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Wil’s workshop was so fantastic! We traveled across so many science domains: earth, chemistry, botany, meteorology, biology, neurology…etc.  What a whirlwind tour! The central topic could easily be connected to so many inquiry pieces. Wil was expertly delivering information, giving time for comments and questions, and keeping interest at a high level. I specifically noticed that he expanded and gave value to each person’s input as well as immediately catching when someone needed more attention. We were all engaged in this challenge of discovering where the wines were made and that aspect gave excitement. There was also an important social connection to learning about wines in that it may advance your ability to start conversations in group gatherings.  This is a vital skill to develop in our culture -not to mention a key component of the Summer Institute.
Wil first organized the materials in advance of our participation. This is a good management tool, in addition, it heightens the curiosity and interest in what’s about to happen. The placement of the materials also allowed us to easily understand the work to be done spatially rather than reading a set of instructions. In many classrooms students can get bogged down in language and possibly lose that first rush of excited anticipation. During the lab portion some steps were done individually to engage a learning process that was comfortable for each person but there were points all along where the whole group was connected so Wil could give information or keep the group on track. No one was left behind.  The web resources used were appropriate, valuable and engaging. Content information was delivered without any lost momentum. Wil continued to value comments and answer fully all questions. He moved through the entire workshop with a confident, pleasant and experienced style. His belief in the significance of his material was apparrent and was transferred to his audience seemingly without effort. Valued by all facilitators, this skill alone was a striking success.
I really enjoyed the workshop even though I have only a slight interest in wines. Wil gave so many aspects to this subject that I think all were totally engaged. Wil was an excellent model for all of us, wonderful work that I will remember.