ACE Network Wakatipu

Read for Rugby - How we celebrated International Literacy Day in Queenstown

2011-09-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

“Read for Rugby” evolved during an ACE Wakatipu Network meeting on August 24^th. As the International Literacy Day on September 8^th was coming up, we have been discussing what we could do at our ACE meeting and came up with the following:

“Read for Rugby”

Kick off time for

International Literacy Day

is between 12 noon and 2 pm Thursday, September 8

at Whitcoulls - Queenstown shop.

Show your support for improving World Literacy.

Leave a note of encouragement for the team and have your photo taken with our Richie McCaw mascot.

Buy a book about rugby (or any book) and learn about local Adult Education opportunities.

There will be various displays to see

& Great Prizes to be won.

Visit the booth outside the Whitcoulls shop and sign up for a free entry into the prize draws.

Judy Williamson and myself split the tasks for getting as much publicity and media coverage for this event as possible. Press releases were sent out to the local papers and radio stations. The day before we got an article appearing in the local Mirror, which is delivered to every household in the Wakatipu. Also Henry from Q92FM Radio came down to the booth on the day and interviewed me, which was broadcasted the next day.

I also got in touch with Southern Literacy, the Queenstown Library and Kip McGrath, outfits that teach and support Literacy in the area. All of them loved the idea and Amanda McIntyre from Southern Literacy and Martin and Jo from Kip McGrath came along to the booth on the day and promoted Literacy training in the area.

And the tutors on our local ACE Wakatipu database were contacted to have the possibility to leave flyers and information material of their business at the booth.

Further I updated our website www.acewakatipu.blogspot.com with a new tab on “Classes in the Wakatipu”. ALL courses/classes in the area are now listed on our website. On the day we gave out our great looking ACE Wakatipu bookmarks, which were sponsored by ACE Aotearoa. It contains our website address.

Leo from Whitcoulls Queenstown kindly donated quite a few books and other prices. These prices got drawn after the 2h display. We had about 40 entries for this price draw.

All in all we got great response from the community with a constant flow of locals and tourists taking an interest in our booth – entering the draw, writing encouraging words for the All Blacks, getting information on Literacy Training in the area or taking a photo with our Richie McCaw mascot, which was very kindly donated to us for the day by a little 2 year old – a grand child of one of our tutors. I made sure I returned Richie with a black All Blacks hat – Richie’s hat went down like a treat. J

Below a few pictures of our Celebration of International Literacy Day.

Celebrate International Literacy Day in Queenstown, Thursday, September 8, 2011

2011-09-04T15:35:00.000-07:00

Fourty four years ago, the United Nations declared September 8th to be International Literacy Day and while there have been substantial improvements since then, we still have a lot of work to do.

Basic literacy is vital to an individual's ability to thrive in the modern world. We know that improved literacy leads to greater economic productivity and healthier families.

International Literacy Day is to raise people's awareness of and concern for literacy issues in the world.

What do people do?
In countries all over the world, including the United States and the United Kingdom, the day raises people's awareness of and concern for literacy problems within their own communities. Activities include literacy day projects, particularly with regard to technology and literature, which are promoted by various organizations including reading associations.

The Wakatipu Adult and Community Education Network is working in conjunction with Whitcoulls in Queenstown and Southern REAP to raise awareness and have people support the All Blacks. There will be a two (2) hour lunch time display outside Whitcoulls Queenstown shop on:

Thursday, September 8 from 12 noon to 2 pm.

People are encouraged to:

◦ Come and leave a note for the All Blacks - on the Richie McCaw mascot (a photo opportunity). We will send them on to encourage our team.

◦ Come and see what available opportunities there are for Adults to learn (it is never too late) - about literacy and other topics

◦ Come and buy a book

◦ Come and enter Free draws for books, etc.

Next ACE Network Meeting with fabulous guest speaker - Don't miss out!

2011-07-14T16:16:00.001-07:00

Hi all!

Well, well Winter is finally here! J

The snow just arrived in time for the school holidays. I will be hitting the slopes with my 2 girls.

I would like to invite you all to our next Adult Community Education (ACE) Wakatipu Network Meeting on Wednesday, August 24^th from 10am to 12pm at the usual place, the Disability Resource Centre Meeting Room in Gorge Road Retail Centre.

Besides all the great networking that is happening at our meetings, I am very excited to have Fae Robertson as our fabulous guest speaker.

Here is what Fae will talk about:

For no matter where we work, confidence in speaking is vital. Language needs to be live interesting, and make the points you wish to leave with your audience.

A little bit about Fae:

Fae has had her training business Up Front Training (Presentation and Communication Skill training) for 30 years.

She has held workshops domestically and internationally. At present her workshops are held on request and tailored to individual requirements.

Fae has trained victim support for the past 15 years in communication skills, listening skills and body language skills. She is currently their chairperson, trainer, and a volunteer.

Fae also chairs The Fire Brigade Partners Committee and Catholic Womens League.

In 2009 she qualified for Pastoral Ministry for the Catholic Church. They have a parish support group which is called Healing Hearts and Helping Hands, which Fae is an active member in.

Fae has five grandchildren who are the joy of her life.

And on top of all that Fae works three 10 hour days as a senior travel consultant for I Site Visitor Centre. She has been in travel 52 years.

So that just promises a fun, interactive and educational meeting.

Please RSVP by Friday 19^th of August.

Keep warm! And enjoy that white stuff!

Regards,

Gitti Tapper

Community Liaison - Wakatipu

Telephone: +64 3 441 3219

Mobile: +64 21 422 958

Email gitti@reap.co.nz

Disability Resource Centre

29/159 Gorge Road Retail Centre

Queenstown 9300

http://www.reap.co.nz

FREE Professional Development Workshop: The Process of Collecting Evidence of Learner Benefit

2011-06-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

Hope you are all keeping well.

I have returned from my wee family trip to Rarotonga. Been lovely and warm. So feeling the cold. Good to be back though.

Please find below this great FREE professional development workshop in Cromwell.

I think that would be a great opportunity for all of us.

Please feel free to update me on courses and workshops. I would love to put them up on our Events Calendar on our website http://www.acewakatipu.blogspot.com/.

ACE Aotearoa and Ako Aotearoa will be convening a practical, hands on workshop on how to use "A Tertiary Practitioner's Guide to Collecting Evidence of Learner Benefit”.

Do you want to use evidence to understand your learners?

Do you want to use this evidence to ensure that your learners achieve the best possible outcomes?

If you want to find out more about how to do this, come along to this workshop to find out about A Tertiary Practitioner’s Guide to Collecting Evidence of Learner Benefit, prepared by Anne Alkema for AKO Aotearoa.

Workshops being held in the South Island:

Tuesday 19 July 2011

9.30am – 1.30pm

Golden Gate Lodge

Barry Avenue

CROMWELL

Tuesday 2 August 2011

9.30am – 1.30pm

BLENHEIM

Venue to be advised

Workshops are being planned for the Central North Island, we will send out notice as soon as dates and venue details are available.

There is no charge for the workshop, but space is limited and registration is required. To register please contact Pat Robertson; pat.robertson@canterbury.ac.nz or phone 03 3437719 by: Monday 11 July for the Cromwell workshop and Monday 25 July for the Blenheim workshop.

Presenters:

Jennifer Leahy

Jennifer Leahy’s career in education has been as a teacher in Primary and Secondary schools and as a group educator. She has a detailed knowledge of teaching adults having worked for 10 years as a lecturer in adult education at the University of Canterbury and Christchurch College of Education. She worked for 12 years as Education Coordinator at Christchurch Women's Prison and tutored men and women in the three prisons in Christchurch. During this time she also worked as a national trainer of Department of Corrections staff on two staff awareness programmes. In addition she has been a volunteer adult reading tutor, a tutor of English as a second language, and a facilitator of many groups and courses in the community. Jennifer has a detailed knowledge of the Adult and Community Education sector, having been a member of the membership organisation for ACE practitioners, ACE Aotearoa since 1988 at a local and national level. She has also been on the National Advisory Committee for Adult Learner's Week He Tangata Matauranga. Most recently Jennifer has been involved in teaching adults at Christchurch Polytechnic, the University of Canterbury and a range of community education programmes and is working on her PhD specialising in adult education.

Tai Samaeli

Tai is a community organiser and has spent all of his working life in the non-profit sector. He is passionate about helping people reach their potential. He has a Diploma of Teaching (Primary) and is an experienced trainer. He has worked with youth-at-risk, including managing a retail and industry training course that led to a NZQA National Certificate in Retail. Tai is also the coordinator, and a trainer for New Zealand's largest community-based improvisation troupe - WIT.

Regards,

Gitti Tapper

Community Liaison - Wakatipu

Telephone: +64 3 441 3219

Mobile: +64 21 422 958

Email gitti@reap.co.nz

Disability Resource Centre

29/159 Gorge Road Retail Centre

Queenstown 9300

http://www.reap.co.nz

Speed learning continues

2011-05-16T17:14:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone!

It has been another fun, informative, educational session, our second speed learning session of the year on Friday, May 13^th 2011 with about a dozen of volunteers from the Citizen Advice Bureau here in Queenstown. We held the session at the Meeting Room here at the Disability Resource Centre, right next door to my office.

Nicola MacAllan, Queenstown Citizens Advice Bureau Training Coordinator, invited us, the ACE Wakatipu Network, to run a speed learning session for their monthly volunteers training. We had Peter Waaka from School of Thought, Emma Hargreaves, teaching the Alexander Technique, Nannette Benington from the Buddy Programme, Alesha Kereru from Nga Kete Charitable Trust, Danielle Argent from Holistic Health, Amy Aldridge-Baker from the Disability Resource Centre, myself, Gitti Tapper representing Southern Reap and Brian Sproull from Southern First Aid. Judy Williamson, who has been a fantastic support and volunteer for our ACE Wakatipu network, came along with the gong and was moderating through the session.

After a short introduction of our ACE Wakatipu Network through myself the speed learning began. As you can see from the list above, with such a variety of tutors from different areas we all could expect a range of different topics, teaching and presenting. Every tutor had 5 minutes to introduce himself/herself and teach/present one specific thing from his/her area of expertese or make the audience aware of a course that was currently running. Judy’s gong after 5 Minutes finished each session. Even some cooperation was happening with Peter Waaka presenting his School of Thought and straight after that he offered himself as a model for Danielle Argent, practising the Bowen Technique on him, as Peter was suffering from a soar shoulder.

Jon Bicheno, the chairman of the Citizen Advice Bureau in Queenstown, also did a 5 minutes session on the Citizen Advise Bureau. It was a great way for all the tutors to learn more about this great community outfit.

To sum it up, all in all it was a fun and informative session, ideal for any type of learner from the visual to the audio to the tactile learner, there was something there for everyone.

I want to thank the Citizen Advice Bureau for having us, their volunteers who came along and also a big thank you to the tutors who showed up and taught us something new.

Also I would love to share this email from Nicola MacAllan with you:

Hi Gitti,
I just wanted to pass on hugest thanks for organising such an informative and varied 'speed learning' session for Queenstown Citizens Advice Bureau last Friday. I thought the speed learning concept was perfect for the CAB monthly training/information session, and hope to take advantage to another one in the future!
Cheerio, Nic
Nicola MacAllan

Queenstown Citizens Advice Bureau
Training Coordinator

That’s it from me for now. I am heading off to lovely warm Rarotonga for a wee family holiday, just to shorten the time waiting for the beautiful white stuff to arrive and I can get my skis out.

Regards,

Gitti Tapper
Coordinator ACE Wakatipu

Dates to put in your diary

2011-04-06T21:22:00.000-07:00

Hope you all are well. Term 1 is about to finish and I am planning ahead for next term.

Great Interest has been shown on our speed learning model by various bodies and I was asked to do a recording for ACE Aotearoa.

It is about 40 mins long. If you would like to watch it, follow this link http://akoaotearoa.ac.nz/community/acenet/resources/pages/acenet-online-workshops#gitti-tapper .

Speaking of our our speed learning sessions. I am still looking for a few more speakers for our next session on Tuesday, 19^th of April from 10am to 12pm. This is gonna be held for the Young Mums and Bubs group of Nga Kete Charitable Trust. Nga Keteho has got a membership base of 300 clients. Venue to be advised. Some have already given me the thumbs up. If you haven’t and want to be part in this fabulous free marketing opportunity, please let me know. Read up on previous posts how Speed learning works.

The speed learning session for May is held for the Volunteers of the Citizen Advise Bureau. The confirmed date for that one is Friday, 13^th of May from 10am to 12pm. (Venue will probably be the Meeting Room at DRC, next door to my office.) Another fabulous way to get exposure in our Wakatipu community. Spaces are also available for this one.

Last but not least I would like to remind you of our next Networking Meeting, the second one this year, on Wednesday 11^th of May from 10am to 12pm. It will be held in the Meeting Room at DRC. Such a good place to keep us tutors all updated about your upcoming and running courses and it is always a great place to network and learn from others.

Regards,

Gitti Tapper

Community Liaison - Wakatipu

Telephone: +64 3 441 3219

Mobile: +64 21 422 958

Email gitti@reap.co.nz

Disability Resource Centre

29/159 Gorge Road Retail Centre

Queenstown 9300

http://www.reap.co.nz

ACE Wakatipu Network Meeting and ACE Sector Conference June 17-19 2011

2011-02-20T15:56:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

What a great meeting we have had last Wednesday, 16th February at the meeting rooms in the Disability Resource Centre right next door to my office. Great networking has been happening and we had Dr. Jo Lake and Analiese Robertson from ACE Aotearoa in Wellington attending.

ACE Aotearoa is the leading body for the Adult and Community Educators and a voice for adult learners. ACE Wakatipu has got a great relationship with ACE Aotearoa. Our professional looking website is one example. Thank you, ACE Aotearoa! For more details about ACE Aotearoa, visit their website on www.aceaotearoa.org.nz

If anyone would like the Minutes for our Network Meeting, please email me on gitti@reap.co.nz .

I also would like to make you aware of this following event.

ACE Sector Conference June 17-19 2011

The 2011 ACE Sector Conference will be held at the Brentwood Hotel in Kilbirne, Wellington from Friday June 17 – Sunday June 19. This year’s theme is “Partnering.” The conference will showcase some of the many successful community learning partnerships in Aotearoa and examine how such partnerships can ensure a strong, secure future for the ACE Sector.

Travel subsidies are available. Please contact Analiese Robertson for more details. analiese.robertson@aceaotearoa.org.nz

Speed Learning - our first successful session and first Networking Meeting

2011-02-02T16:48:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to take the opportunity to tell you about our first speed learning session last night, Wednesday Feb 2^nd with the Wakatipu Lions Queenstown. Together with 9 adult educators Judy and I met at the Goldfields Hotel on Frankton Road here in Queenstown.

The Wakatipu Lions had their monthly meeting and we were invited to hold our first speed learning session with them. We had Brian Sproull from Southern First Aid, Russell Taylor from the IRD, Fiona Boyer from the Queenstown Resort College, Julia Shallcrass from Janet Copland Law, Peter Waaka from School of Thought, Bill Dolan from the U3A Wakatipu, Zea, who is a Thai language teacher, Emily Rutherford, a qualified Zumba instructor and myself representing Southern Reap.

After a short introduction of ACE Wakatipu through Judy and myself to the approximately 25/30 Lions that were present, the Speed Learning session began. Every tutor had 5 Minutes to teach/present something specific to their area of expertese or tell them about their company/themselves or make them aware of courses that were currently running. A gong after 5 Minutes finished each session and as you can see from the list of instructors above – and the pics below.

Great information got presented in quite different ways, ideal for any type of learner from the visual to the audio to the tactile learner, there was something there for everyone. Fun and informative, to sum it up.

In the end we got introduced to the the Wakatipu Lions and what they do. A potatoe race combined with a very spontaneous fundraiser demonstrated Lions work in the community.

I want to thank the Wakatipu Lions for having us and also a big thank you to the tutors who showed up and taught us something new.

We have got our next (the very first for the year) ACE Network meeting on Wednesday, February 16^th from 10am to 12pm. Further Speed learning sessions will be discussed as well as having a great chance for you tutors again to network and get your message out there.

See you all on the 16^th.

Regards, Gitti Tapper

Happy New Year and Advertising Opportunity

2011-01-25T14:34:00.001-08:00

Hello Adult Community Education Providers!

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and a great start to the New Year.

I have started back at work here on January 13^th and have been busy catching up with things.

With the generous help of Judy Williamson I finally can offer you a great marketing opportunity. Please read below.

Coming Up on February 2, 2011: Speed Learning  

You may have heard of Speed Networking, Speed Dating and Speed Renting - now it is time for Speed Learning!  During the Wakatipu Lions Club monthly meeting (starting at 7:30 pm) the Wakatipu ACE network has the opportunity to provide up to 10 Tutors to entertain them with a “Speed Learning” session.

Each Tutor will provide a sampler of what she/he has to offer.

The idea is that people attending will be able to learn at least one thing and maybe wet their appetite to sign up for the class or tell their friends.

This is the start of what we hope will be a pool of providers that can put on similar sessions throughout the district as part of our joint marketing initiative.

As providers of education, in the Wakatipu region, you have an opportunity to inform the public what you offer in 3-5 minutes.

I will have a hook for those who go over 5 mins.

Contact Gitti at 03 441 3219 or email gitti@reap.co.nz by: 1/1/11 to be part of this exciting new initiative!
If you have further questions you can call Judy on 0211064503.

You will promote your class/course and have fun too….

Space limited to first 10 providers. We cannot have duplicates so if more than one provider volunteers, the first one to respond will get the opportunity to appear on this first opportunity.

When: Wednesday, 2/2/11 at 7:30 pm. At Goldfields Resort Hotel.

Seasons Greetings and our first Meeting in 2011

2010-12-21T13:06:00.001-08:00

I just finalised a date for our first ACE Wakatipu Network meeting in the New Year.

I would like to invite you all to our first Get Together – and pass this message onto other providers, who you think might benefit from it –

on February 16^th from 10am to 12pm.

Topic of discussion will include:

- Speed Learning Sessions (I have got already some groups – and am still working on getting more – who are interested in us running them) – Anyone who is keen to being part of this initiative, please contact me. It is a great way to raise your profile and get the community to know you and what you are doing!

- Do we as ACE Wakatipu need a logo? – Any ideas are welcome.

So please put the date in your diary. Looking forward to seeing lots of you.

Have a lovely xmas and a great start into 2011.

Regards,

Gitti Tapper

Last ACE Network Meeting on November 10th 2010

2010-11-11T12:28:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

What a great turn out Wednesday’s meeting was! Hope you all enjoyed it and got lots out of it. I certainly did. Great networking was happening.

Thank you to Charlie for coming along and showing his website www.studyqueenstown.com. Contact me for his contact details, if you would like to be included at www.studyqueenstown.com .

Also Rachel Rose from Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) has offered to include your non-commercial services on the cab website www.cab.org.nz . Her details are also available through me.

Any questions, ideas, concerns, please speak up. I always have got an open mind, eyes and ears to make this Network better and bigger. Enjoy the rest of 2010 and have a great start into 2011.

I will keep you up to date what is happening with potential funding and with the speed learning sessions. Will also set a date for our next meeting in term 1 2011 soon.

Regards,

Gitti Tapper

Community Liaison - Wakatipu

Telephone: +64 3 441 3219

Mobile: +64 21 422 958

Email gitti@reap.co.nz

Disability Resource Centre

29/159 Gorge Road Retail Centre

Queenstown 9300

http://www.reap.co.nz

ACE Network Wakatipu Mini Expo in the O'Connell's Shopping Centre

2010-09-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

Queenstown has got an ACE network again! Jipee! Together with Judy Williamson I have set up an Adult Community Education Network here in the Wakatipu. Judy approached me a few weeks after I have started work with REAP about the issue of not having th and 11 attending on July 21st. With brilliant guest speakers on both meetings – Des Gray spoke on the Importance of Networking and Daniel Roberts on the Pros and Cons of Marketing on the Web – and the REAP meeting room as a great place to network, both meetings were a success.

Since then I have been working on setting up this blog with a Google calendar attached, that shows all the current running courses and seminars in the area, as well as a list of all the ACE Providers that wanted to be present on this website.

During the Adult Education Week Judy organised a mini expo on Saturday, September 11th from 10am to 2pm in the O’Connell’s Shopping Centre. I brought my laptop along and managed to log into the Budget Communications network there to show people around the website. We also had flyers to give out to people with the website address on it and currently we are getting these flyers printed as bookmarks to give out to people. 5 ACE Providers were present and all in all locals were very interested in the opportunity to now find out about all the courses available in the area at one centralised spot. The pamphlets and posters are still up in the O’Connell’s for another month or so.

Welcome!

2010-08-25T18:11:00.000-07:00

A big hello to all the Adult Educators and the community of the Wakatipu!

Judy Williamson (lots of you might know from the Wakatipu Night School) and myself Gitti Tapper from Southern Reap Rural Education have set up an Adult Community and Education Network for the area.

We have established a need for all you Adult Education Providers to be able to network together, but also the need in the Wakatipu community to find out about Adult Education Courses, Seminars, ... in any area of life.

This blog here should be used as a connection point for you the providers and the Wakatipu learners!

To the right you find a google calendar, which gets regularly updated with all the courses and seminars that are running in the area.

I hope this is useful and wish you all happy studying!

Regards,

Judy Williamson and Gitti Tapper