Discussion Board: Pros/Cons of Different Types of Facilities Su20
This discussion board is set up to allow you to comment on the Pros/Cons of Different Types of Facilities. Please post two benefits and two challenges for each of the facility types that you chose to reflect upon. When you have completed your post, please take time to read through the comments of others. Compare their notes to yours and jot down any information that you feel may be useful to you as you begin to look at venues for future training.
Click “Post Reply” once you have finished sharing your benefits and challenges.
Child care center- Providers are in their element. They feel comfortable, at ease, and not intimidated. On the other hand, they may not have “adult friendly” tables and chairs or enough room for a large crowd.
Libraries are nice to hold meetings, if they have a conference room. They are quiet and will normally provide items you may need, such as a projector. But, are they too quiet? I’ve been to trainings in a library before where the participants got a little loud. This was frowned upon by the library employees.
Pros of Child Care Center:
* Most participants are already on location and there will be less chance of having to turn someone away for a late arrival.
* Classroom(s) can be used in examples for training topic. Participants from other schools can see examples of shared ideas.
Cons of Child Care Center:
* Technology might not be accessible so I would have to bring my own. Setting up technology may also be a challenge.
* Lack of enough adult seating, and probably no adult tables means participants may be uncomfortable.
Pros of Hotels:
* Available technology sources
* Adult tables and Chairs
Cons of Hotels:
* Technology support might not be readily available
* Participants may have trouble arriving on time if it is a large conference that requires them to walk a long way between sessions.
Definitely lack of adult-sized furniture. There is nothing worse than having a meeting or training and having to sit in the child-sized chairs.
Our pros and cons about Child Care Centers are pretty much the same. It would not be my 1st choice mostly because of comfort and where to set up, but I understand the need for Employers to train more than one employee at a time in one evening. It can be a struggle to make sure everyone is
getting their required hours each year.
I have been fortunate to attend a few training sessions in local libraries and have found them to be very comfortable. The rooms were away from general public so we didn’t have to by extra quiet. I had forgotten about those sessions until I started this reply. I’m glad you were able to remind me.
Community College is the best choice when planning an all-day training because the classrooms are large, and tables and chairs are already set up and ready for students. there is usually a variety of rooms available for use.
Bathrooms are easily accessible and there is a nice space for registration.
Some problems may be: you have to have a contact person who will get permission for use, and you may have to pay for security and janitorial use.
Hello everyone,
I think all of this locations have their benefits and challenges, however, if I think about my own experience, it is really powerful to have the training “at home” which means in the same environment where educators work, specially when developing a “hands on” training, this way teachers can share strategies and apply the content provided. Another benefit is the fact that gives some comfort and is a safe place for the public so that they could focus without being distracted by new unfamiliar factors. The challenges could be the fact that there are teachers who don’t want to be in the same place where they work as it makes them feel like they don’t have a break so it affects their disposition and atention. Another challenge is more related to the environment and how there are some settings that are not comfortable to be in and that don’t promote atention (infrastructure, noise, proper media or tools to support the trainer).
Thank you al for reading,
Maria
I reflected on Hotels and Community Centers
Hotels pros- I could stay on site and no travel was involved and they provided breakfast
Hotels Cons- I had a hard time checking in early before training started and I had a hard time checking out before training started on the last day. I had to take care of this during my lunch breaks.
Community Center pros- I knew the location and it had a big space available.
Community Center Cons- The temperature inside always seems cold or hot, its crowded and no snacks provided.
I agree with you pros and cons of hotels. Nice facilities for training…however, when staying overnight there are some time restraints related to the hotel stay and interfere with training. Like you, I can remember trying to check out during breaks and get my luggage to my care and then back to training.
I selected Child Care Centers and Community Colleges.
The pros of using child care centers is that you will have a private area, if used after work hours. You will also have a wide area to work in and can re-arrange furniture if needed.
The cons of using child care centers are that the seating can be a challenge as adult sized chairs will generally be limited.
The pros of using a community college is that generally large rooms can be used, if scheduled prior. This would generally provide ample seating as well.
The cons of using a community college is that confidentiality could be compromised. Others could enter the room by mistake. It may be difficult to contain the noise level outside of the room.
Hello FET colleagues,
I will reflect on Child Care Centers and Meeting Halls/Community Centers
Child Care Centers: Pros-Staff are usually on site as many teachers and staff may work in the center.
Cons: Staff may have to meet in break rooms, smaller conference rooms, classrooms with child sized furniture and the hallway( When I was a teacher we used to have hallway meetings we would sit in the doorway of our classrooms and this was an awful practice because we met during nap time and not all the children were asleep/in view of teaching staff) .
Meeting Halls/Community Centers: Pros-Space for large groups, access to audio equipment, possible access to bathrooms and food/vending machines during break time.
Cons: Cost to rent the building, schedule conflicts (other events occurring during trainings).
Please post two benefits and two challenges for each of the facility types that you chose to reflect upon.
I will reflect on the benefits and challenges of childcare centers classroom and Libraries. The two benefits of training at a childcare center is that the staff is already presents and everyone should be on time to the training. The two challenges are, not having access to enough adults size furniture and having adequate adult space in a childcare classroom. The benefits of training at a Library is in most cases, the training space is free of charge and your will have access to comfortable adult size furniture. The challenges are in many cases, you can’t have drinks or food and the conference room availability might be limited.
Good point regarding training at the childcare center…most staff should already be there to participate in training. It will not be something extra or somewhere they have to go.
Two benefits from places would be a place where there is plenty of room to be able to seat comfortably and have enough space to do everything the training is offering. The next thing would be how long the training is this will allow you to pick a place maybe people could eat and still listen to the training. Some cons would be not having enough space for everyone and people with their phones and not listening to the training make sure the rules and expectations are clear before the training.
I chose community Colleges for their quiet space, adult seating and tables with good lighting.
Close to restrooms and snacks if needed. Pros could be travel time and walking distance from parking lot to room of choice, days available.
I also chose a hotel, also for adult seating, comfort And lighting, away from noise distractions. Close to restrooms and snacks. Pros could also be travel distance and availability.
In Child Care Centers, trainers and adult learners can make use of classrooms and classroom materials for demonstration and/or practice. In addition, being in their own center can be “comfortable,” as in familiar, for adult learners, without the added stress of commuting somewhere else, trying to find the place, not knowing what amenities of comforts to expect or what they need to bring along. On the other hand, the center may be physically uncomfortable for adult learners if proper seating and work space is not available. Being in their own center could also be “too close to home” for some adult learners, not feeling like a learning environment for them. There also might not be the tech a presenter desires readily available in a child care center.
In a hotel, as many conferences I have attended have been, the space is usually physically comfortable for adults. It is high capacity, versatile, and tech ready. However, the hotel conference room is very disconnected from school life and might not help the learner transfer the ideas back to their classroom from this foreign environment. There is also the problematic unavailability of classroom materials which may be desirable for demonstration or practice. It can feel impersonal or cold, too, not as welcoming as a more private space.
I will discuss the pros and cons regarding training locations held at Community Centers and Hotels.
Community Centers
Pros Cons
* Typically Free to rent *Limited wifi and internet
*Accessibility of Parking * Inconvenient to set up and dismantle of chairs and tables *Can bring outside snacks/drinks * No access to office equipment (copy machine, projector,
microphone, etc)
Hotels:
Pros Cons:
*Internet access and free wifi *Expense for Trainer to rent
*Access to business office equipment *Potential expense for trainees to park
*Can be catered *Cost to travel to hotel
*Professional setting (tables, chairs
projectors, microphones & screens)
Community College/Schools
Pros: Large spaces designed for seating, technology and has space for breakout sessions.
Parking for participants is readily available.
Cons: Some may struggle with transportation to the training site.
There is a cost associated with renting most of these spaces.
Libraries
Pros: The setting: A historically primed environment for curiosity and learning.
Public transportation often has routes to or near libraries for easy accessibility to participants.
Cons: Can’t always control environment such as room arrangement or temperature.
May have restrictions on snacks and beverages.
I reflected upon past training events at hotels and child care centers. Two pros for using hotels are: generally there is ample parking and the facility itself is usually convenient to major highways and restaurants/attractions for longer trainings. Cons to using hotels can be: if the hotel is very large navigating from space to space (or simply from parking to training location) can be difficult. Additionally, due to large size of hotel conference rooms, the space can feel impersonal.
As for child care centers the pros are what many of you have mentioned: the staff will already be there, or at least be familiar with getting there and travel times. Having training in your work facility also provides a level of comfort and ease since you spend lots of time there and don’t have to think about how to navigate the building. The cons to child care centers are: the previously mentioned child sized furniture and lack of space for note-taking by participants.
Community Colleges/Schools
Pros:
*Large Auditoriums
*Gives you the mind set you are there to learn
*Most have state of the art technology
*Space available for breakout rooms
Cons:
*Campus may be large and to spread out
*Cost may be extremely high
*No one to help with technical support if its the weekend
Hotels
Pros:
*Spend the night/Don’t have to drive to meeting place
*Large Conference Rooms
*Spacious room at tables/nice chairs
Cons:
*Have to set up conference room
*May be expensive to rent conference room/may have to use personal money if spending the night
*May not have the mindset of learning in Hotel environment
When thinking of the benefits of attending a training at a child care center, the first two things that come to mind are the familiar environment and easily-accessible materials for examples and demonstrations. I think the familiar location can also be a challenge. When I’ve attended trainings in child care centers, my place of employment or not, I feel like I can get distracted by thinking about work, what I need to do for the classroom, ideas for my room if I’m in someone else’s classroom, etc. Another challenge when we have had trainings at our own center is the busyness of it. If it’s during hours, there will be interruptions from someone needing to talk with you, from the phone, etc.
For trainings located in hotels, I think the benefits are the access to technology and other equipment (the screen is big enough for everyone to see) and the physical space is usually comfortable (adult-size chairs and tables). Some of the challenges that I remembered when reflecting on this included the amount of movement in and out of the room or in the hallway by training participants, which can be distracting, and the lack of tables in some trainings, which makes it difficult to take notes. I always feel like I’m going to drop my notebook or computer.
Child Care Centers: Participants are in their element and comfortable. Some may have stayed after work, which was convenient for them. It is also easier for them to control the temperature of the room. On the other hand, they will have to sit in small child size chairs and at short tables after having worked all day.
Libraries: The atmosphere is quieter and the tables and chairs are adult friendly. In the libraries, the trainers will have a better access to media and technology.
The downfall is the temperature control. I have a tendency to freeze and have heard many complaints during trainings because of the temperature.
I will comment on the use of child care environment and public libraries.
One obvious benefit of the child care environment is that the participants are familiar with the environment, so no time needs to be spent on directions (either to the location or the location of the bathroom, kitchen, etc.) and the participants are already comfortable in the environment. If materials are needed, they are available, and the learners could discuss and envision immediately how to implement some elements of the training. However, being in the environment also has its downsides. One is that it may feel like “work” versus an opportunity for creative engagement in learning. Sometimes a fresh place brings new energy to discussion and engagement. Additionally, some participants may find themselves multi-tasking (I’ll just cut out these construction paper shapes while I’m listening, for example) which could detract from their engagement.
The public library could be a very nice place for a workshop, as many have private meeting rooms for both small and larger groups, and those rooms are typically outfitted with connectivity, smart boards, etc. that would be conducive to presenting to a group. On the downside, some libraries limit the time of use in the meeting rooms to 2 hours, so it would be impossible to hold a day-long session. There also would likely not be access to a kitchen area to keep lunches cold, get a drink, etc.
Community College/ Schools
Pros: usually a lot of space for big groups, i.e. in large auditoriums or classroom, and most colleges and schools are accessible to people with all abilities
Cons: having to reserve the space if you are not affiliated with the school and potential difficulties scheduling around school days/classes, etc.
Child Care Centers
Pros: if you are going to a specific center to train the staff there, it is usually easy to have a good turn out of staff and it is a comfortable space for them
Cons: sometimes having a large space for everyone can be difficult and there can sometimes be a lack of furniture that meets the needs of everyone in the training.
I have had training at hotels and conference centers. The pros of these facilities is that they are designed for meetings and have amenities such as adult furniture, available restrooms, water, and technology (screen, microphone, etc).
The cons of training in these locations is that they are usually not local and I have had to drive.
I have had other training within the school/center setting. These pros are that they are close and have many of personal items (jacket, snacks, drinks) nearby. A BIG con is that the setting is not adult friendly. I have sit through 6 hours of training in a child-size chair at a child-size table. It was very uncomfortable and not able to stay focused.
Libraries and churches also allow for a great place to hold a training. They allow a meeting space with adult-sized table and chairs. Restroom and kitchen facilities may also be available. A pro of these locations is that they can be local to the trainees. Also, they may give the option to set up the learning environment as the trainer wants by moving table and chairs.
I agree with a previous comment that by having a training at the center/school, teacher may multi-task on work they need to get done, not giving complete attention to the speaker another comment I thought was interesting is that “Sometimes a fresh place brings new energy to discussion and engagement.”
I think many teachers enjoy getting away from the classroom setting and being with other adults in an area designed for adults.
Pros to hotels is free wifi, designated board rooms, usually located near food for breaks, and if travelling you can stay at the hotel you are training at
Cons to hotel is a lot of foot traffic (noise), board rooms are often minimal and they lack services like smart boards.
Hotels:
-Pros: most hotels have a large enclosed rooms so there will be space for a lot of people
Cons: the space could be too large and hard to hear. could be hard to find the room.
Community colleges/schools:
Pros: the rooms are already set up for learning, and technology is there
Cons: most campus are big so its hard to find location of the room, parking could be far away from the classroom- which is weather is bad it is a problem, or with disabilities.
Community Colleges/Schools:
– Pros – Cons
* Plenty of adult space. * Parking can be far from where you will be attend the training.
* Large restrooms. * Schedule around anything that the school has scheduled.
Hotels:
– Pros – Cons
*Meeting rooms * More expensive
*Wi-fi & technology * Early check-out (trainings go past check-out times)
Having at the child care center keeps people in an environment that they are comfortable in but they could be too comfortable and not be able to focus because they look around the room and see all the things they could be doing. Having your training off site could help them focus and it would have adult size furniture.
Child Care Center
Benefits:
Hosting a training at a child care center can ensure that staff members know where the training will be held. In some instances it will help to eliminate or cut down on travel time for participants, especially those for those working at the facility. The director/staff can also help with the selection and setup of the training space. It also can increase the rate of training attendance since it is at the participants workplace. The trainer can avoid having find a suitable training space and rental cost.
Challenges:
Child care centers are setup to accommodate the needs of children. The space has child-sized furnishings, rest areas, and very limit adult seating.
The training needs to be conducted outside of regular hour of business (after hours/weekends).
Employees may not have child care lined up for their own children, which can create the problem of children being present during the training. If parents are supervising their children during a training they cannot fully focus on the content being presented.
Meeting Halls/Community Centers
Benefits:
Hosting a training at a meeting hall/community center can provide a central location that is easy to find.
The facility has a large space and adult-sized furnishings and various accommodations available for use.
Challenges:
Availability of space. Is the trainer able to book the space the for date(s) of the training?
Rental Cost. Is the space affordable?
Places of Worship-
Child Care Centers-
Sorry, accidentally sent it before I was finished!
Places of Worship-
Pros-Not many other people around, cons
Depending on the place of worship, they may not have technological capabilities the trainer
needs
Cons-May be uncomfortable for some participants if they have strong beliefs about religion
Availability may be limited because of use of facility (services, different groups using the
space)
Child Care Centers
Pros-Easy to stay after work and complete training
Interesting to see another center, how they are set up for the children etc
Cons-Uncomfortable seats, table-too small
Atmosphere is not work oriented, too informal
Child care centers: Pros:
Learning materials for children and classroom set – ups are easily observable. Often, our quality training’s focus on these items and learning about that in the actual setting will be more conducive to positive change occurring from what is learned in training, than learning about those items in a room without observable examples. The other venefit to child care programs who may be cash strapped, it the center is free of charge for after hours staff training and staff will already be there in the evening after closure cuts down on travel.
Cons:
Staff work long hours in their classrooms or offices and a training in a different location can provide a much needed break away from the work environment. Having to work 8 plus hours in the center then extend the day for another two hours of training can be stressful and draining.
There is not usually enough adult size furniture for all staff, to group together for training in the center, so staff often are utilizing child size furniture, which is not physically comfortable.
Hotels:
Pros: Plenty of configurable space in meeting room locations, good internet access for multi media usage in the training setting. On-site lodging is available for participants of multi – day training’s and conferences, which is convenient.
Cons: The environment temperature, lighting etc is not usually very controllable and often not ideal. The bathrooms and access to outdoors is often not conveniently located to the training room area. Cost is very high for usage of hotel conference/training room facilities.
1. Community Colleges
Pros for College: There is plenty of parking, although could be spread out, which could be a con. Meetings rooms are typically very large in size with room setup as a bonus by college staff. There are several restrooms and water fountains accessible.
Cons for College: Places to eat for an all day training were a drive distance away, which caused some to return back late to training. Classes were still in session, so with some student activity, this was a distraction.
2. Community Meeting Space
Pros: This location was easy access from the highway and pretty easy to find. There was coffee setup in another room with vending machines and restrooms were conveniently located.
Cons: The parking was horrible with people double parking in some instances. There was limited technology assistance for issues that occurred with the audio.
Hotel: Pro- Large meeting space. Accommodating to individuals who have to travel for training.
Con- Costly. Requires advanced pre-planning and registration. Possible registration costs.
Community Center- Usually low cost or free. Spacious. Potentially free registration fee.
Con- Space may be limited. Requires advanced planning due to high demand of space.
Child Care Centers/ Pros : would be that the staff that are at that particular center, do not have to go somewhere else,, and are of course more comfortable for them. Cons: the staff could try to work on undone projects, and also they could horseplay more than the guest participants.
Place of worship/ space would probably be fine, and free if the trainer is a member of the church. Cons: Seating to write, depending on where the meeting is. Noise control could be a problem if other groups are meeting on that day
I choose Community Centers/Meeting Halls:
I have done a good amount of trainings for a wide variety of folks. Knowing who you are presenting to, what your topic is and how interactive or active the participants will be plays a HUGE role in the space chosen. That’s not even taken into consideration cost, time and comfort to participants.
In most community locating something that fits the needs could utilize the community centers and meeting halls. Benefits: They are used to a variety of gatherings- dances, weddings, reunions, parties, etc. They also are likely to have the flexibility of scheduling if planned in advance and physically close to participants if you are targeting one area. Big win-Adult sized chairs!!
Downsides: People have to get from childcare centers there. There may be a cost involved, if not for space, then for cleanup.