GET MOVING! ENERGY RECHARGERS FOR VIRTUAL TRAINING
Energy rechargers are a participatory professional development strategy used to keep trainees involved and ready to learn. Rechargers are particularly important during virtual trainings which can degenerate into a “sit and git” for participants. When trainers are not creative and planful, participants may become bored, distracted, and disengaged.

In virtual training, rechargers may be mental or physical, and may or may not relate to the content. Rechargers that are unrelated to the content should be quick! Consider trying one of these physical strategies.
  • Air Writing: Ask trainees to stand and write a key vocabulary term or a short phrase in the air using their whole arm. Repeat with a foot.

  • Stand if True: Ask learners to stand for true statements and remain seated if the statement is false. Read a short series of content-related statements--all of which are true--so that participants stand up and sit back down several times.

  • Touch Three Walls: Give participants 30 seconds to go touch three walls of the room and return to their seats.

Remember to do the recharger yourself. Bob Pike writes that “Learning is directly proportional to the amount of fun you have.” These rechargers are fun, provide a change of pace, and give virtual participants a quick boost of energy to continue learning. 
REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:
Pluth, B.P. (2010). Webinars with wow factor: Tips, tricks, and interactive activities for virtual training.
Pluth Consulting. Bloomington, MN.
OPPORTUNITIES:
Given the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person professional development opportunities are curtailed indefinitely. The VCPD 101 and 102 trainings planned for June 2020 are cancelled. Check the VCPD website at  www.vcpd.net  for information regarding upcoming webinars as well as a wide variety of online learning resources.

Pointers for PD Providers is a publication of the Virginia Cross-Sector Professional Development (VCPD) Team. VCPD members collaborate to provide leadership promoting high quality, coordinated, cross-sector professional development. Our members prepare early childhood personnel to support all children (prenatal to age five) and their families in home, school, and community settings. This includes infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with disabilities and special health needs; and children who experience risk factors for school readiness, economic disadvantages, and/or cultural and linguistic diversity.