Thoughts on the Training Session

The topic for the 1st half of the training session was “Mentoring Teens in the Internet Age”. I thought the talk was well-delivered and was at an acceptable pace. The talk’s purpose was probably to serve as a good introduction (or a rude shock?) to parents who had not been previously exposed to the world of online activities. But to most people who are already familiar with the majority of the talk’s content, it may have seemed a little boring.

In the end, the talk did its job: it was educational, with its analysis on digital divides, and the problems of online blogging influences & gaming addictions. It laid out the complexities of a difficult problem, and presented the challenge facing parents and educators, all in an easily-digestible format.

The 2nd half’s topic was “Achieve Your Breakthrough in Learning Difficulties” by Dr Doris A. The verdict on this talk is a bit more controversial; whether the talk was good or bad was a matter of opinion. I’m of the opinion that it was bad.

In all fairness, we should understand what is not part of this criticism. That the speaker had a genuine real-life experience, and is sincere in wanting to help others; this is something probably not subject to doubt. There was also no known intention to mislead.

However, as the talk progressed, something inside me cringed a little when I started to feel I was in the middle of an MLM talk. The traits were there: the promotion of a product that seemed too good to be true, oversimplification of a complex issue, over-repetition of few simple points.

A quick search on the web reveals that the Irlen method is indeed not without controversy (“Critics claim that the symptoms of those with Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome are related to already known visual disorders.”) The failure to at least acknowledge the existence of the controversy probably undermines the credibility of the talk.

Another thing that probably did not sit well with the audience was the over-emphasis on a single topic (the Irlen method). The broader issues associated with Dyslexia, and alternative methods of treatment seemed to have been ignored or brushed over.

Overall, I felt that both halves of the training session were at least informative. (I did not know about cherry credits or Irlen method before that day.) Even if there were parts where the pace was a little slow (I took 2 naps that afternoon.)

C."Fair and Balanced"Yang