Core Classroom: Making Training Stick: A Playful Approach to Learning

Description: With Dr. Betsy Diamant-Cohen, Dr. Lindsay O’Neill, Paul Signorelli, Dorothy Stoltz. A three-week Core Classroom, each weekly Zoom session lasting 60 minutes (recommended but not mandatory) combined with 3 - 4 hours coursework each week.

Tired of “one-and-done” trainings that fizzle out the moment everyone logs off? You know the scene: staff leave a workshop buzzing with great ideas…and then nothing changes back at the desk.

Strengthen your training skills through this three-week virtual class and discover principles and strategies to make learning actually stick and get used on the job. Our team of experienced instructors will playfully guide you to design a training you can use to boost skill development and ROI without needing extra budget, staff, or magic.

This is a 3-week virtual workshop that combines self-paced work with optional live interaction. Each week includes: assignment activities to complete on your own, plus, one live Zoom group discussion (recommended but not mandatory).

Although the course is self-paced, participants are expected to try one or two new strategies each week and report their observations and results — what worked and what didn’t. Two reporting options: 1) share verbally during the live Zoom session, or, 2) post in the discussion forum.

Not only will you learn from the instructors, but you will benefit from other participants. Perfect for libraries of any size – walk away with simple, light-touch strategies you can start using tomorrow.

Weekly, instructor-moderated chat sessions are the only live course events that students are asked to attend but not mandatory.

The course is 3 weeks in length. Students have 24/7 access to the course material. Instructors moderate live weekly chat discussions and provide instruction. Seats are limited and sessions often sell out in advance. Reserve your spot now

Objectives:

Participants will be able to:

1. Demonstrate the ability to create well-being in their work by using the entrepreneurial spirit through:

o Starting with the end in mind

o Tapping dignity, unity, and harmony in thinking and daily activities

o Creatively reducing bureaucracy

2. Explain at least three actions successful librarians take to activate discernment when prioritizing and making decisions.

3. Cite at least three resources that can help further hone skills in fostering well-being in their work.

Course Instructors:

Dorothy Stoltz

Dorothy Stoltz is a professional librarian, author, trainer, and consultant. The majority of Dorothy’s long library career was at Carroll County Public Library in Maryland, where she retired as Director for Community Engagement. She is currently serving as president-elect for the ALA Learning Round Table and on the board of DVA and More (Drug and Violence Awareness).

In 2021, Dorothy founded Waldo Publishers, LLC, inspired by Ralph Waldo Emerson's Activate ab intus – to activate within – the ability to develop our inner best and bring it to all that we do. Waldo Publishers presents and publishes books which encourages thinking and learning – with the overarching goal to enlighten humanity.

Dorothy spearheaded a public library research-tested study that demonstrated a causal relationship between early literacy training for adults and enhanced children’s school readiness skills. The study led to publications, articles, and conference presentations on a full range of topics related to training, peer learning, and professional development:

Waldo Publishers: Activate Peer Learning in Your Library and Community (2023)

ALA Editions:

“A Roundtable of Learning: A Poem” (ALA’s Learning Exchange Newsletter, March 2025)

“Activating Our Intelligence: A Common-Sense Approach to Artificial Intelligence” (Information Technology and Libraries, September 2024)

“Nurture Creative Thinking Skills” (ALA’s Learning Exchange Newsletter, June 2023)

Recent presentations, trainings, and classes taught:

Public Library Association panel webinar: “Ten Tips to Upgrade Your Thinking About AI Technologies”
Library Juice Academy course: “Family Service Partnerships through Outreach Programming”
ALA Learning Roundtable webinar: “Six Thinking Hats”

Dorothy’s website is https://waldopublishers.com/consulting, and she can be reached at stoltzcreative@gmail.com

Dr. Betsy Diamant-Cohen

Dr. Betsy Diamant-Cohen is the creator of the Mother Goose on the Loose (MGOL) award-winning early literacy program and Executive Director of Mother Goose on the Loose, LLC. Experience working in public libraries, children’s museums, home daycares, and a preschool has given Betsy a unique perspective on children’s learning. She fervently believes in learning through play, and is known for explaining research in easily understandable language that integrates findings into practical activities.

Betsy travels around the country and abroad, presenting trainings to children’s librarians and early childhood educators that expand upon the how and why it is important for parents to talk, sing, share books joyfully, and play with their children from birth! Over 12,000 librarians and educators trained by Betsy are applying what they learned to support parents/caregivers and the children in their care to build a wide variety of skills that will help them throughout life. She also offers webinars and is teaching "Creating Inclusive Storytime Programs" for Library Juice Academy.

Betsy is a prolific writer, creative thinker and charismatic presenter who has been recognized for “revolutionizing the way storytimes are presented to young children at libraries across the country.” Co-author of the “Research Roundup” column in Children and Libraries magazine since 2014 and author of numerous books published by ALA Editions, Neal-Schuman, and Libraries Unlimited, Betsy was chosen as the 2022 recipient of the Association for Library Service to Children’s Distinguished Service Award and the 2018 Alex Vattemare Award for Creativity in Libraries.

Her website is mothergooseontheloose.com and she can be reached at betsydc@mgol.org.

Dr. Lindsay O'Neill

Lindsay O’Neill is the principal instructional designer and consultant of Lindsay O’Neill Consulting LLC. Lindsay consults with and trains faculty and librarians on effective pedagogy, instructional design, educational technology, elearning development, open licensing, and accessibility, and offers regular webinars and courses on these topics. She holds a Doctor of Education as well as a Master of Library and Information Science and has 15 years of experience in developing learner-centered experiences. Lindsay is also faculty in Learning Design and Technology at University of San Diego. She can be reached at lindsay@lindsayoconsulting.com or through lindsayoconsulting.com.

Paul Signorelli

Paul Signorelli, a San Francisco-based writer/trainer-facilitator/presenter/consultant, serves as Library Advocacy Training Project Manager for the California Library Association and was Director, Volunteer Services and Staff Training at the San Francisco Public Library for many years. He designs and facilitates creative, results-oriented learning opportunities for onsite, online, and hybrid (online-onsite) sessions across the U.S.; was involved in a project (under the auspices of the Arizona State University ShapingEDU project) to document changes occurring in learning during the first two years of the COVID pandemic; and frequently facilitates learning opportunities designed to foster conversation and positive action in learning, leadership, and collaboration.

Paul is author of Change the World Using Social Media (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021), which captured the stories of advocates working in libraries and a variety of other settings, and co-author of “Workplace Learning and Leadership” (ALA Editions, 2011), and he continues to work with individuals and organizations to help them hone their collaboration skills to create productive coalitions to produce positive results. He recently co-facilitatated the Public Library Association webinar “Ten Tips to Upgrade Your Thinking About AI Technologies; several library-advocacy workshops at the California Library Association Annual Conference in Riverside, California; and a half-day workshop on developing community and collaboration for the MARINet library consortium in Marin County, California. He also has extensive experience working on nonprofit boards, including the UCLA Daily Bruin Alumni Network, where he is co-VP of Professional Development (helping students on the campus newspaper develop their skills) and Interim Vice-President of the organization’s Board of Directors, and the ATD (Association for Talent Development) South Florida Chapter board, where he served as Director of Social Media. He blogs at http://buildingcreativebridges.wordpress.com and can be reached at paul@paulsignorelli.com.