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Circuit Judges’ Education Academy: Theory, Technique and Technology for the Kentucky Court of Justice
by Dr. Deborah Williamson, Judge Julia Hylton Adams, Dr. Sandra Ratcliff Daffron

Abstract
A first activity for the Circuit Judges’ Education Academy for the Commonwealth of Kentucky was held on April 21 – 25, 2008 in Louisville, KY.  The original concept for the Academy was conceived by the Honorable Joseph E. Lambert, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Kentucky; the Honorable Julia Hylton Adams, Circuit Judge for the 25th Judicial Circuit and Chair of the Education Committee; and, the Honorable Jason M. Nemes, Director, Administrative Office of the Courts.  Dr. Sandra Ratcliff Daffron, President of the Institute for Professional Training and Education worked closely with Dr. Deborah Williamson and Dr. Kevin Smalley of the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts to develop a program plan for the Circuit Judge educators that met the Education Academy goal, to explain and demonstrate how to combine adult education fundamentals, presentation and teaching techniques and content delivery technology into an effective and powerful judicial education program.  This article highlights the plan for the Circuit Judges’ Education Academy, the first activity that has launched the Academy, and ideas for future Academy activities.

The Kentucky Circuit Judges’ Education Academy
Judicial education curriculum is planned, developed and implemented by the Circuit Judges Education Committee in Kentucky.  Committee members serve staggered terms at the appointment of the elected President of the Circuit Judges Association.  This committee reviews suggestions, evaluations, and comments given by the judges who attend the annual educational conference to help them make decisions for future educational activities.  The committee works in tandem with the professional education staff of the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to plan and carry out the educational activities.  

This year the Circuit Judges’ Judicial Education Academy was formed with the Chief Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court appointing judges to serve on the Academy Advisory Board.  The mission of the Academy is to develop committed faculty members who are devoted to advancing judicial education for the Commonwealth. Judges were selected using criteria that included demonstration of an extraordinary commitment to judicial education and a dedication to making the Academy the best among judicial education in the United States.  These prominent judges all donated considerable amounts of time to educating other judges.  Their task is to assist the Education Committee with ideas and suggestions of cutting edge research in judicial education, with the development of curriculum, with recommendations for effective presentation techniques, and with a plan and strategies for judicial education the circuit judges would find visionary and inspiring.  The four goals of the Academy are:

• to restore and enhance the quality and integrity of judicial education in the Commonwealth;
• to identify members of Kentucky’s judiciary who have expressed and demonstrated on-going commitment to judicial education in its broadest conceptualization;
• to provide sustained and cutting –edge professional development, separate from existing faculty development programs, for the individuals identified, and to utilize them as both education mentors and core faculty members at Judicial colleges;
• and, to engender enthusiasm regarding the judicial education process in general, and serving as faculty in specific, among all members of the Circuit Court.

The First Step
To begin their process the members of the Academy came together for the first time for a week long workshop in Louisville, April 21-25, 2008.  All 16 Academy Board members were invited to the workshop and AOC staff from the training division and the judicial branch education observed the workshop and participated in many of the activities.  The intensive program was planned to:

• Identify the knowledge, skills and abilities needed by judges who are presenters to more effectively present
• Introduce cutting edge research on adult learning and development
• Work with the AOC staff to help them effectively develop educational programs
• Incorporate ways to use technology effectively for education and training and discuss methods of delivering distance learning
• Assist judges who are presenters in developing their own presentation techniques

The 5-day program agenda included:

Day One - Theory to Practice

Learning Theory (Morning)

• Introductions
• Developmental Stages of Adults
• Andragogy - Malcolm Knowles
• Characteristics of Adult Learners
• Trends in Adult Learning: (recorded presentation)
  Dr. Sharan Merriam, Professor of Adult Education, University of Georgia
• Understanding the Adult Learner
• Setting the Climate

What Kind of Teacher/Trainer Are You? (Morning)

• Training Style Inventory (TSI)
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
• Judges as Learners
• Communicating Effectively: 22 Tips
• Demonstration: 3 Teaching Techniques

Developing the Educational Design (Afternoon)

• The California Experience
• Curriculum Based Planning
• The Future and the Courts of Kentucky
• Writing Goals & Learning Objectives
• Phase I & II Write Up
• Techniques for Powerful Presentations

Group Activities (Afternoon)

• Demonstration: 3 Teaching Techniques
• Writing Phase I and II

Day Two - Using a Variety of Tools and Teaching Methods

Teaching Techniques (Morning)

• Generational Learning Styles
• Effective Teaching Strategies for Older Adults
• Transfer of Learning: (recorded presentation)
  Mary North, M.Ed., Trainer for Intrepid, Seattle, WA.
• Transfer of Learning Articles (2)

• 30 Things We Know about Adult Learners

Technology (Morning)

• Introduction of the Possibilities: (recorded presentation)
  Ed Webster, M.Ed., Instructional Designer, Bellingham, WA
  — Power Points synchronized with audios
  — Video Streaming
  — SKYPE Conferencing
  — Course Management Systems for Distance Learning (Blackboard/Web Ct/Moodle)
  — Pod Casting
  — Future Tools

• Demonstration: 3 Teaching Techniques

Organizing the Presentation (Afternoon)

• Organizing the Presentation
• Effective Communication Skills
• Powerful and Punchy Openers
• Successful Group Discussions
• No No’s to Avoid
• Demonstration: 3 Teaching Techniques

Group Activities (Afternoon)

• Practice Small Group Instructions
• Curriculum Development Exercise

Day Three - Incorporating Theory, Methods, and Ideas into Individual Presentations

Teaching Methods (Morning)

• Brain-based Research: (recorded presentation)
  Gail Goulet, M.Ed., Career Connections, Surrey, B.C.
• Developing the Intellect
• Self-Directed Learning

• Discussion Topics
• Effective Ways Judges Teach Other Judges: (live presentation)
  Hon. John F. Daffron, Jr., (retired judge), Circuit Court of Chesterfield County, VA.

Facilitation (Morning)

• Successful Team-Building Activities
• Room Arrangements for Presentations
• Demonstration: 3 Teaching Techniques
• Facilitators vs. Group Members

The Educational Design (Afternoon)

• Educational Design Plan
• Completing and Discussing
• Criteria for Evaluating Course Material

Group Activities (Afternoon)

• Demonstration: 3 Teaching Techniques
• Rehearsing the Introduction

Day Four - “5-4-3-2-1 – You’re on”

Presentations by Judges (Morning)

• 8 Judges will…
  — Present Introductions
  — Explain Educational Curriculum Design & Plan

Evaluation (Morning)

• Program Evaluation
• Measuring the Effects of Training
• Retention of Knowledge
• Demonstration: 3 Teaching Techniques

Critiquing the Judge’s Presentations (Afternoon)

• View each Videotape
• Critique and discuss each Educational Design

Assess, Collaborate, Experiment & Imagine (Afternoon)

• Active Training Techniques:
  — Assessing
  — Collaborating
  — Experimenting
  — Imagining
• Criteria for Evaluating Presentations
• Demonstration: 3 Teaching Techniques

Day Five - “5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 … You’re on!” Tying It Together

Presentations by Judges (Morning)

• 7 Judges will…
  — Present Introductions
  — Explain Educational Curriculum Design & Plan

Inquire, Perform, Stimulate & Reflect (Morning)

• Active Training Techniques:
  — Inquiring
  — Performing
  — Stimulating
  — Reflecting
• Adding Style to Your Speech
• Watch your Non-Verbals!
• Demonstration: 3 Teaching Techniques

Critiquing the Judge’s Presentations (Afternoon)

• View each Videotape
• Critique and discuss each Educational Design

Wrap Up (Afternoon)

• Demonstration: 3 Teaching Techniques
• 16 Ways to Help Attendees Learn Better
• Futures Thinking about Judicial Education: (recorded presentation)
  Dr. Diane Cowdrey, Director of Judicial Education
  California Administrative Office of the Courts
• Conclusion and Goodbyes

Ideas for Future Academies
In this first step of the Academy, the Academy Board and AOC staff participated in demonstrations of technology likely to influence the future of judicial education.  The workshop featured demonstrations each day of distance learning techniques that judges were willing to accept and endorse, even those who are technically challenged.  With uncertain funding for education and training in the future, all agreed it would be important to begin plans now for distance learning in the future and to take small steps toward that end

Ultimately, the Academy will be able to conduct the faculty development for each educational opportunity planned by the Circuit Judges Education Committee and will assist the AOC professional education staff to build together an extraordinary and comprehensive educational model that assures continuity and professional commitment.

Deborah Williamson has served the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts for two decades. She is currently the State Facilitator for the Congressional Conference on Civic Education, a member of the ABA Advisory Committee on Public Education, and has served as a grant specialist for the Office of Budget and Policy. Prior to her appointment as Executive Officer of Court Services in February 2008, Deborah was the general manager of the Office for Judicial Branch Education where she revitalized judicial education for both the judiciary and support staff. She teaches courses in delinquency and criminology at local universities and education and civics courses in Europe. Deborah holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, a master’s in anthropology and a doctorate in sociology, with a secondary area in education policy.

Circuit Court Judge Julia Hylton Adams serves the 25th Judicial Circuit, 1st Division. Prior to her election to Circuit Court, Judge Adams served in District Court from 1984 until 1993. Judge Adams graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Transylvania University in 1974 and earned a juris doctor from the University of Kentucky in 1977. She serves as chair of the Kentucky Circuit Judges Education Committee. She is also a member of the American Judges Association and NASJE. Judge Adams has previously served as president of the Kentucky Circuit Judges Association and the Kentucky District Judges Association.

Dr. Sandra Ratcliff Daffron is President and C.E.O. of IPT&E and a seasoned, respected international authority in adult and professional education. An Ed.D. in Adult and Continuing Education, an MS in Special Education and twenty-eight years of experience as a teacher and trainer give Sandra tremendous depth as a corporate training consultant. Sandra has developed innovative teaching techniques for classroom and distance learning as a graduate professor at Western Washington University, Virginia Commonwealth University and Northern Illinois University. Sandra served as Chief of Party for the USAID Palestinian Rule of Law Project, led the American Judicature Society with distinction as Executive Director and Vice President, and served as Assistant Dean for the IIT Chicago Kent College of Law.

Hon. John F. Daffron, retired, is an internationally renowned legal expert, futures planner, and judicial educator, and holds a BA and LLB degree from the University of Richmond. Judge Daffron practiced general law for many years and served as a judge for county, circuit, and federal courts in Virginia. Considered an expert in judicial reform, Judge Daffron consults on international judicial projects and presents strategic planning keynote addresses to audiences worldwide. Judge Daffron played a crucial role in judicial reform as chair and committee member of numerous organizations, including the State Justice Institute, National Conference of State Trial and Special Court Judges, Council of the Judicial Division of the American Bar Association and the American Judicature Society.

Edward Webster holds a M.Ed. in Adult and Higher Education from Western Washington University, a MS in Communications and a BS in Engineering from Miami University. Edward draws on thirty years of experience in education, communications, and engineering to deliver innovative yet practical technology-based training solutions for a wide array of clients. His business management experience includes Centro Corporation, Nickelodeon Cable Network and Miami University. Edward has designed communication systems and employee training programs for technology clients worldwide, including Edmonds Community College, Grant Union School District, the Los Angeles Unified School District, and the Korean Broadcasting System.

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