Upcoming Events

TAGteach at Clicker Expo - San Francisco

Date: Jan 25-27, 2013
Location: Burlingame, CA
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TAGteach Primary Certification and Training Seminar

Date: Feb 9-10, 2013
Location: Marysville, OH
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Webinar: Using TAGteach to Reduce Fear (50% off for members)

Date: Feb 12, 2013
Location: Online
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WOOF: The Eastern European Training and Behaviour Conference

Date: Feb 22-24, 2013
Location: Milton Keynes, UK
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TAGteach at Clicker Expo - Stamford CT

Date: Mar 8-10, 2013
Location: Burlingame, CA
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Webinar: Leave It! Impulse Control for Teachers (Free for members)

Date: Mar 13, 2013
Location: Online
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Webinar: Information Overload - How to Say More but Talk Less (50% off for members)

Date: May 13, 2013
Location: Online
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TAGteach Primary Certification and Training Seminar

Date: Jun 8-9, 2013
Location: Dripping Springs, TX
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TAGteach Primary Certification and Training Seminar

Date: Sep 7-8, 2013
Location: Bristol, England
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TAGteach and Chicken Camp

Date: Sep 12-15, 2013
Location: Northern Italy (location TBA)
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TAGteach Primary Certification and Training Seminar/Séminaire TAGteach de base avec certificat (en français)

Date: Sep 21-22, 2013
Location: Crêt-Bérard-Puidoux, Switzerland (Near Geneva)
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The Three Try (or Less) Rule - How to Create Success

Learners can become frustrated and lose focus when they fail, especially if they are adult students.
This is why we suggest, the three try (or less) rule.  If a learner fails three times to meet the tag point criterion, go to a past point of success and move forward in smaller increments. In this manner you can build on success instead of searching blindly for a potential point of success. Of course the 'three try rule' isn't really a rule. The learner never has to fail three times. If it is clear the learner will not likely achieve the tag point criterion after the first failure, jump right in and clarify or change the tag point.

The best designed tag points move the learner forward but don't ask them to teeter on failure.
Some people have remarked after watching a TAGteach session or seeing some of our videos "they got a tag every time, don't they need to make mistakes to learn?" The answer is, no they don't need to make mistakes to learn. A TAGteacher will always try to set the learner up to succeed and never purposely make things too difficult. The whole point of using TAGteach is to create clear communication, encourage focus and build a desire to succeed. When the fear of failure is reduced, the learner can focus on the task at hand. Skill acquisition is accomplished quickly and without an undue amount of stress.

Watch this video of the three try rule in action. The learner makes three mistakes in a row. Instead of asking him to try again and risk frustration (and a full-on meltdown) the teacher goes back to a previous tag point and starts to build up again from there.

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Mein Hund zerrt! My Dog pulls!

By Bina Lunzer

I had an extremely cool TAG session yesterday night. It was about teaching my loose leash protocol to handlers who started in a beginners' course today. I had doubts if I should do a TAG hour at all - I had one elderly lady, one person with severe health issues (spine problems, had several surgeries), some "serious" people in academics (e.g. PhD in Pharmacy) etc. --- and I could not imagine them playing "the dog". :-D In the end I gave it a try and it was a blast! 1.5 hours of laughing almost nonstop for all attendees - and they learnt SO MUCH. They said things like: "Bina, I did not realize that I pop the leash automatically every time I stop! This is awful, I am happy to know now." So they had very important self-reflections without feeling embarrassed - really wonderful. And the person with the spine problem was magically cured and even wanted to pretend to be the dog- four legged on the floor (which I do NOT ask from participants when playing "the dog"!!!!!), The elderly lady had to hold on to other people as she was laughing so hard she was afraid she would fall. We had a great time.

Today, the course started, and many said that they were happy to have the opportunity to hone their handling skills on humans and that they feel much safer now in the task with their dogs.

Great experience for me as a trainer.

The Tag Points

Bina has created several tag points to help teach students her loose leash walking approach. You will need to watch the videos to understand the process and the tag points. This teaching is done without the dogs present. Students work in pairs and take turns pretending to be the dog. Here are some of the tag  points:

The directions are: Before the click, hold hand still

          The tag point is: hand still 

 The directions are: After making eye contact, walk ahead

           The tag point is: walk ahead 

 The directions are: If the dog crosses the toe boundary, turn 90 degrees

           The tag point is: turn 90 degrees 

 The directions are: While redirecting the dog,

           The tag point is: look at hand 

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Purchase Bina's book (in German)

Mein Hund zerrt! Wie man einen Schlepplift im Wolfspelz in einen leinenführigen Hund verwandelt (Hilfe! Mein Hund...) [Kindle Edition]

Bina Lunzer (Autor), Lili Chin (Illustrator)

Video in German



Video in English

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How to Turn Criticism into Smiles

By Beth Wheeler


Our dancers receive adjudications at competition often in the form of audio files - so the girls literally listen to the judges comment about their dancing. Many judges are very positive but just as many are "critics" and some can be quite negative.

There's no way I have the time to listen and edit each tape from each judge for each dance at each competition. For years I just didn't have the kids listen -such a shame as we WANT the kids to get input from these other teachers. Once we began tagging we realized that translating negative language would be an important skill to learn and so here's what we do.

As we listen to the tapes, our dancers use tally marks or stickers to note each "good" or "yay" comment as a tag. In another column our dancers write the negative comments translating to tag points. If a judge says "pretty costume" = Tag! "nice smile" = Tag! "Your knee is bent in your leap" = tag point is... Stretch knee. "You shouldn't be looking at the floor" = tag point is... Look at the audience.

The dancers have gotten so quick and comfortable at translation that they do it subconsciously. So much so that it's not uncommon for them to smile if I get grumpy at them. When I slip and use a negative, they're smiling cuz they're hearing the tag point! Not an excuse to get grumpy of course - just really nice to know that where ever they are in the world, they're translating.

More about A Dancer's Dream

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Chicken Sexers, Plane Spotters, and the Elegance of TAGteaching

By Ted Desmaisons
Reprinted with permission from Tedsword Blog

Neuroscientist David Eagleman’s Incognito mentions two fascinating stories of unexpected learning. Both attest to the mysterious powers of the human brain—and encourage a radical reexamination of how we teach and train.

Boys or girls?
…..
Photo courtesy of bsmalley at commons.wikipedia.org

Eagleman explains how many in the poultry industry of the 1930’s turned to the Japanese for a technique for training chicken sexers, workers who sort one-day-old hatchlings based on the sex of the bird. An untrained eye can’t tell the difference between a male and female chick; their bodies are just too similar. Trained masters could sort the birds effectively, even though they could not describe what they details they used for their decisions. As Eagleman writes, the selection “was somehow based on very subtle visual cues, but the professional sexers could not report what those cues were.”[1] They just knew, and they knew in a moment’s time.

The training for newcomers didn’t derail in a bog of mystery, however. Instead, masters stood over the apprentices and simply watched. As students examined each hatchling and made their choice—male or female?—the master offered feedback with a simple yes or no. After a few weeks of working this way, the student’s brain learned to distinguish what remained imperceptible to the conscious mind. The learner became a master and could now do the job with reliable and near-instantaneous accuracy. Amazing.

Around the same time period, Eagleman relays, British military advisers were trying to take advantage of a super-valuable skill enjoyed by several airplane hobbyists: being able to identify incoming aircraft quickly and accurately. (You don’t want to shoot down your own pilots returning home and you don’t want to give open air to German bombers.) Trouble was, as with the chicken sexers, the enthusiasts couldn’t articulate how they did what they did. In fact, when they tried to explain, they had even less success.

Sure it’s German, but would you know that from a distance?

Fortunately for the Allies, the British stumbled on a training technique parallel to that of the Japanese: trial-and-error feedback. A novice would work in partnership with an expert, getting a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ based on the accuracy of each guess. Over time, the students could identify the planes as successfully as their trainers could. They didn’t know how they had become experts specifically, but they knew that they could now safely do the job.

When I first heard these two stories, I was blown away (yet again) by the power of the unconscious mind. Many tasks—including such highly-refined, subtly-defined jobs as these—simply don’t need words or explanations for us to ‘get’ them. In fact, the words can actually obstruct the learning. We don’t even need to be able to identify just what it is we’re getting. We only need clear, well-timed neutral feedback—sight, sound, touch—that indicates whether or not we’ve done it right. With enough repetitions, our below-the-surface brain narrows in on the ‘right’ answer. Over time, we come to predictably produce the desired result. We get knowledge even if we lack detailed awareness. We can guess the chicken’s sex. We know which plane is friend and which is foe.

Even if we’re working on skills we can articulate, these simple but surprising stories present a radical challenge to the ways we usually teach. I, for one, love explaining things. An aspiring poet of precision, I hope that my words can bring light to darkness and clarity from confusion. Given enough time—or even on the fly—I’ll look for the cleanest, clearest, most concise way to describe what’s needed. Ideally, I’m a master craftsman drawing from a broad and deep instructional toolkit, one I’ve spent years developing. I know I’m not alone among teachers. We like sharing the secrets of our subject. The words justify the investments we’ve made. But these stories suggest the self-importance might get in the way. That’s all well and good, they interject. You can have all the verbal fluency you want. It just may not be necessary for good teaching.

Behavior accomplished? A circle of clicks.

I don’t have enough information from Eagleman’s stories to know for sure how the chicken sexer and plane spotter trainers signaled ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ to their learners. Maybe they simply spoke the words. Or perhaps they punished wrong answers with a slap of the wrist. Whichever method they used, the positive reinforcement method of TAGteaching seems an elegant refinement. [2] In TAGteach, we don’t need to hear the ‘no,’ see a red light, or feel any sort of shocking buzzer. We just need to know when we’ve done it right. Click. Green light. Instant tap. Without that affirmative reinforcement, the learner knows he needs to adjust and does so—on his own—until hearing the click. No words, vocal instructions, or social dynamics muddy the instructional waters. The student—or at least his unconscious brain—sorts it out and waits for the simple, neutral message: ‘yes, that’s it’ or ‘keep trying.’

Note well that, though words don’t matter nearly as much, the teacher still does. For one, she needs to know and be able to spot the correct behavior as it’s happening. If the target behavior can be broken into smaller chunks, she needs to choose which steps will lead most fluidly to the desired ability: too easy and learners get bored, too demanding and they’ll get frustrated. And she needs to mark the behavior with exquisite accuracy, capturing the ‘yes’—even anticipating it— in real time so the reinforcement holds with maximum depth and duration. Not everyone has the patience for such painstaking precision. Not everyone has the emotional savvy to maintain an even keel throughout the struggles and successes along the way. Not everyone has the flexibility to adapt on the fly when a learner keeps getting stuck. You still need skill to teach well.

An amazing learner, even without words.

Let me declare, then, that I intend to develop such precision, neutrality, and flexibility in myself. Like almost everyone else I know, I’m still struggling to dismantle the well-calcified model that suggests teachers and coaches dispense information like soup from a pot or software from a server. Transmit. Bequeath. Download. Building a new model will take some unlearning of the old and much steady practice at the new. Still, I’m committed. Like the chicken-sexers and plane-spotters of old, I can rely on the sub-verbal intelligence of my learners. I can trust the brain’s ability to integrate indescribably complex information. Pedagogical elegance through experiential design rather than through wordy exposition? Yes.

---

[1] This quotation and the chicken sexer and plane spotter stories come from David Eagleman’s Incognito, Vintage Books: New York, 2011, pp. 57-58.

[2] In TAGteaching, the learner and instructor determine a desired behavior or ability. We may be able to articulate with words the elements that compose the skill or we may not, like with the chicken sexers and plane spotters. It doesn’t matter so much. What does matter is breaking the behavior down into achievable steps and working through those steps one at a time, using consistent, neutral markers to communicate the moment the task has been performed correctly. For example, a powerful and efficient softball throw includes multiple micro-components, each of which could become a TAG point: proper grip on the ball; a cock-and-flip motion of the wrist; correct position of the glove hand and throwing elbow in the ready position; weight shift of the feet; and so on. The smaller the task, the greater the likelihood of success in learning it quickly.

With this method, the ‘yes’ feedback can come through visual or tactile channels—via a flashing light or a precise press against the skin, for example. That said, most TAGteachers use a distinctive sound like a snap or a click, and that’s where the method’s name comes from: you create a “TAG” by Teaching with Acoustical Guidance.

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Beröm!

by Emelie Johnson Vegh

Jag testar berömutmaningen från Adecco – det är en app för smartphones där man får en berömutmaning om dagen. Tanken är att man ska få öva på sin förmåga att både ge och ta emot positiv feedback under tio dagar. I beskrivningen av tanken bakom appen anges lönsamhet och hälsa – företag där anställda får beröm är mera lönsamma och beröm gör oss friskare.

Jag har bl a ägnat helgen åt att föreläsa om att underlätta lärande och TAGteach tillsammans med min kollega Eva, och tycker så klart att alla såna här insatser och projekt är intressanta. Adecco försöker sätta strålkastaren på något som borde vara självklart – inte bara beröm i allmänhet, utan ett smart tänk kring positiv förstärkning.

För inlärningsteorin lär oss att det är förstärkning som driver beteende. När vi föreläser om att underlätta lärande pratar vi om positiv förstärkning  (”jag gör därför uppnår jag”, en konsekvens läggs till som gör att beteendet ökar i frekvens, styrka, etc) och de grundläggande principerna:  Förstärk det du vill ha mera av, låt bli att förstärka beteenden du inte vill ha mera av och styr miljön så att det blir lätt för de beteenden du vill ha mera av att dyka upp (så att de kan förstärkas).

Att fokusera på det positiva är win åt alla håll och kanter! För dig själv – fokusera på det positiva gör oss gladare, det vi fokuserar på är det vi kommer ihåg. Det är i samma anda som tacksamhetsdagbok, happiness jars, etc. För den som får berömmet – positiv uppmärksamhet gör oss gladare, om inte annat! Adecco nämner också rena hälsofördelar (sitter väl förmodligen ihop med glädjen!). Att få uppskattning är ju fint. För omgivningen – att få se någon annan få positiv feedback gör att chansen att vi själva upprepar något ökar. Vi lär oss och även som omgivning blir vi glada av beröm. Och utöver allt detta bygger vi dessutom och får mera av önskade beteenden!

Jag är halvvägs genom min berömutmaning och blir glad av att få ett nytt uppdrag varje dag!

(Känner du för att nörda loss kring förstärkning  och annat inom inlärningsteori och träning rekommenderar jag Evas blogg Djurtränarskolan)

Etiketter:föreläsning, filosoferande

Ems blogg

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Check List Epiphany

By Carly Champion Fleming

I want to share a realization that I had. Maybe it will help someone else, too. Check lists work very well with TAGteach, and I'm sure a lot of people already use them. I had tried so hard to use check lists to help me be more productive, but it never seemed to work. What I realized is this: I find writing lists rewarding, not checking off items. So essentially I was rewarded before I actually did anything. Not only that, but I felt like a failure when I got to the end of the day and there were still items that didn't get checked off.

What I have started doing instead is keeping a running tally of everything I do during the day. Now after each thing I accomplish, I get rewarded by adding that item to my list. At the end of the day I have a page full of things that I've done. My productivity has sky-rocketed. I actually seek out things to do just so I can add it to my list.

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Congratulations! Luca Canever - Level 3 TAGteacher!

We are thrilled to announce that Luca Canever from Italy is our newest Level 3 TAGteacher! Luca joins eight other elite TAGteachers who have put in many hours of teaching with TAGteach and teaching about TAGteach in order to reach our highest level of certification. We are very proud of Luca and his achievements and grateful that he found us and is now teaching others. Here is Luca's story:

I started 10 years ago pushing in the lid of a jar, and using the popping sound as a marker. It was Sunday, all shops were closed and I was in a hurry to try this “new stuff” with my Golden Retriever Iris. My discovery of Clicker Training was the starting point of a very long chain of events.

In 2008 my son, Alessandro, was born. For the first time I realized that all the things I’ve learned while I was clicking my dogs could be useful also with my son. I didn’t realize I could also use the marker with people until 2010. I was sick and stuck in bed and I read “Reaching the Animal Mind” (the book had waited for me some months on my bedside table). Chapter 11: TAGteach! I  read the chapter, closed the book, opened the PC and did a Google search for TAGteach. The next day I was already booked for the Hamburg seminar!

The seminar showed me a brand new world, exactly what I was looking for.

Back to Italy, I started to work on my certifications. I tagged with Medieval swordplay, volleyball, dog training, self tagging and of course, Alessandro.  When he was two years old we started our first tag sessions. Our goal? Cutting nails. Our reinforcement? Salami tidbits! (of course are we Italians or what?).

In 2011 I hosted Theresa for the first TAGteach primary certification seminar. This year a few weeks ago I co-presented with her and Laura Monaco Torelli at the “Dynamic Duo Workshop”. This completed my Level 3 certification requirements. Now  that I have completed my journey through the certifications and I feel ready to spread TAGteach’s concepts, I want to share with you this idea of mine:

There is a lot of talent lost because we don’t have the tools to grow it. For me this is the worst shame. Children and adults, that could achieve great goals in every field they choose, are stuck because they don’t find learning and training reinforcing any more.  Everybody (humans or animals) deserves the right to develop their talents as far as they want and can. Everybody has the right to be the most complete and beautiful  being that is possible.

All of us want a better world for us and for our children.  It is my opinion that the world will be a better place as soon as all of us will be the best tennis player, teacher, trainer, parents that we can be. We just need to practice the new skills that being “the best possible…” require. TAGteach is one (the most useful for me) among the technologies to develop our talents and to practice these new skills.

The journey that I have taken from that jar lid ten years ago is all about this. I want to be the best person in the best possible world. I would like to say thanks to Theresa, Joan, Laura, Karen and to all the others amazing TAGteachers and good friends I have met through my journey.

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Upcoming TAGteach Events

TAGteach Primary Certification and Training Seminar

Date: Dec 1-2, 2012
Location: Asheville, NC
Get more info and register 

TAGteach at Clicker Expo - San Francisco

Date: Jan 25-27, 2013
Location: Burlingame, CA
Get more info and register 

TAGteach Primary Certification and Training Seminar

Date: Feb 9-10, 2013
Location: Marysville, OH
Get more info and register

WOOF: The Eastern European Training and Behaviour Conference

Date: Feb 22-24, 2013
Location: Milton Keynes, UK
Get more info and register

TAGteach at Clicker Expo - Stamford CT

Date: Mar 8-10, 2013
Location: Burlingame, CA
Get more info and register  

TAGteach Primary Certification and Training Seminar

Date: Jun 8-9, 2013
Location: Dripping Springs, TX
Get more info and register

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TAGteacher Spotlight: Tia Guest

When I discovered TAGteach I had already been teaching pet owners to train their dogs for many years. But TAGteach proved to be the “missing link” that helped me completely convert my pet dog classes over to clicker training.

First, I discovered that by using tag points and back-chaining my students quickly learn the mechanical skills of clicker training. In no time my clients are comfortable and confident in their ability to observe, mark, and reinforce their dog’s behavior.

Second, teaching with TAGteach principles enables me to reframe my client’s focus from that of seeing only what their dog is doing wrong to seeing all the things their dog is doing right! When a client experiences TAGteach as a learner, and clicker training as a trainer, it resonates.
The principles that I use most often are:

• Ask for what you want – Simple clear instruction about what I DO want, rather than what I DON’T want. 
• Ask for only one thing at a time – have you ever taken lessons for golf or tennis – the instructor says stand with your feet in a wide stance, eyes on the ball, shoulders relaxed, elbow straight, etc. How much of that do you actually remember as you hack at the ball! I ask for just one thing at a time.
• Build on successes – when something is going right, whether for the human or the dog, I grab the opportunity to build on it. 
• Break if down – if a student is not successful with a skill, I break it down further. 
• Raise criteria appropriately for each student – I try to provide meaningful next steps rather than just expect everyone to proceed at the same rate. 

Keeping these TAGteach principles in mind during my pet dog training classes has helped me immensely in retention and graduation rates, which in turn helps to keep dogs in their homes. TAGteach has positively impacted my teaching skills, and I believe it greatly enhances my learner’s experience and success. And as if that weren’t enough, it’s also a lot of fun!

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Report from Switzerland: TAGteach Advanced Workshop

By Doris Vaterlaus

Doris Vaterlaus: Workshop host

We are back from the first TAGteach Advanced Workshop in Solothurn with Theresa and the first snow in Switzerland.

We had people from US (Theresa), Canada, England, Scotland, France, Holland, Germany, Switzerland - speaking 5 different languages English, French, Italian, Dutch and German (incl. Swiss German ;).

Some of them had already their Primary Certificate - others came with the Primary Online Course. Some have longtime experience with clicker training and others are already using TAGteach in their work.

We all had a good time discussing, learning and watching and going home with new ideas.

We have seen different topics - from tagging learning to ski, body posture for training chickens and horse trainers, first aid for emergency, training for dog trainers, training for dog owners, working with autistic children, how to tag a person in a hotel, how to use TAGteach in school - and great discussions about how to tag this and that...  What is the tag point?  Five words or less!

We are convinced about TAGteach and we surely will have another Advanced TAGteach Workshop - I hope in 2013. Prerequisites will be the Primary Certificate or having done the Primary Online Course. So, go for it!

Advanced Workshop participants

Theresa - always working!

Thanks to Doris for being a wonderful host and to everyone for bringing so many ideas and interesting discussions to the workshop!

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Tagging with Teens at 4H Camp

by Kristen VanNess

Reprinted with permission from the KPCT blog

I'm part of a group that runs a 4-H dog camp each summer called The Ohio 4-H Teen Dog Experience. A group of teens from all parts of Ohio spends several days with their dogs and new friends in an intense dog-training environment. Eleven 4-H'ers and their dogs attended the four-day camp in June, 2009.

Kids come from different areas of the state, and have varied experience levels coming into camp. Some campers are from 4-H clubs that do not even offer obedience or agility, and other campers compete extensively outside of 4-H. Most campers belong to clubs that do not use clicker training. However, all of the campers were enthusiastic about dogs, 4-H, and learning how to be a better dog trainer.

Tagging at camp

For several years, we have worked on ways to reinforce the teens attending the dog experience camp. After attending TAGteach seminars and working hard to strengthen our plans for camp learning, things went even better than we expected this summer.

In past years, raffle tickets were passed out for participation, helping others, and demonstrating good training skills. It was difficult to carry the tickets around, not to mention distributing them without interrupting a lesson. More than once, a piece of hotdog was offered to the kids and tickets were given to dogs! This year, every camper made a ten-bead Tagulator ^TM (an ingenious and very cool way to keep track of the many tags earned) to use throughout camp. Moving ten beads on the tagulator to the "I did it" end of the tool earned a camper a raffle ticket. The kids would probably have found tagging reinforcing enough without a raffle, but our end-of-camp raffle has become a tradition.

Throughout camp, clicks or a "thumbs up" were used to tag the kids. During lessons with dogs present, we were more likely to use a "thumbs up" or a verbal tag, but during our many non-dog activities, a tagger could be used. Kids were encouraged to tag each other, and often did.

We noticed that while kids sometimes forgot to bring a piece of equipment to lessons, they very rarely were without the tagulators!

Creative problem-solving

Early in camp, we did several sessions on creative problem-solving where the kids had to work together to solve tasks using a limited set of materials. We talked about how problem-solving could help with writing a training plan and solving training challenges. The lesson was not that the kids were able to accomplish the task at hand, but that they learned to brainstorm completely different solutions for any one challenge.

Throughout camp, we would TAG kids for use of creative problem-solving—resulting in more improvement than we anticipated. Some solutions they came up with were fabulous: move the target closer, walk the sequence without your dog, use our invisible dogs, tape the target to the floor. Of course, the kids moved on to brainstorming creative ways to get revenge on each other—and each other's cabins!

Vocabulary

One thing we made a point to TAG was the use of technical training vocabulary. Initially, we would TAG when any "training words" (timing, fluency, cue, front cross) were used. As camp went on, vocabulary tags were earned more for using training words in context. It was difficult to control my enthusiasm when the kids would offer suggestions:

"Maybe we should break it down."

"The latency is poor."

"The cues are similar—how does my dog tell them apart?"

"Let's use back-chaining!"

Place settings

Cooking projects are a traditional part of 4-H. However, our campers come primarily from dog clubs and many have not experienced cooking-project judging and the associated lesson "learning how to do place settings." The place setting project is a great activity for teaching the campers about back-chaining, and is also an opportunity to learn a new skill.

Our brilliant Teen Counselors led the activity and directed the campers through the process of creating a place setting for a meal. The directions from the Teen Counselors specified the items to remove, the order in which to remove the items, and the requirements for different meals. Campers practiced setting and clearing the tables, placing cleared items in their laps to be ready for the next round. When cued to "return items," the campers would return the items in the correct order. A sample set of directions read as follows:

• Remove cup
• Remove plate (and above item)
• Remove fork (and above items)
• Remove spoon (and above items)
• Remove knife (and above items)
• Remove napkin (and above items)
• Remove place mat (and above items)

After ten minutes of training, the campers were able to set up three different place settings on different cues (breakfast, dinner, and dessert)—all with accuracy.

Throwing dumbbells

With a little rivalry between the two cabins of campers, there were many opportunities for competition. A dumbbell-throwing contest quickly found its way into our curriculum.

Both teams grabbed some dumbbells and spread out for fifteen minutes of strategy and practice. After a few throws, we noticed that one of our campers was very accurate. We watched him make several throws, and then created some TAG points based on his technique. With suggestions like "Let go at shoulder height" for when to release the dumbbell and "Straight arm when releasing," the group was throwing more consistently immediately. Performance did deteriorate under pressure; we'll add some activities next year to improve responses when stressed.

Teamwork

Photo courtesy of Megan Nelson

Teenagers sometimes have the reputation of not being helpful. But, a few tags for various household tasks had the kids on top of everything. The doors stayed closed. The trash was emptied regularly. The kitchen area stayed clean. Buckle collars were on all dogs.

Soon the campers were going out of their way to assist each other with tasks. This might have been expected when the kids were comfortable with what they were doing, but it was completely unexpected with new tasks such as tracking. All eleven campers were learning tracking for the first time. After the first day, they would offer to help each other set tracks, which really surprised the instructor. The campers worked to get each other to participate in all activities, and continued to problem-solve on their own.

See you next year!

TAGteach and good lesson plans had a huge positive impact on camp this year, and on the progress each camper made within only a few days. The kids were happy to TAG each other and the instructors.

The focus moved quickly from what was going wrong to what went well. Campers weren't only thinking about reinforcing their peers, but also about reinforcing the instructors. I was very proud when I overheard several campers talking about telling one of the instructors that her dog had made huge improvements since the previous year.

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Help Us Find Missing TAGteachers

We are trying to update our database of TAGteachers, but we seem to have out of date email addresses for many people. Here is a list of TAGteachers that are certified, but we don't have current email contact information. If you see your name on the list below please contact us so that we can get your free membership started and so that we can keep in touch with you. If you know anyone on the list, please let them know that we would like to stay in touch with them. Please send updated email information to joan@tagteach.com.

Everyone who does not contact us from the list below will be inactivated and will not longer appear in the TAGteacher database.

If you are a certified TAGteacher and you would like to check to see whether you are in our database, just go to the TAGteacher directory and search for yourself. If you are listed, then you can login at the member page with your email address and password. If you don't know your password, click on "forgot password" and you will get to reset your password. If you are a certified TAGteacher and you are not listed in the TAGteacher directory please send an email to joan@tagteach.com with your name and where you were certified and what year (if you remember).

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Upcoming TAGteach Events

Florida Association for Behavior Analysis - TAGteach A Useful Tool in Educational Settings

Date: Sept 21, 2012
Location: Jacksonville FL
Get more information and register

TAGteach Webinar (free for members): Back Chaining - The Key to Reliability

Date: Oct 10, 2:45pm EDT
Location: Online
Get more info and register

Formation en TAGteach

Date: Oct 13 and 14, 2012
Location: Drumondville QC
Information et inscription

APDT Annual Educational Conference and Trade Show - TAGteach Workshops

Date: Oct 19 and 20, 2012
Location: Northern Kentucky Convention Center
Get more info and register

Advanced TAGteach Seminar - Switzerland

Date: Oct 25-28, 2012
Location: Solothurn Switzerland
Get more info and register
Prerequisite: have attended a primary seminar, or have taken online intro to TAGteach course - Special discount on the online course with seminar registration.

TAGteach and Clicker Training - The Dynamic Duo - Italy

Date: Nov 2-4, 2012
Location: Illasi, Italy
Get more info and register

TAGteach Primary Certification and Training Seminar

Date: Dec 1-2, 2012
Location: Asheville, NC
Get more info and register 

TAGteach at Clicker Expo - San Francisco

Date: Jan 25-27, 2013
Location: Burlingame CA
Get more info and register 

TAGteach Primary Certification and Training Seminar

Date: Feb 9-10, 2013
Location: Marysville OH
Get more info and register

WOOF: The Eastern European Training and Behaviour Conference

Date: Feb 22-24, 2013
Location: Milton Keynes, UK
Get more info and register

TAGteach at Clicker Expo - Stamford CT

Date: Mar 8-10, 2013
Location: Burlingame CA
Get more info and register  

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TAGteach: What's the Point?

What is the point? With TAGteach™, a revolutionary new way of teaching, it’s a tag point. The tag point is the specific learning goal that the teacher will mark with a tag that highlights success for the learner. The tag pinpoints the exact moment the tag point is executed correctly and gives immediate and clear feedback to the learner or athlete. The most common and effective way to mark a correct response is with a short sharp sound made using a handheld clicker or tagger.

The tag becomes a positive reinforcer through association with tangible rewards (candy for example) or as a result of the good feelings that are come from success and improvement and praise from the teacher. Younger learners keep track of their tags and trade them in for beads, stickers or other prizes. Older and higher level learners often do not require a tangible primary reinforcer, since they are reinforced just by receiving the immediate and clear feedback from the tag. TAGteach is a targeted organized approach to giving positive reinforcement that facilitates accelerated learning while minimizing frustration on the part of teacher and learner.

Clarity and simplicity are key aspects of TAGteach. A tag point is defined so that the learner does not need to ask why he didn’t get a tag if the tag does not come. Tag points are never combined, since this can cause confusion, frustration and sometimes outright hostility in the learner. If a soccer player is asked to kick with the side of his foot, while looking at the target and holding his arms out for balance and the tag does not come, he will ask the coach which part he didn’t get correct. The coach will be forced to answer and this leads to verbal correction and defeats the purpose of using the TAGteach method. The TAGteacher thinks ahead, plans the succession of tag points that will be required to shape the skill and works on them one at time. As the learner becomes proficient with each piece, the entire skill naturally comes together. Sometimes a learner regresses. In this case the teacher moves back a step in the shaping plan and works back up again. Each time the learner improves more quickly than in the previous session. If a learner is having trouble, the teacher breaks the difficult aspect into even smaller increments so that the learner can succeed and earn a tag. TAGteachers learn to set their learners up for success so that learning becomes a very positive experience for both teacher and learner, with success leading to further success.

The immediacy and clarity of the feedback allows the learner to form a mental picture of the movement or position in association with the tag sound. “I can see a picture of myself doing it in my head”, said a ballet student when asked to explain why TAGteach helped to fix a problem with which he had been struggling for years. This “mental picture” description is frequently articulated by learners when asked what happens in their minds when they hear the tag. Some scientists think that the click sound is processed by the amygdala, a primitive part of the brain that controls emotion and fight or flight responses. This bypasses the complex processing of speech and allows for immediate processing and action. This may explain the rapid acquisition of skills and excellent retention rates that occur in high level competitive gymnasts taught with TAGteach.

TAGteach has been used in many disciplines, including business skills, music instruction, language instruction, sport coaching, speech pathology, physio and occupational therapy, medical student training, academic classroom, special needs classroom and more. “Tagging has taught my learners to think for themselves”, said kindergarten teacher Amy Roberts. “We saw an almost immediate improvement in skill execution and confidence in our Special Olympics rhythmic gymnasts”, said Debbie Boycott, head coach of the Oakville Butterflies from Oakville, ON Canada. “The athletes were very quick to understand and appreciate this way of teaching and were even able to teach each other using the TAGteach method”.

This teaching each other is called peer tagging, and is one of the most powerful aspects of TAGteach. Learners learn to tag each other and in so doing become caring teachers and keen observers. These learners learn twice, once by doing and receiving feedback from the tagger and once by watching and marking the correct performance of their peer. Peer tagging allows the teacher to focus on individual pairs while everyone is working. All learners receive positive reinforcement, even the “shadow child” who often gets little recognition in a traditional teaching environment because she does not cause trouble, but neither is she a rising star.

TAGteach is good for learners and teachers and it is also good for business. "Designing a safe system like this means breaking down each task into its individual components,” says Amy Duz, a corporate trainer who specializes in the fishing industry. “The process forces you to observe what goes on at every step and since everybody participates in the process, breaking something down becomes something everyone knows how to do. It's not just a job for management or the trainer, it’s everyone's job. This lends itself to more cooperation and consistency”.

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Karen Pryor on the Neurobiology of TAGteach and Clicker Training

Here is another never-before-seen video of Karen Pryor speaking at a TAGteach seminar in July 2012 at Brandies University. Karen talks about the neurobiology of the clicker:

"Why is it learned so quickly? Why is is retained so long? Why is it so much fun? Why do we get this elation even out of rats and pigeons?"

"It turns out that the answers were in neuroscience" 

Watch this clip in which Karen explains some of the answers to these questions:

A longer version of this is available for free to members in the member area of the TAGteach website.

The full video is available in the TAGteach store (50% off for members - visit the member website for instructions)

You can read more about this in Karen's book, Reaching the Animal Mind:

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TAGteach at the 2012 Association of Pet Dog Trainers Conference

TAGteach will be presenting a workshop at the APDT conference this year. Theresa McKeon will provide dog trainers with ideas and techniques to help teach human students with more success and less frustration. Many trainers tell us that training the dog is easy, it is teaching the human that is the hard part!

Here is a video overview of the TAGteach workshop:



Click here for more information or to register

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TAGteacher Spotlight: Laura VanArendonk Baugh

Nearly ten years ago, Laura skipped a clicker training lecture to look in on an introduction to something she'd heard about called TAGteach -- and she's never looked back.

"Shaping human behavior incrementally just makes so much sense. We do it with the animals because it's easier for them and us both -- why not for human student and human teacher?"

Laura has incorporated TAGteach not only into her professional work, for training private clients with Canines In Action, Inc and as faculty with the Karen Pryor Academy, but into her personal life as well -- which finds her using TAG principles in organizing costume masquerades, in physical exercise form, in handling a firearm safely and shooting competitively, and in writing and editing. This fall she will tour the Indianapolis library system with Alena VanArendonk, teaching teenagers to dance THRILLER as part of a zombie-themed reading program and sneaking in TAGteach along the way. Check out Laura's video, The Thrill of Tag...

"TAGteach has really influenced how I view and approach challenges. I set more realistic goals -- measured by my actions, not anything out of my control -- and I'm much better about splitting big, daunting tasks into little ones I can actually do! I'm using self-tagging in so many ways. And don't tell, but my husband and I talk about ways to quietly implement tags in the project teams he manages, reducing stress and frustration under impossible deadlines and with workers on two continents. "

Laura's most recent self-tagging project was preparing to pitch to a literary agent, an experience made much simpler by good behavior preparation. She designed the popular ClickStats mobile app to track useful click or tag session data, making it easier to log rate of reinforcement and success ratios. Now she's working toward her Level 3 certification and is looking forward to introducing TAGteach to more learners and their instructors!

Laura is also an accomplished writer! You can get her book Kitsune-Tsuki on Amazon (winner of the 2012 Luminis prize). A bargain at only $0.99. Highly recommended!

For more information about Laura visit her website at Canines in Action

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What the Heck is a Tagulator Anyway?

A tagulator is a specially beaded string that allows you to keep track of your tags. You can see in this photo the tagulators hanging from the barre so that the dancers can keep track of their tags easily. Learners can also hang tagulators from their belt loops or back packs or at specific locations such as the bathroom rail, the coat hook or other location where they can earn a tag.

Some people use them for self-tagging. That is they give themselves a tag by pulling a bead when they succeed at a ask they have set for themselves. For example you might hang one on your fridge and anytime you make a conscious choice to have a snack (as opposed to snacking mindlessly), you pull down a bead. Theresa sometimes hangs one from her belt loop while lecturing and pulls a bead when she thinks about slowing down.

Others give tagulators to their learners so that they can keep track of tags. Some learners are motivated by completing a set of 10 beads and enjoy pulling down the beads, others need to earn something tangible when they have completed a string of beads. Here is a video that shows the introduction of a tagulator to a child who was previously receiving a Skittle (small candy) for each tag. The tagulator immediately increased the ratio of tags:candy from 1:1 to 10:1. This helps speed things up, makes the candy last longer and reduces the reliance on the candy.

You can make your own tagulators or buy them from our store.

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TAGteach Glossary in Four Languages

Thanks to Luca Canever for the Italian translation and Doris Vaterlaus for the French and German translations and for putting it all together in multi-color!

Download the translations as a PDF

Download the glossary in English only

TAGteach Glossary of Terms  

The development of TAGteach needs a new terminology in order to give TAGteachers a common language to enable them to communicate more efficiently with their students and each other.

Some terms are marked with the TM; this means that these are registered trade marks. If they are published in an article or a publication, they have to be marked with the TM at first use. 

TAGteach Glossar

(Deutsche Übersetzung D. Vaterlaus)

 

Die Entwicklung von TAGteach bedingt eine neue Terminologie,
um TAGteachern eine gemeinsame Sprache zu geben, die Kenntnisse und Erfahrungen vereint und ihnen ermöglicht, effizienter mit ihren Studenten zu kommunizieren.

Einige Ausdrücke sind mit der Trade Mark TM ausgezeichnet; dies bedeutet, dass es sich hier um registrierte Bezeichnungen handelt. Wenn diese in einem Artikel oder einer Publikation verwendet werden, müssen sie bei der ersten Verwendung mit einem TM gekennzeichnet werden.

TAGteach Glossaire
(traduction française D. Vaterlaus)

Le développement du TAGteach implique l’utilisation d’une nouvelle terminologie afin de donner aux TAGteachers un langage commun pour réunir connaissances et expériences et leur permettre de communiquer plus efficacement avec leurs étudiants.

Quelques expressions sont suivies du sigle TM, ce qui veut dire que ce sont des termes de marque déposée. S’ils sont utilisés dans un article ou une publication, ils doivent être is de TM lors de leur premier usage. 

TAGteach Glossar

(traduzione italiana Luca Canever)

Lo sviluppo del TAGteach implica l’uso di una nuova terminologia,
in modo tale da dare ai TAGteachers un linguaggio comune su cui condividere conoscenze e d esperienze e permettere loro di comunicare più efficacemente con i loro studenti.
Una nota: alcuni termini sono seguiti dalla dicitura TM scritta in apice, ad indicare che questi sono termini a marchio depositato.
Nel caso vengano utilizzato in un articolo o una pubblicazione, devono essere seguiti da TM al loro primo utilizzo.

Applied Behavior Analysis

The field of science from which TAGteach and other reinforcement-based teaching and training technologies have been developed.

Angewandte Verhaltensforschung (englisch ABA)

Das Forschungsgebiet in dem TAGteach und andere verstärkerbasierte Lehr- und Lernmethoden entwickelt wurden.

Analyse de comportement appliquée (en anglais ABA)

Un champ de recherche ou TAGteach et d’autres méthodes

d’apprentissage et d’entraînement ont été développé

Analisi Applicata Del Comportamento

Il campo della ricerca scientifica dal quale sono state sviluppate il TAGteach e le altre tecniche d’insegnamento e allenamento basate sul Rinforzo

[1] Il termine rinforzo può indicare un processo (rinforzamento) oppure uno stimolo rinforzante (rinforzatore). Dal momento che “rinforzamento” e “rinforzatore” non  sono termini comuni in italiano preferisco tradurre entrambe con il termine “rinforzo”. Dal contesto si può dedurre se stiamo parlando di “rinforzamento” (il processo) o “rinforzatore” (lo stimolo). Nel nostro caso il TAGteach sarebbe il “rinforzamento”, mentre il TAG sarebbe il “rinforzatore”.

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Behavior

Physical activity in general; or a specific movement or group of related movements (‘a behavior’).

Verhalten

Körperliche Aktivität im Generellen oder eine spezifische Bewegung oder eine Gruppe von zusammengehörenden Bewegungen („ein Verhalten“)

Comportement

Activité physique ou un mouvement spécifique ou groupe de mouvements („un comportement)

Comportamento

Attività fisica in generale; il termine può riferirsi anche a uno specifico movimento o a una serie di movimenti legati tra loro. In ogni caso si tratta di una risposta, emessa dall’individuo, a uno stimolo.

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Conditioned Reinforcer

Any stimulus that has acquired positive reinforcing properties through association with other reinforcers such as food, praise or success.  [The tagger is a conditioned reinforcer -providing a positive stimulus that occurs simultaneously with a desired act or response.]

Konditionierter Verstärker

Irgendein Auslöser, der positive Verstärkereigenschaften durch die Assoziation mit Verstärkern wie Futter, Lob oder Erfolg bekommen hat.

Renforcement conditionné

Chaque stimulus renforcé positivement en l’associant à des „renforçateurs“ tels que nourriture, compliments ou succès,

Rinforzo Condizionato

Qualsiasi stimolo che abbia acquisito proprietà di rinforzo positivo attraverso la sua associazione (pareggiamento) con altri rinforzi quali cibo, elogi o avere successo. Il tag (cfr infra) è un rinforzo condizionato che offre uno stimolo simultaneo a un’azione o a un gesto che così vengono rinforzati.

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Focus Fatigue

Mental fatigue that occurs when a tag session is too long for a particular learner.

Verlust des Fokus

Konzentrationsverlust. Geistige Müdigkeit, die entsteht, wenn eine tag Sitzung für einen individuellen Lernenden zu lange dauert.

Perte de la cible

Perte de concentration. Fatigue intellectuelle qui se développe quand une séance tag dure trop longtemps.

Stanchezza Dell’attenzione

Stanchezza mentale che avviene quando una sessione di TAGteach è troppo lunga per l’allievo.

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Focus Funnel^TM

A technique used in planning and teaching.  Beginning with a broad lesson, information is reduced into more concrete directions and then reduced again to a precise tag point. (Also see reverse focus funnel)

Fokus Trichter^TM

Eine Technik, welche für die Planung oder das Lehren verwendet wird.

Es wird mit einer groben Lektionserklärung begonnen, auf konkretere Anweisungen reduziert und dann nochmals auf einen präzisen Tag Punkt reduziert.

(s. auch den umgekehrten Fokus Trichter)

L’entonnoir de la concentration^TM

Technique utilisée pour la planification ou l’apprentissage.

Le début consiste en une explication générale de la leçon puis à des directives contrêtes et enfin réduit à un point tag précis..

v.aussi la cible élargie.

Imbuto Dell’attenzione^TM

Una tecnica usata nella pianificazione e nell’insegnamento. Iniziando da una ampia lezione, l’informazione è ridotta in direzioni più concentrate ed ulteriormente ridotta fino a un preciso tag point. (vedi anche Imbuto dell’attenzione Inverso)

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Incompatible behavior

Short for differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior (DRI). Eliminate a designated behavior by strengthening other behaviors that are incompatible with it.

Inkompatibles Verhalten

Ist die Abkürzung für DRI = differenzierende Verstärkung (Reinforcement) von inkompatiblem Verhalten. Eliminiert ein bestimmtes Verhalten, indem man andere Verhalten verstärkt, die mit dem ursprünglichen Verhalten inkompatibel sind.

Comportement incompatible

Raccourci DRI – (differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior – renforcement différencié d’un comportement incompatible). Elimine un comportement spécifique en renforçant d’autres comportements qui sont incompatibles avec le comportement initial.

Comportamento Incompatibile   

La definizione fa riferimento al rinforzare selettivamente comportamenti incompatibili con quello indesiderato[1] emesso dall’allievo (in inglese DRI = Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible behavior. Per esempio: rinforzare il rimanere seduto per un bambino “vivace”. Stare seduto su una sedia è incompatibile con altri comportamenti quali il correre in giro).

[1] Con comportamento desiderato facciamo riferimento a un comportamento emesso dall’allievo, compatibile con l’ambiente (naturale o culturale) e con le nostre aspettative.

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Operant Conditioning

Any procedure by which a behavior becomes more or less likely to occur, depending on its consequences. [In TAGteach, the consequences are always positive and desired responses become more likely to occur.]

Operante Konditionierung

OK ist ein Verfahren, das dazu führt, dass ein Verhalten mehr oder weniger häufig auftritt, abhängig von dessen Folgen. (Im TAGteach sind die Konsequenzen immer positiv und gewünschte Reaktionen werden immer häufiger gezeigt).

Conditionnement opérant

CO est un procédé qui indique qu’un comportement apparaît plus ou moins souvent et qui dépend de ses conséquences. (Dans le TAGteach, les conséquences sont toujours positives et les réactions désirées se manifestent de plus en plus souvent.

Condizionamento Operante

Qualsiasi procedura attraverso la quale un comportamento diventa più o meno probabile in base alle sue conseguenze. (Nel TAGteach
le conseguenze sono sempre positive e i comportamenti desiderati aumentano la probabilità di venire emessi).

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Peer Tagging^TM

Student-to-student tag configurations and activities.

Gegenseitiges Taggen^TM

Tag-Anordnungen oder -Aktivitäten zwischen Student und Student

Le TAGGING entre partenaires^TM

Des configurations et acitivités TAG exécutés entre 2 étudiants.

Peer Tagging^TM (Taggarsi Tra Compagni)[2]

Attività o configurazioni d’attività che vengono realizzate tra studente e studente. In questo casi il ruolo dell’insegnate è quello di fornire le linee guida all’attività ed, eventualmente, sovraintendere alla stessa nel caso in cui ulteriori indicazioni siano necessarie.

[1] In alcuni casi, come questo lascio la definizione in inglese, visto che la traduzione in italiano non “suona bene”.

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Point of Success^TM

A behavior to start or to repeat, for which the student is guaranteed a tag.

Erfolgspunkt^TM

Ein Verhalten zu beginnen oder zu wiederholen, für welches der Student garantiert einen tag bekommt.

Point de Succes^TM

Début ou répétition d’un comportement pour lequel l’édutiant aura un tag garanti.

Punto Di Successo^TM

E’ un comportamento che l’allievo può sicuramente emettere con successo, ricevendo un tag. All’inizio di ogni sessione di TAGteach è bene che il primo tag point sia un punto di successo. In questo modo lo studente può trovare da subito rinforzante l’insegnamento.

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Positive Reinforcement

A procedure in which a behavior is paired with a desired stimulus or event that will increase the chance of the behavior happening again in the future.

Positive Bekräftigung

PB bedeutet, dass ein Verhalten mit einem gewünschten Auslöser oder Resultat gekoppelt wird, was die Chance erhöht, dass dieses Verhalten in Zukunft immer wieder gezeigt wird.

Renforcement positif

RF signifie qu’un comportement est combiné avec un stimulus désiré ou un évènement qui a pour but d’augmenter la chance de voir ce comportement manifesté plus souvent à l’avenir.

Rinforzo Positivo

Una procedura con la quale un comportamento è associato con uno stimolo positivo (desiderato). Il termine Rinforzo Positivo, fa anche riferimento a un evento che aumenta le probabilità per un comportamento di venire emesso in futuro.

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Reverse Focus Funnel

Deliver the least amount of information necessary for success first (tag point). Once the behavior has been accomplished, and the learner is more confident, additional information can be delivered.  This is useful in situations where too much information may overwhelm the learner and cause a loss of concentration. 

Umgekehrter Fokus Trichter

Vermittlung der kleinstmögliche Anzahl von notwendigen Information zum Erfolg (tag punkt). Wenn das Verhalten einmal erreicht wurde und der Lernende mehr Vertrauen gewonnen hat, können zusätzliche Informationen vermittelt werden.

Dies ist notwendig, wenn zu viel Information den Lernenden überfordern und zu einem Konzentrationsverlust führen könnte

L’entonnoir en sense inverse

Transmet un minimum d’informations nécessaires au succès (point tag). Si le comportement est atteint et l’édudiant a acquis plus de confiance, des informations supplémentaires peuvent être fournis.

C’est le cas ou trop d’informations surchargent l’étudiant ou peuvent mener à une perte de concentration.

Imbuto Dell’attenzione Inverso

Procedura attraverso la quale viene fornita la minore quantità possibile d’informazione affinchè l’allievo possa avere subito successo. Nel momento in cui il comportamento è stato emesso e l’allievo ha acquistato maggior confidenza, è possibile aggiungere ulteriore informazione. Questa procedura si rivela utile quando troppa informazione può sommergere l’allievo e causare una perdita di concentrazione.

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Shaping

An operant learning procedure in which small increments of a desired response are reinforced.  By reinforcing some small response, and then selecting stronger or longer occurrences, one can ‘shape’ or build a more elaborate behavior.

Shaping / Formen

Ein operantes Lernverfahren, bei welchem kleine Einheiten einer erwünschten Reaktion verstärkt werden. Indem kleine Reaktionen verstärkt werden und dann stärkere und längeres Auftreten dieser ausgewählt werden, kann man besser ausgeführte Verhalten „formen“ oder „herausbilden“ 

Shaping / former

C’est un procédé d’apprentissage où de petites unités d’une réaction désirée sont renforcées. En choisissant et renforçant des manifestions plus intenses et plus longes, on peut induire un comportement plus élaboré.

Shaping (Modellamento)  

Una procedura di condizionamento operante attraverso la quale si rinforzano piccole approssimazioni successive verso il comportamento desiderato. Rinforzando piccole risposte e selezionando in seguito più forti o lunghe emissioni è possibile modellare un comportamento più complesso.

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Stimulus

Something in the environment that can be sensed - a sound, an object, a color, etc. A discriminative stimulus is something the learner can perceive which indicates an action to be taken (for example a red light is a stimulus to step on the brake).

Stimulus / Auslöser

Etwas in der Umgebung kann eine Bedeutung bekommen – ein Geräusch, ein Gegenstand, eine Farbe, etc. Der Lernende kann einen Auslöser erkennen/wahrnehmen, und dieser führt zur Ausführung einer Handlung.

(zum Beispiel: ein rotes Licht ist ein Auslöser, um auf das Bremspedal zu drücken).

Stimulus / déclencheur

Quelque chose dans l’environnement peut avoir de l’importance – un son, un objet, une couleur, etc. L’étudiant peut convevoir, percevoir le stimulus qui mène à l’exécution d’une action. P.ex: un feu rouge est le déclencheur pour presser sur la pédale des freins.

Stimolo

Qualcosa dell’ambiente che può essere percepito (un suono, un oggetto un colore). Uno stimolo discriminativo è qualcosa che può essere percepito dall’allievo e che indica quale comportamento emettere (ad esempio il rosso del semaforo è uno stimolo discriminativo per schiacciare il pedale del freno)o quale comportamento è stato appena marcato per essere rinforzato.

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Marker

Something which "marks" or identifies a desired action.  Typically a TAGteach marker emits a brief, distinct, uniform stimulus used to pinpoint movement as it is happening; a click from a ball point pen, a clicker, hand clap, a finger snap. Some Smart phone applications provide appropriate marker tones.

Marker

Mit einem Marker wird eine gewünschte Handlung „markiert“ oder identifiziert. Ein TAGteach Marker vermittelt einen kurzen, genauen, und eindeutigen Ton, um eine Bewegung genau im Moment wenn sie passiert hervorzuheben: das Klicken eines Kugelschreiber, ein Clicker, ein Handklatschen, ein Fingerschnipsen. Einige Smartphone Anwendungen liefern passende Markertöne.

Marquer

Avec un marquer une action désirée est „marquée“ ou identifiée. Le marquer TAGteach émet un son court, précis et clair (univoque) pour indiquer un mouvement juste au moment où il se manifeste: le Clic d’un stylo à bille, un cliquer, claquer des mains, des doigts.

Quelques applications sur les smartphones proposent des sons de marquers appropriés.

Marker

Qualcosa che “marca”, identificando ed esaltando, un’azione desiderata. Solitamente il marker usato nel TAGteach emette un breve stimolo, uniforme e distinto, utlizzato per identificare l’azione nell’istante in cui questa avviene. Il click di una penna, un clicker, far schioccare le dita. Alcuni smartphone hanno delle applicazioni da poter usare come marker sonori.

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Tag

As a verb it is the action of marking someone's correct behavior (as in “tag for each blink”).  As a noun, it means the mark that is placed on a correct behavior (as in “You got 5 tags today!”). (see Marker)

Tag / Taggen

Das Substantiv „tag“ meint das Platzieren der Markierung für das korrekte Verhalten (z.B. „ Du hast heute 5 tags bekommen“) s. auch „Marker“.
Das Verb „Taggen“ bedeutet das Markieren von einem korrekten Verhalten (wie z.B. „taggen für jedes Blinzeln“)

Tag / tagguer

Le substantif tag signifie le marquage d’un comportement approprié (.p.ex. „aujourd’hui tu as reçu 5 tags) – voir également „Marker“.

Le verbe „tagguer“ signifie l’identification d’un comportement correct (p.ex. „tagguer pour chaque clignotement“)

Tag

Utilizzato come un verbo corrisponde all’azione di “marcare” il comportamento corretto. Utilizzato come sostantivo indica il segnale che viene messo in corrispondenza del comportamento desiderato. (vedi Marker)

Tagger

Fa riferimento sia al dispositivo che emette il suono (noto anche come Clicker); sia alla persona che lo sta usando.

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Tag Phrasing

The wording used for preparing and delivering tag points (see WOOF)

Tag Vokabular

Die Wortwahl, welche zur Vorbereitung und dem Abgeben von TAG Punkten verwendet wird (s.a. WOOF)

Le vocabulaire Tag

Le choix de mots utilisés prépare et donne des points TAG (v. également WOOF)

Tag Phrasing (Le Tag-Indicazioni)

Le parole che vengono utilizzate per preparare ed assegnare i tag point (per esempio: “il tag point è….”)

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Tag Point^TM

The specific aspect of a behavior that when/as performed will receive the audible mark (tag). (see WOOF for tag point criteria)

TAG Punkt^TM

Ein spezieller Teil eines Verhaltens erhält einen hörbaren Marker (tag) wenn es gezeigt wird.

TAG Point^TM

Un aspect spécifique d’un comportement obtient un marquer (tag) si celui-ci est exécuté.

Tag Point^TM

Lo specifico aspetto di un comportamento che, nel momento in cui viene emesso, riceve il marker sonoro. (vedi la voce WOOF per i criteri del tag point). Un tag point acquista un valore aggiunto nel momento che riesce a risolvere più di un problema (per esempio il tag point “metti le chiavi in tasca” eviterà di smarrire le chiavi, o, peggio, chiuderle dentro la macchina). Il tag point deve essere dato usando cinque parole o meno.

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Tag Triangle^TM

The three components of the TAGteach process: Identify, Mark and Reinforce.

TAG Dreieck^TM

Die drei Bestandteile des TAGteach Prozesses: Idenfizieren, markieren und bekräftigen.

Le Triangle TAG^TM

Les trois composants du processus TAGteach:

Identifier, marquer et renforcer.

Il Triangolo Del Tag^TM

Sono i tre componenti del TAGteach inteso come processo d’insegnamento: Identificare, Marcare e Rinforzare

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TAGteach^TM

TAGteach is a protocol that promotes positive interactions for increased productivity and success. The acronym TAG stands for Teaching with Acoustical Guidance and refers to the audible marker, a key tool used in the system designed to highlight success. The TAGteach protocol also includes tools to deliver information, reduce inefficient language, assess performance, create confidence and deliver positive reinforcement.

TAGteach^TM

TAGteach ist ein Protokoll welches positive Wechselwirkungen für erhöhte Produktivität und Erfolg fördert. Das Akronym TAG steht für Lehren mit akustischer Hilfe und bezieht sich auf den hörbaren Marker, ein Schlüsselwerkzeug, welches verwendet wird, um den Erfolg hervorzuheben.

Das TAGteach Protokol beinhaltet auch Werkzeuge zur Vermittlung von Information,  reduziert unnötige Sprache, bestätigt die Ausführung, bildet Vertrauen und gibt positive Bekräftigung ab.

TAGteach^TM

TAGteach est un protocol qui favorise les actions réciproques pour  augmenter la productivité et le succès.

TAG est un acronym qui se réfère à l’apprentissage avec support acoustique qui renforce le succès

Le protocole TAG ajoute des outils pour donner l’informaton, diminuer le langage inutile, augmenter les performances, créer la confiance et donner un renforcement positif.

TAGteach^TM

Si tratta di un protocollo che promuove le interazioni positive che migliorano il successo e la produttività. L’acronimo TAG significa (Teaching with Acoustical Guidance) e fa riferimento al marker sonoro, uno strumento chiave utilizzato in questa tecnologia per sottolineare il successo. Il protocollo del TAGteach include anche strumenti per fornire l’informazione, ridurre l’inefficacia del linguaggio, stabilire il da farsi, creare confidenza e dare Rinforzo Positivo.

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Tagulator^TM

A device made from beads that slide on a string that allows the teacher or learner to keep track of the number of tags they have earned or given.

Tagulator^TM

Gegenstand, der aus Perlen besteht, die an einer Schnur hangen.

Dieser erlaubt dem Lehrer oder Lernenden die Anzahl Tags zu zählen/kontrollieren, die er verdient oder erhalten hat.

Tagulateur^TM

Objet composé de perles attachées à une ficelle. Cet objet permet au maître ou étudiant de compter  ou contrôler le nombre de tags, gagnés ou reçus.

TAGULATOR^TM

Uno strumento fatto di perline che scivolano su un cordino permettendo all’insegnante o all’allievo di tener conto dei tag che hanno dato o guadagnato.

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Three try rule^TM

If a learner fails to perform the designated tag point three times, the teacher creates and delivers a more achievable tag point.  The three try rule is more of a guide than a rule. Some learners want to work things out for themselves and will try several times without getting discouraged. Others would rather take very small steps forward and succeed nearly every time.

Regel der drei Versuche^TM

Wenn der Lernende den definierten Tag Punkt drei Mal nicht ausführen kann, kreiert und definiert der Lehrer einen einfach zu erreichenden Tag Punkt. Die Regel der drei Versuche ist eher eine Richtschnur als eine Regel. Einige Lernende wollen etwas von sich aus erarbeiten und verschiedene Versuche machen, ohne enttäuscht zu sein. Andere möchten eher sehr kleine Schritte vorwärts machen und brauchen jedes Mal einen Erfolg.

La règle des trois essais^TM

Si l’étudiant ne peut pas obtenir le point tag 3x de suite, le maître définit un point tag plus facile à atteindre. La régle des trois essais est plus un objectif qu’une règle. Quelques étudiants préfèrent agir eux-mêmes et faire différents essais, sans être déçus. D’autres préfèrent avancer à petits pas et ont chaque fois besoin de succès.

Regola Delle Tre Prove^TM  

Se un allievo non riesce ad eseguire il tag point assegnatogli in tre ripetizioni, l’insegnante crea e indica un tag point più semplice. La regola delle tre prove è più una linea guida che una regola vera e propria. Alcuni allievi vogliono riuscire da soli e saranno in grado di provare anche molte volte senza scoraggiarsi; altri possono preferire ottenere piccoli ma costanti successi.

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Value Added Tag Point

A single tag point in which more than one problem may be resolved.  [e.g., The tag point “Put keys in pocket”, would keep the keys from being misplaced and from being locked in the car.)

TAG Punkt mit Mehrwert

Ein einzelner Tag Punkt, mit welchem mehr als ein Problem gelöst werden kann

(z.B. „Schlüssel in die Tasche“, hilft, dass die Schlüssel nicht an den falschen Ort gelangen und nicht im Auto eingeschlossen werden).

Le point TAG avec valeur additionnelle

Un point tag peut résoudre plus qu’un seul problème, p.ex. „Les clés dans la poche“ évite que les clés soient posées au mauvais endroit et pourraient être enfermées dans la voiture.)

In Italiano  - added to Tag Point.

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WOOF^TM

The acronym defining the four criteria for a tag point: What you want, One criterion, Observable and definable, Five words or less

WOOF^TM

Das Akronym definiert die vier Kriterien für einen Tag Punkt:

Was Du willst

One (ein) Kriterium

Observierbar (beobachtbar) und definierbar

Fünf Wörter oder weniger

WOOF^TM  (CUOC)

Cet acronym définit les quatres critères pour un point tag

          Ce que tu veux

          Un seul critère

          Observable et définissable

          Cinq mots, ou moins

WOOF^TM (CUOCI)

L’acronimo che definisce i quattro criteri per un tag point:

what you want; one criterion; observable and definable; Five words or less. Tradotto in Italiano con CUOCI: Ciò che vuoi, Una cosa per volta; Osservabile e misurabile, Cinque parole o meno.

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Some technical definitions are adapted from Learning and Behavior.  Third Edition, by Paul Chance, Ph. D.  Brooks Cole, Pub. Pacific Grove, CA.  1994 

Einige technische Ausdrücke wurden übernommen aus dem Buch

Learning and Behavior.  Third Edition, by Paul Chance, Ph. D.  Brooks Cole, Pub. Pacific Grove, CA.  1994

Quelques expressions tecniques ont été retirées du livre

Learning and Behavior.  Third Edition, by Paul Chance, Ph. D.  Brooks Cole, Pub. Pacific Grove, CA.  1994

Alcuni espressioni tecnici sono stati ritirati dal libro

Learning and Behavior.  Third Edition, by Paul Chance, Ph. D.  Brooks Cole, Pub. Pacific Grove, CA.  1994

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