Twinning is a system used in training. Two students studying the same course or materials are paired and work together on theory and on practical drills. They are said to be Twins. There are some rules and principles guiding this system in order to make it fully effective and beneficial. It is obviously important in practical drills as the students need somebody to work with. But having an assigned Twin throughout the course greatly helps a student over rough points and makes the whole activity more effective and enjoyable. Several methods of Word Clearing need to be done during a course and unless a professional Word Clearer is available, are done with another student so Twins are often required to help one another.
One reason twinning is so useful is that it brings students, who are only willing to sit passively and listen, up to a level where they have to participate and take some responsibility for their fellow students. It puts students into communication, into doingness and participation. One doesn’t learn by being a spectator. Twinning not only gets students extroverted and active but it also gets them to take some responsibility for their fellow Man. These factors are sadly enough often lacking in modern education, where the philosophy seems to be that everybody should simply mind their own business and pretty much be left alone. To some educators it may seem much quicker and easier and demand less on their part to just let a student sit there, with his attention wandering around in the total significance of it all, and then claim the student had passed the subject when he probably has never gone near it. This is the creeping disease of permissiveness, non-confront, and spectatorism. Real twinning, enforced, effectively pulls the students right out of this sloppy permissiveness and gives them some duties and responsibilities right from the start. Now they can honestly and actively be trained. Cause and Effect Twinning helps the student to balance this inflow with outflow. It puts him at cause on a regular basis. When the student graduates he is expected to apply the knowledge and skills he has learned. Now he must be at cause. If he is trained totally at effect he can get into what is called a "stuck flow" phenomenon. He can't outflow on the subject. Yet, if he is ever going to be successful he has to be able to outflow and perform. By balancing inflow and outflow twinning gets him used to that already as a student. When he as a graduate is required to apply what he has learned he has already become familiar with outflow and doing things from twin. When to Twin
Where the end result of a course is a practical skill or doingness the students are always twinned up. The twinning-up is done at the beginning of the course and it shouldn't be changed around or messed with. These two Twins simply do the course together and help each other along. The whole essence of twinning is to get two students to work together, to assist each other and take responsibility for getting each other successfully through the course. Where courses consist of a major theory part and a practical part you would not necessarily Twin students on the theory section of the course. You would, however, definitely and always twin them on the practical sections. Twinning and Word Clearing Assigning Twins In some rare instances it may be necessary to reassign Twins who have been incorrectly paired. There could be a case where one student has to leave the course due to illness or circumstance. The general rule is: once assigned, Twins work together until successful completion of the course or activity has been accomplished for both of them. Taking Turns
The same system applies in Word Clearing. One Twin clears a word or does Method 9 Word Clearing on a paragraph or section of the text. They turn about and the second Twin clears the word or M9s the paragraph or section plus the following one. Now they switch again and so on. They tag along through the drills or assignments. Turn-about is used as well in star-rate check-outs. Sometimes a check-out can be split up in sections if it is a very long chapter. With the turn-about system one student is not constantly leading; misunderstoods are kept at a minimum by being picked up between them. The Twins tag along with each other. This prevents unbalanced flows and both are kept progressing. Responsibility of the Twin The Twin Word Clears his fellow student. He listens to his sentences and sees that they are correct and fit the definition. He makes sure his Twin understands the materials. If he doesn't, the Twin helps the student find his misunderstood words and gets him through it. They do practical drills together. They coach each other to wins and certainty in applying the materials. If a student flunks on a supervisor check-out, and he was already passed by his Twin, both students get a flunk. The Twin must have a misunderstood himself if he missed the other student's lack of understanding. Morale and Production Supervisor's Responsibility A situation can occur where a student and his Twin get into a 'games condition' with each other. This gives a problem-, no-progress- situation. The Twins are not working toward the same goal but are in opposition to each other in some way. This gives no progress, no wins, no production, no demonstration of competence and low morale. Such a situation must not be permitted to occur.
"Verbal Tech" Both Twins Handled Once students get the idea that their own progress on a course depend utterly on the quality of their twinning you will start to see some quite magical results. They’re now out of the irresponsibility of it all and feel rightfully that they have a duty to perform and can make a difference.
|