ACEnet online workshops

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Last updated by: ako_admin (Ako Administrator) on 11 March 2011 - 4:25pm

Details and recordings from ACEnet's online workshops

 

ACEnet's online workshops are advertised through the ‘Resource of the Week’ emails. Simply click on the link provided in the email to attend. If you are interested in receiving these emails, but are not at present, please email terry@aceaotearoa.org.nz and you can be included on the list.

> click here for more information about FlashMeeting, the tool ACEnet uses for these online workshops

Gareth McCashin, Co-ordinator at the Victory Community Centre based at Victory Primary School in Nelson

Gareth speaks of the local people and their involvement in this community centre and school. The centre was built four years ago and Gareth acknowledges the commitment of the Primary School Principal, Mark Brown, and of the present Community Centre Manager, Kindra Douglas, who originally worked for the Ministry of Social Development's Victory Urban Village initiative - the forerunner to the present project.

Gareth's webinar provides a fascinating snapshot of true community-based ACE that responds to local needs. He states that, for the Victory community, which already had a high level of "social connectedness", this community hub provides "Limitless opportunities".

Link to recording of the webinar

Gitti Tapper, Community Liaison, Wakatipu ACE Network

Gitti spoke about the exciting things they are doing. A new innovation, suggested by Judy Williamson, is their ‘speed teaching’ seminars. During these meetings about 8 or 9 tutors present for 5 minutes each. Their presentation includes information about their courses and a mini-lesson. Such a brilliant idea, and it is proving very popular. The webinar is a little under one hour and very interesting in terms of how to organise both the speed learning sessions and the excellent website ACE Wakatipu Gitti has built at http://acewakatipu.blogspot.com

Link to recording of the webinar

Barry Golding and John Evoy - Men's Sheds

Professor Barry Golding from Australia and John Evoy from Ireland talk about some of the issues they have observed in their countries experience of the phenomenon we know as Men’s (or Bloke’s) Sheds. While Australia led the way with the first Men’s Sheds around 15 years ago, Ireland’s experience is far more recent, with New Zealand somewhere in the middle.

Both agreed that there is no ‘right’ way – no formula for setting up or establishing a shed. Rather, the key has been to identify and respond to what is already happening within a community. They also discuss the place of women in the wider men’s shed movement and the multi-dimensional nature, both of the physical spaces, and of the benefits gained by the men who are involved in them. Barry echoes the message in another of our resource clips – “Women talk face to face – men talk shoulder to shoulder”.

Link to recording of the webinar

Ngarau Tarawa, Tumuaki, Te Waka Pu Whenua

Ngarau Tarawa from Te Waka Pu Whenua in Taumarunui presents a fascinating outline of the way forward in providing ACE for and about Māori.

Ngarau explains that in that geographical area there are 13 marae, which is a major reason her organisation focusses on Kaumatua Tanga - recognition of the history, knowledge and life experience kaumatua are able to give to younger generations. In Taumurunui there is a kaumatua-run community garden centre where this learning is continuing.

Download Ngarau's excellent document which provides an outline of the issues discussed, emphasising the most important factor - that Māori education must start from a Māori perspective and be Māori centred learning rather than just be adapted from other forms, with Māori "add-ons" as is often the case. Ngarau emphasises education - Mātauranga Māori - as being about 'self' - in the strongest sense of that term.

Watch the webinar for more.

Peter McNeur, Wairarapa REAP

Welcome to the recorded webinar from the session with Peter McNeur on using an Outcomes Framework. A very interesting presentation covering the idea of using a broad range of indicators of learning outcomes based on specific stories of individual learning. Peter noted that while immediate outcomes during and soon after a course of learning are important, also of importance is tracking longer term outcomes further down the track – looking at how a learning experience may have impacted the course of a person’s life journey. He also gave some examples and cautioned that not all indicators are able to be predicted – that educators and organisations need to be open to the appearance of unexpected indicators, especially those from a community cohesion angle.

The session covers different perspectives – the learner, the organisation, the funder, the political and poses some questions for the future. Peter is part of a group looking at future directions in Outcomes Framework planning who intend to trial some ideas early in 2011 and present a progress report to the 2011 ACE Aotearoa conference. He points out that success in such research depends on data and its analysis.

Noting that ACE is always only part of the solution, Peter says: “Always remember – the changes are made by the learners.”

Click here to watch the webinar

 

 

 

 

Grant Sidaway, SeniorNet

The online seminar with Grant Sidaway from SeniorNet is well worth watching. Grant was the person who first set up the SeniorNet organisation in New Zealand while working for Telecom. He speaks of the early ideas and challenges, the ways in which the organisation has changed to meet the needs an increasingly computer-savvy target market and their plans for further growth and change.

There are now 87 SeniorNet learning centres serving 17,000 people across New Zealand, with the size of these ranging from Canterbury’s, which has 1,250 members to much smaller groups comprising around 50 people. Grant discusses working with volunteers, marketing, the changing ways of working and the fact that SeniorNet is no longer just teaching computer skills. He also outlines quality control measures and funding sources. Check out his informative and very interesting talk here - http://flashmeeting.e2bn.net/fm/fmm.php?pwd=57b298-10718

Mary Gavigan, ACE Aotearoa

Post Adult Learning Week was the topic of Mary's first webinar. Mary spoke of the amazing experience and hospitality at the launch of ALW hosted by the Southern Network on the Te Rau Aroha Marae, Bluff. Mary also reported on other activities that happened during ALW around the country. Members will be able to learn more by listening to the link provided below and from the regional coordinators' report that will be available online after evaluation and feedback has been completed by regions.

Link to audio recording of the workshop - http://flashmeeting.e2bn.net/fm/fmm.php?pwd=bc1e92-10666&jt=00:08:02

 

Margaret Jeffries, Project Lyttelton

Prepare to be inspired! Margaret Jeffries joined us for an inspirational discussion about TimeBanking – an initiative that grew from an idea to address community needs in a different way that is now growing and being led by a powerful example set by Project Lyttelton. Margaret’s enthusiasm is contagious and she shares some fascinating stories of the range of ages, from children to the elderly, involved in the Lyttelton Timebank, her dreams for the future and steps that are in train to realise those, along with setting an example in a very mentoring way outside her local community. Watch the record of the seminar and check out the Project Lyttelton website. Margaret also recommends a book which provided the original idea and blueprint for the scheme and discusses the computer software being used so participants are able to be involved in the entire process.

Link to audio recording of the workshop - http://flashmeeting.e2bn.net/fm/memo.php?pwd=753b62-10441&jt=00:17:30

Find out more about Lyttelton Timebank - www.lyttelton.net.nz/timebank

Ask Margaret questions about TimeBanking in a forum

Jane Scripps, NorthTec's ACE department

Jane spoke about the exciting new way of working with local learners at marae-based settings, using a range of topics: Mahi a Toi - Kapa Haka, Waiata Te Korero, Whakairo Rakau (carving), Mau Raukau (weaponry), Ko Te Ha O Te Reo, Te Hoenga Waka (Traditional Polynesian sailing and navigation) and Tui te Korari (weaving). The planning has been underway for some time and now that links have been made, local tutors found, training provided and literacy and numeracy components embedded, the courses are being offered for the next semester.

This is definitely responding to identified local learning needs in meaningful ways. One of the biggest issues in the Northtec catchment areas is the distances between delivery sites, so with the co-operation of local iwi, this collaborative approach to planning and delivering ACE is not only logical, it is a very popular method of ensuring all sorts of learning takes place. Jane discusses intergenerational learning, the importance of finding appropriate and locally acceptable tutors and the importance of communities of learning in the widest sense. We will be keeping in touch with Jane and her team and will offer later opportunities to catch up and to monitor progress.

Link to recording of the workshop - http://flashmeeting.e2bn.net/fm/fmm.php?pwd=7be91d-9772

Peter Faulkner, Fraser High School

This one-hour webinar has some interesting discussion about the new face of New Zealand ACE, especially school-based ACE, although polytechs and the wider community are also mentioned. Peter covers a wide range of issues, including:

  • responding to community needs
  • addressing far-flung rural areas
  • funding arrangements covering both government-supported and fully fee-paying learners in combined courses
  • retaining tutors in the face of falling numbers
  • finding clearer directions in local networking

He makes some important and interesting observations and comments:

  • That in slashing ACE across the country, the situation is now analagous with a forest - where it is easy to cut it down quickly, but a long slow process to regrow it
  • Peter enjoys excellent support and commitment from his school and is building on a long history as the successor to Caryl Ginever
  • He acknowledges the worth of his colleague Annette, who works in his office
  • He has introduced a refundable bond for gs (government-supported) courses to instil a sense of their worth

Many questions are asked and salient points raised, including the need to look at literacy and numeracy components already embedded in courses.

Link to recording of the workshop - http://flashmeeting.e2bn.net/fm/790ef9-9667

Tim Weir & Tony McCahon, Delta Community Support Trust

Our latest Flashmeeting was a fascinating discussion with Tim Weir and Tony McCahon from the Delta Community Support Trust in Christchurch. They covered every aspect of their work with a wide range of people in a number of programmes, but most specifically through their empowerment courses. The session is well worth watching.
Some interesting 'snippets' include: 

  • their increase in recent times to catering for people with mental disabilities and issues from around 24% to over 70%;
  • their community development basis that sees people supporting each other and working regularly as volunteers in their own communities; 
  • their financial and professional support bases; and 
  • their focus on the individual and on addressing specific learning and other needs.

Link to recording of the workshop - http://flashmeeting.e2bn.net/fm/7b830c-9355

Marian Richards

Marian, of Adult Learning Support in Nelson, under the Literacy Aotearoa umbrella, spoke of her experience in setting up a 'Blended Learning' programme, responding to the individual needs of learners. She explained that blended learning is based on the use of multiple styles of delivery, including computers, face-to-face and distance learning, responding to both individual learner needs and availability of trained tutors in a specific location.
She talks about diagnostic and formative assessment and summative review. Questions she addresses include: How does it work? What are the difficulties? How are computers integrated into the programme? Watch the workshop clip to learn more.

Link to recording of meeting - http://flashmeeting.e2bn.net/fm/fmm.php?pwd=72f243-8398, then click on the List tab on the upper right, and go to '46:10 Marian'.

Parent group: 
ACEnet