and President, Arizona Charter Academy
“If every instructional designer, trainer, and teacher followed Vicki's principles, we'd all be leading richer lives filled with many more brilliant moments of our own.”
—Steve Farber, author of The Radical Leap and Greater Than Yourself
“Vicki's ‘secret sauce' is in how her ENGAGE process validates the uniqueness of each participant, liberating people to discover their native brilliance and to help others do the same.”
—Larry Ackerman, author of Identity Is Destiny and The Identity Code
“A must-have for leaders, teachers, and learning departments committed to bringing out the best in people development, learning transfer, and application.”
—Bill Dickinson, Vice President for Sales Training and Development, CareFusion
“Whether you are a university professor, kindergarten teacher, motivational speaker, or corporate trainer, the multidimensional ENGAGE Model provides powerful insights on how to craft meaningful and life-changing learning experiences.”
—R. Joseph Childs, DBA, Dean, College of Business and Legal Studies, Southeastern University
“Vicki's passion is clear and contagious—the opening chapters read like a wonderful manifesto for the power of learning.”
—Kevin Eikenberry, author of Remarkable Leadership
“To see Vicki facilitate a workshop is to see a master in her element—it's a thing of high energy, optimism, and possibilities. I witnessed the transformative effect her approach had on participants at Save the Children. One of her simple truths, ‘The one who is doing the talking is doing the learning,' is a brilliant and real contribution to the learning industry.”
—Justin Birtwell, Director, Global Workforce Learning and Development, Save the Children
“It's not only being an expert in what you teach but also understanding the impact of how you teach that can help you change the lives of those you serve. Brilliant, engaging, and powerful.”
—Peter Winick, CEO, Thoughtleadershipleverage.com
“Fractal in nature, comprehensive in content, and truly brilliant in design!”
—Shutopa Das, Learning and Performance Coach, Welk Resorts
“Vicki's zest for teaching and bringing out the brilliance in others is absolutely addictive. I know I will have to read this book at least twice and maybe three times to make sure I've dog-eared all the right pages and captured everything I can out of it.”
—Brian Hennessy, Learning and Organizational Development Consultant, Sentry Insurance
“As an academic scientist, I know that making discoveries requires that I bring out the brilliance in my students. This book will help me to more effectively teach and lead, whether in one-on-one situations or in large lecture halls.”
—Sandra L. Schmid, Professor and Chair, Department of Cell Biology, The Scripps Research Institute
“Amazing, useful, and so needed—this is the book the training world has been waiting for! Vicki's passion for creating supremely effective training comes through in every word.”
—Mike Song, CEO, getcontrol.net, and coauthor of The Hamster Revolution
“When embraced, the concepts, models, and tools in this book will create a learning environment that will serve employees, drive change, and improve results in any organization.”
—Terry McCune, President, K-Tube Corporation
“Vicki's book puts theory into practice and is the most important book you will read as a teacher and learner—period!”
—Bob Lorber, coauthor of Who Are You? What Do You Want? and Putting The One Minute Manager to Work
“How many boring lectures have we all attended, pretending to watch the speaker but completely tuned out? This never has to happen again. Astutely written, insightful, and utterly practical, Brilliance by Design reveals the secrets to optimizing adult learning processes. Vicki writes using the very principles she is explaining. Once I began reading, I couldn't put it down.”
—Jesse Stoner, coauthor of Full Steam Ahead!
“At Grand Canyon University, students rave about Vicki's sessions. In this book she translates and explains what she does, making it accessible to all who teach.”
—Taylor Carr, former Director, Ken Blanchard Executive MBA Program, Grand Canyon University
“Brilliance by Design is a must for anyone who is responsible for helping others excel and can be used to impact small groups or hundreds of participants.”
—Mike Nation, Senior Vice President, Colorado State Bank and Trust
“Despite my numerous years of teaching, I find that Dr. Halsey's book brings a fresh perspective to my craft and a renewed enthusiasm to my students.”
—Lisa Smedley, biology teacher, Rancho Bernardo High School
“This book has enabled me to foster and develop a culture of learning within my organization. The brilliance is in the design.”
—Jeff Lindeman, SPHR, MSEL, Director of Human Resources, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority
“I was able to employ immediately many of the strategies in my sessions. This book will definitely be my primary training guide.”
—Michael L. Jury, Training and Development Specialist, General Dynamics NASSCO
“Having had the privilege of learning from Vicki in the classroom, I am excited to bring her formula for successful teaching to our agency. Brilliant!”
—Robert Finn, MBA, Chief of Police, City of Southlake, Texas
“This book will maximize your training investment!”
—Marty Draude, Director, Learning and Development, Avnet, Inc.
“Vicki's models are powerful and can be useful tools to anchor and shape your total experience of life.”
—Novalena J. Betancourt, author of The Total Female Package
“As a result of reading Brilliance by Design, I improved my ability to learn, teach, and lead in the workplace. Most importantly, I was able to transfer the lessons enforced in the text to improve my role as parent to my two pre-adolescent children.”
—Curtis F. Manriquez, President, CFM Real Estate Services, Inc.
“Brilliance by Design is about knowing my own brilliance and caring for myself so that I can bring out the brilliance in others. Vicki lives what she has written.”
—Kevin Bullard, board member, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro
“The nuggets from this book have caused me to see my unique opportunity to be brilliant, and its truths have caused me to see this in others.”
—David Burk, Ken Blanchard Executive MBA Program, Cohort 7, Grand Canyon University
The Time for Brilliance Has Come
Stand and Deliver is the story of Jaime Escalante, a mathematics teacher in an East Los Angeles high school who challenged his students to achieve greatness. He dared to teach with the intention of ensuring that not only would all his students graduate from high school, but also any who aspired to go to college could go. He dedicated himself to teaching his pupils how to strive and inspiring them to learn in order to reach their fullest potential.
Escalante employed innovative teaching methods that attracted the students' attention, sparked their intelligence, and, most importantly, transformed their lives by changing their beliefs about their own talents and capabilities. Despite a wall of disapproval and disbelief, Escalante worked tirelessly to create a safe, respectful environment that constantly challenged the students to work harder, dig deeper, and reach higher plateaus of learning. Ultimately, they proved their worth to themselves and to others by passing their Advanced Placement Calculus exams in record numbers, which helped them break through the ceiling of limitations in their lives. How did Escalante do it? How did one teacher defy all odds, facilitate learning potential, and help his students transform their lives?
Be a Vision of Hope
Escalante created a mindset and a vision of hope that clearly valued learning in his classroom by consciously structuring his lessons and believing in the brilliance of his students. His deliberate learning design and genuine belief in their capabilities reframed their thinking, ignited their self-esteem, connected them to meaningful learning, and engaged them in rigorous practice to make newly acquired knowledge their own. Escalante envisioned them as hardworking students, aspiring learners, and high achievers. Then he held up the mirror so his students could see in themselves what he saw in them.
Brilliance Is a Relationship
As I read about Jaime Escalante's students claiming their brilliance and the rewards of their hard-earned success, I felt a welling of emotions—triumph, pride, inspiration, and renewed hope—that came from a core conviction we all know: Brilliance happens when someone—a teacher, mentor, speaker, leader, coach, colleague, manager, or teammate—facilitates the talents and capabilities inside us that are waiting to emerge, helps us rise to seemingly impossible heights, and challenges us at a deep level so that we, as Learners (with a capital L), demonstrate that we can reach the summit, conquer all barriers, and unleash our brilliance over and over again. Escalante was that teacher, that leader, for his students and his community.
Who was yours? Who was your Jaime Escalante, your teacher or inspiration—the person whose influence awakened you to reframe your thinking about yourself and your life, to see yourself and to reimagine your future with new eyes?
For me, it was David Wilson, American Studies professor at the University of California-Davis. Despite my well-practiced modus operandi—doing assigned readings, discerning what the professor wanted me to learn and regurgitating it, hanging in the background and not standing out in any way, and giving most learning endeavors only a fraction of my energy—David Wilson got to me. One day, I stayed after class with a few other students to ask about an upcoming project. True to form, I let the others take charge and do the talking while I hid behind them, assuming they were smarter and more capable of speaking up and taking the lead. Truth be told, I barely listened, knowing that one of my friends would fill me in. As we were leaving, suddenly, I heard my name. “Vicki, I'd like to talk with you for a few minutes if you have time.” Red-faced and feeling the uncomfortable instantaneous presence of a cold sweat, I realized that I was no longer under the radar. Wishing I could shrink like Alice in Wonderland and slip through a rabbit hole, I mustered courage and said, “Yes, sir.”
Are You Bringing Out Brilliance?
Professor Wilson asked me a question I'll never forget—a question that changed my world and helped me to see myself through his eyes: “How are we going to bring out the brilliance in you?” I was stumped. Brilliant? Me? But there he was, looking at me as if I were brilliant and expecting an answer. I tried what always had worked for me in the past—staying safe and muttering what I figured he wanted me to say. Suddenly, he slammed his hand on his desk and said, “I'm not interested in hearing what you think I want to hear; I want to know what you think. You.” Long, strained moments passed while he sat there staring at me, waiting for a reply. It was painful. I started to cry, knowing he had touched something inside me that I had suppressed for a long time. He gave me a tissue and really looked at me, still waiting, still expecting an answer. Finally, this wise, masterful teacher shared his vision of two different Vickis: one in class who withheld genius, and one outside of class who revealed her genius through the powerful insights she wrote in her papers. It was time, he said—time to bring out my brilliance.
And now it's time for you to bring out the brilliance in the thousands of others who are hiding, hoping to stay under the radar, not realizing how much they have been limiting their potential by diffusing their vision. Ask yourself: What percentage of people's brilliance am I unleashing in meetings, seminars, workshops, and keynotes? Think about it. What percentage of their full capability are people generating in your learning experiences? Are people sitting up, speaking out, asking great questions, and applying their learning as fast as they can? Or are they lying low, physically present and seemingly alert but content to listen as you do all the hard work?
Ask yourself: What percentage of people's brilliance am I unleashing in meetings, seminars, workshops, and keynotes?
Exercise: Inspiring Brilliance
It's time to pick up your pen and unleash inspiration. Let's get started right now.
Writing is a great way to get your energy flowing, to explore, and to see things in a new way. Take notes right in this book or in a separate notebook. Scribble away! Feel free to use your computer and let your fingers fly as you ponder and respond to the following revealing questions. Jot down some notes for each one, or read them a few times and write a short personal story. The writing doesn't have to be perfect; just meaningful for you. If writing feels like a barrier, talk out loud. Record your ideas with any recording device. What's important is that you do the hard work of being totally present with your thoughts and emotions by recording or writing them down. This is the first step in connecting the intellectual rigor with the emotional engagement that unlocks brilliance in yourself and others.
REFLECTION: Exercise
INSPIRING BRILLIANCE
Who has seen the brilliant you? Who helped you see yourself in a different light?
Who gave you the opening you needed to become who you are?
Who lives in your mind as a great teacher?
What did this person do to inspire you?
What did this person do to help you see yourself in a new way, accept a challenge, and be all you could be?
What stand out in your mind as key strategies that triggered your drive?
How has this influence or learning shown up and endured in your life?
Why is this important to you today—right now?
Awaken the Purpose
Professor Wilson's poignant question woke me up. I was going through the motions, disconnected from myself and what was important to me. He was the spark that fired me up to do the focused work of figuring out who I am, what matters to me, and how I wanted those things to show up in my life. The resulting self-awareness connected me to my passion for learning and teaching. Without him, I might have spent my whole life playing it safe.
Each individual is a unique combination of talents and life experiences. It's easy for gifts or talents to become temporarily or even permanently lost in the litany of perceived expectations and obligations on any given day. David Wilson forced me to connect more authentically to myself; every day since, I've realized a little more of my talent and skill in teaching and that designing high-impact learning initiatives is my passion. We all thrive on watching others come alive through learning and moving their learning into action. The skill of teaching is not innate in everyone, but bringing out the best in others can be learned. As teachers, our core purpose is to unleash brilliance—to facilitate greatness in others directly in every learning situation we lead and indirectly by training others in the art and science of teaching.
Together we can help people claim their greatness, and we can create stimulating, safe environments that facilitate the gifts of a multitude of learners so that each of them can discover and feel what it is like to make a unique contribution while moving through his or her daily life.
Help people claim their greatness.
Design a Structure That Supports Optimal Learning
Now is the time to leverage optimal learning practices. People who have a hint of curiosity await the opportunity to challenge themselves to greater meaning in their lives through new learning. Tired of sitting mindlessly in virtual or physical classrooms, meetings, or trainings, many learners are rebelling. They are finding their own ways to stimulate their brains through multitasking or going on vacations of the mind; in other words, they are showing up physically but checking out mentally. Successful people in all aspects of life and in all levels of organizations seek new learning to be current and competitive and to thrive as high performers.
A 2006 article in Training Journal reported results from a study in the United Kingdom that showed 80 percent of workers “believe training is the key to developing their careers despite many being unhappy with the quality of sessions provided.” The same study of 500 businesses and 1,300 staff also found “more than three-quarters of workers see training as a key benefit when looking for a job.” This research, which was part of a broader study in Europe of more than 1,000 businesses and 4,000 workers from Britain, France, and Germany, found similar results in all three countries.1
Your challenge: Capture the attention of these learners. Make a sacred pact. Teach and help them learn new content in a way that fully engages them and makes it possible for them to use this knowledge, do their best work, and build lasting results. At the same time, you will be creating empowered communities and organizations of strong individuals armed with new, life-changing knowledge. Like Jaime Escalante, are you determined and ready to seize the moment, to rebalance the learning equation in order to unlock brilliance in your learners and teach them so that they learn at a higher level? Your learners are. They are waiting for you.
Brilliance Learning System: How It Works
The Brilliance Learning System, represented in Figure I.1, is an educational system that will help you structure your teaching so that you maximize every learning opportunity for yourself and your learners. The system is based on three essential components that work together:
The WHO: People (Learners and Teachers)
The WHAT: Content (Ideas and Information)
The HOW: ENGAGE Learning Design Model (Strategies and Tools)
Each of these components is distinct and important. However, their true strength and effectiveness are in their relationship with each other. As learners and teachers, we can do a lot to be our best and bring out the best in others. We can prepare our content so that it is accessible, interesting, and meaningful. And we can ENGAGE learners and immerse them in the content by means of a learning design that includes strategies and tools that support their absorption of knowledge and extend to successful application.
image
Figure I.1 The Brilliance Learning System
Energy Drives Learning
Let's look at Figure I.1 again. Notice the words in the intersecting triangles that form where the circles overlap: Connect, Inspire, and Engage. These core elements emerge with the intersection of the WHO, the WHAT, and the HOW. They set in motion and sustain the all-important flow of energy that produces vital relationships, fires up the brilliance zone in learners, and results in optimal learning experiences. You and your learners connect with each other and the content in many ways and on many levels. You continuously inspire and then engage your learners. This cycle is an unending process throughout the ENGAGE Model, and it is vital to the Brilliance Learning System.
Just as our blood circulates through our bodies in an intentional, continuous flow that sustains our life, the Brilliance Learning System sets in motion a learning energy that cycles in a constant stream and builds enthusiasm, openness, active involvement, meaning, and knowledge. It maximizes our openness to learning. This openness and engagement moves us to greater depths of understanding so that ultimately learners embody the knowledge and make it their own. The powerful language and practice will free innate knowledge to connect to the new learning and release more clarity about how to move forward with this new understanding.
The ENGAGE Model
At the heart of the effectiveness of the Brilliance Learning System is the ENGAGE Model, the Learning Design component. The most salient principle of the model is what I think of as a radical shift or revolution in how we think of most classroom models: Whoever is teaching is doing the learning. Therefore, the ENGAGE Model is rich with abundant opportunities for learners to practice through teaching, actively building their own knowledge. Your role is to facilitate learning. You start as the “master teacher,” but your main role is to give enough information to enable the learner to work with and practice the new content. As you take a step back into the role of coach or guide, the learners themselves begin to teach the new content, garnering a deeper understanding, building confidence, releasing their brilliance, and making the new knowledge their own. Through this highly interactive process, you catalyze your learners to master the content you present so they can take their newly attained knowledge out into the world, generate enthusiasm for it, apply it, practice it, and avidly teach and share it—thereby maximizing your content and extending your reach.
Whoever is teaching is doing the learning.
Learning Fuels Life
Learning is a constant in our lives—a continuous journey. It requires self-discipline, dedication, hard work, and practice. Be forewarned. As with any evolution that involves change, this endeavor will not be easy. It is hard work. Like Jaime Escalante, it will require you to be relentless and mindful, positive and joyful. People will come to you eager and impatient for more—because once they experience being their best and bringing out brilliance in others, they will not settle for less.
