Funky Christmas Greeting from Connecting Learners

Merry Christmas from Connecting Learners on Prezi

Nadolig Llawen i pawb

An exciting opportunity to work for Connecting Learners

Are you....
- really organised?
- good with computers?
- full of ideas?
- passionate about lifelong learning?

Then we have a fantastic opportunity for one lucky person to come and work with us as the Connecting Learners Project Assistant, 18 hours a week until March 2013. The job is based in Cartrefi Cymru's Bangor office.

Here is the job advert...

Open publication - Free publishing - More bangor

Our 2012 Learning Programme

You may think that the Olympics are the big event of 2012; you could be wrong!!
Our 2012 Learning Programme is the main event of the year for Connecting Learners and is set to produce as many winners and awards as Team GB!
Every Wednesday throughout 2012 will be a ‘Connecting Learners Wednesday’ with a rolling programme of courses and workshops running each week in Cartrefi Cymru’s training rooms in Bangor, Newtown and Bridgend.
Coleg Harlech/WEA, along with expert independent providers, will be delivering the courses and workshops, with accreditation available through Agored Cymru. Learners can start from Entry Level 3 and progress to Level 1 then receive all the information needed to keep on learning through Learndirect and the Open University.
The free courses and qualifications are open to all paid staff and volunteers working for organisations in the in the third sector including Charities, Housing Associations, Social Enterprises and Community Groups.
And what a range of courses and workshops we have for you to choose from...
• Connecting with Computers: A basic ICT course for the terrified, including the “Online Basics” e-learning package
• Money Matters: Great tips for budgeting, maximising your income and minimising yours spending
• Effective Writing: Increase your confidence in writing reports, records or filling in application forms
• Knowing Me, Knowing You: Communication skills, active listening, body language a lots more in just 1 day
• Active Citizenship: Discover how you can make a difference at this 1 day workshop
• Modern Welsh Trades Unions: Understand more about the roles that Trades Unions play in contemporary Wales
• Internet Safety & Security: Learn to explore the wonders of the internet whilst keeping yourself and others safe
• Connecting with Change: Learn ways to cope with a changing working environment with this1 day workshop
• Skill Build: 3 one day workshops focusing on CVs, Application forms and Interviews
• Union Learning Rep (ULR) Taster: A 1 day session exploring how you can help your colleagues as a ULR
Our timetable of events will be available in our Learner Brochure for 2012 which is a guide to fun, free and fascinating learning at work, and will be available in early November.
If you’re lucky enough to get on of those hard to come by tickets for the Olympics we hope you enjoy the spectacle, but admission to our learning programme is free and easy to access, and for more information log on to http://bit.ly/joinCLC.

How to get the best out of Prezi

Visualization of Carmine Gallo's Blog Post on Prezi

Learndirect and the INCLUSIVE Partnership

Learndirect & INCLUSIVE on Prezi

The power of good design and communications - False Economy

Cuts Are Not The Cure from Unionfilms on Vimeo.

Wow - what an amazing piece of communication by the TUC.

DYFODOL Scheme

I wanted to share this great new scheme designed to support the training needs of businesses in Gwynedd, Ynys Mon and Conwy. For £50 per employee companies can access a range of vocational training for their staff.

Here's the website where you can find out more.
http://www.llandrillo.ac.uk/about/dyfodol-scheme.aspx

Discovery Days

Rework Cheat sheet

For anyone interested in change and new ways of working... this might be really helpful

Rework cheat sheet

View more presentations from kennethsvenningsen

This is a slideshare version of a cheat sheet originally created by DK (then of mediasnakers) that he introduced at the DIW 2010 conference in Swansea last year . It's based on the book "Rework" by http://37signals.com/. I think it's inspirational, what do you think?

Learndirect with Connecting Learners

For 3rd sector staff in North & Mid Wales, here is how you can get a free learndirect taster course from the Connecting Learners project. Just follow the steps on the slideshow below and you'll be learning in no time.

How to get a Learndirect course with Connecting Learners

View more presentations from CL3Project

Still need inspiration? Check out this video about how learning with learndirect and your trade union is transforming lives and envigorating workplaces right here in North Wales.



Still not convinced? Use Connected Learners Cymru to support your learndirect learning and you could apply to come with us to visit another European country as part of our INCLUSIVE Grundtvig partnership project.

UCU - Britain's skills divide

UCU - University and College Union - New analysis highlights the great education divide across Britain

You 2.0 Evaluation

Work in Progress

Demo on Prezi

Connecting Learners & Financial Literacy

Hi there,

Here's our prezi for the Financial Inclusion Network Meeting in Llangefni tomorrow, where I will be presenting to the group about our project, essential skills, why financial literacy is an important part of the work we do and how learners taking part in financial literacy courses can have their learning recognised and accredited under QALL and QCF.

Connecting Learners & Financial Inclusion on Prezi

Enjoy - and feedback is welcome as ever.

Diolch,

Rich

INCLUSIVE Grundtvig Partnership

Hi there,

I just wanted to share the good news with CLC members that the Connecting Learners Project has been successful in our application to the UK National Agency to take part in an EU Grundtvig Lifelong Project entitled INCLUSIVE.

INCLUSIVE stands for:
•Including
•New
•Communities of
•Learners
•Using
•Socially
•INCLUSIVE
•Virtual
•Environments

The idea of the partnership is to share and build on best practice in using social media tools such as CLC to support learning.

More details about how YOU can take part will be posted here soon.

Exciting times!!!

Rich

A wonderful story of a Union Learning Rep in the care sector

I just found this brilliant video online



This guy is an inspiration and a superb advocate for Unison's ULRs.

Enjoy!

Rich

You 2.0 on Slideshare

Hi All,

Here is the slideshare version of the You 2.0 social media workshop that I delivered to the RSC Wales online "Summer Bytes" conference on Thursday 23rd June, 2011.

You 2.0

View more presentations from CL3Project.

You can see the presentation as it went out life at http://bit.ly/irWjxp

Enjoy.

Rich

Our new Facebook fanpage

We've created a facebook page for the project following discussions at the two recent social media workshops that I've held. You can access the page at -

http://on.fb.me/CL3Project

Please do "Like" us - it will help us expand our online community and once we have 25 likes we get our own facebook URL (there's already a Connecting Learners page from the USA which has 5 likes!!!)

This is a totally new experience for us, so any advice and help that can be offered will be gratefully received.

Cheers,

Rich

You 2.0

You 2.0 on Prezi

Google's tips on staying safe online

Online safety and security is important, especially when learners may be new to the internet and rightly wary of having their identities and privacy compromised. Google have produced a little video giving 5 easy ways to keep yourself safe online.

Bringing it all together

A quick little update for you about our latest idea...

We are looking at bringing all of the Connecting Learners courses and workshops together into a single QCF qualification in partnership with Agored Cymru, either the NOCN's Step Up or Progression.

The idea is that we will have a four-month rolling programme of courses (repeated 3 times throughout the year) all linked to units that feed into the qualification. Over the course of the year learners will be able to dip in and out of the courses, mixing and matching them to their own needs and building up credits as they go along.

So this is how it might work:

Wks 1-4 - "Connecting with Computers"
Wks 5-8 - "Money Management"
Wks 9-12 - "Effective Report Writing"
Wk 13 - "Personal Career Planning"
Wk 14 - "Understanding Trades Unions"
Wk 15 - "Understanding Active Citizenship"
Wk 16 - either "Knowing Me, Knowing You" or "Health lifestyles"

We're working towards a January 2012 start-date for this qualification, with a target of 100 participants. We'd be delighted to know whether any of our blog viewers have experience of this that they could share with us, or any comments about the idea in general.

Diolch,

Rich

Connecting with Change - What a success!!!

This week the Lynn and I, the Connecting Learners team, have been running a series of personal development days for health, local government and 3rd sector staff alongside the STEP (Health) and Making the Learning Connections (Local Government) WULF project teams in North Wales and Viv Newman from Newman Training Associates.

It was a wonderful week due to the 60 fantastic participants from all three sectors that came along to find out more about change, improving confidence and using and improving their employability skills and qualities.

For me, these days highlight the benefit of partnership working - both between the three projects and with the hosts; Glyndwr University, Bodelwyddan Castle and Alltwen Hospital. In particular, we would like to thank Trish Maybury, Unison's ULR at Glyndwr University, Laura at Bodelwyddan Castle and Sister Aspen at Alltwen Hospital without whom the days would not have run so smoothly.

We're currently in the process of putting together all of the photos, resources and presentations into a package to send out to the participants and publish online. We hope to have this finished very soon.

If you would like to find out more about Connecting with Change, please leave a comment below.

Cheers,

Rich

Connecting with Change - The Promo Poster

Hi everyone,

Here's the great poster designed by Sofie from Connecting Health Through Learning promoting the upcoming series of "Connecting with Change" personal development days, jointly organised and run by the 3 Unison WULF Projects here in North Wales.

Open publication - Free publishing - More boost

The day is designed to give frontline health, local government and third sector workers the opportunity to discover:

• more about the idea of change
• how do get a confidence boost
• their personal qualities and transferable skills
• tips and techniques for presenting yourself
• learning opportunities with WULF Projects and beyond
• a personal plan of action
• lots, lots more.

If you're interested in coming along or want to find out more, please don't hesitate to get in touch with any of the people shown on the poster.

It should be an amazing week of events.

Diolch,

Rich

The Postive Impact of ULRs in the Workplace

The TUC has published an analysis of a survey of ULRs and their managers, highlighting the benefits to organisations of embracing the Union Learning Rep movement in support of the skills of the people working in there organisations.

You can download it here http://www.unionlearn.org.uk/policy/learn-3926-f0.cfm?utm 

We will be using this material to help employers understand what ULRs can bring to the workplace. Our 1st ULR recruited through Connecting Learners (N&M) has now completed her training and is making waves within Cartrefi Cymru. As Rhys Trimble said at our launch in Machynlleth, "Upskill me Llinos"!!!

Enjoy a long weekend in the sunshine, and remember that Mayday is for the workers.  

Connecting Learners & Cartrefi Cymru

Connecting Learners & Cartrefi Cymru on Prezi

Unison Magazine now available on Issuu

Open publication - Free publishing - More magazine

check it out...

Connecting Learners Adult Learners Week Raodshow - Cartrefi Cymru

Open publication - Free publishing - More cartrefi cymru

For more information about the roadshow, please call us on 01248 363 175/176 or email connecting.learners@cartreficymru.org. We're really looking forward to a fantastic week.

The new Social Care Passport North Wales produced by The Care Council for Wales/SCiP North Wales

Ever wanted to know what training you need to get ahead in social care? Do you want more information about how to progress your career? It's all in this lovely new booklet produced by SCiP North Wales, who've kindly agreed to let Connecting Learners disseminate it far and wide on the interwebby.

Open publication - Free publishing - More booklet

The Engish version is at the front, y Fersiwn Gymraeg yn y cefn

A good idea for meetings and planning

Something that we might use in future with either partners or learners is Prezi Meeting

I think it looks great!!

Rich

New information leaflets aimed at umbrella organisations in Wales

Here's an information sheet aimed at promoting the Project through the umbrella organisations in Wales. It'll be tweeted now and emailed directly when we have "y fersiwn Gymraeg" ready. It's all full of lovely hyperlinks and everything!!!

Brilliant way to run and promote the 6 Book Challenge

Here's how the Connecting Learners South Wales Project is running the 6 Book Challenge in their learners' workplaces. We'll be launching the same at our Adult Learners Week events. More to follow on those!

http://connectinglearners.wordpress.com/events/six-book-challenge/

Our new Essential Skills Awareness Presentation

Here is my new creation - or adaptation - of the Awareness Raising Session we deliver to 3rd sector organisations. Free free to copy and adapt as required, though a passing credit with a hyperlink to this post on our blog would be much appreciated. Next step is to screencapture it with commentary and publish it as a video on YouTube.

Connecting Learners & Essential Skills on Prezi

Three Key Ways Brands Can Manage Risk in Social Media | Social Media Today

Three Key Ways Brands Can Manage Risk in Social Media | Social Media Today

Why Your Employees Should Be on Social Media Sites | Social Media Today

Why Your Employees Should Be on Social Media Sites | Social Media Today

We like this - Unison's tutor notes for the Moving On Course presented in lovely Issuu style

Open publication - Free publishing - More moving on

The First ULR/Learning Champions Taster session 24/3/11

We decided to experiment with Animoto to share the photos of our first ULR Taster session, delivered by Mike Schoonjans of the Making the Learning Connections Unison WULF Project and attended by members of staff from Cartrefi Cymru in Bangor

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Connecting Learners in South Wales Project Launch

Here's the video highlights from the Connecting Learners (South) Project launch, featuring the wonderful Karen Fisher. Enjoy...

Project Launch - Rhys' poem about the day

Here's Rhys Trimble performing his poem about the launch that he created on the day in response to all the things he'd seen and heard at the Centre for Alternative Technology. Inspiring stuff. I feel a Poetry course coming on...

WULF and the Web - a Work in Progress

Here's my first shot at creating a presentation/toolkit for WULF Project teams and others in the lifelong learning sector around how we can use social media to develop our projects and help create an environment fit for the 21st century learners we work with. I'd really appreciate any criticism (of the constructive kind), you comments, hints, "there's too much of..." and "there's not enough of" please.

WULFand the Web on Prezi

The Story of Knowing Me, Knowing You

Here's our brand new video about our exciting and inspiring communication skills course Knowing Me, Knowing You. It was premiered at our Project Launch on 31st March 2011. We really hope you like it.

Connecting Learners Project Launch - 31/3/11 in Machynlleth

Wow - we had such an amazing day yesterday at CAT. All of the speakers were inspiring and it all went unbelievably smoothly.

Here is my presentation that I gave on the day. I hope you enjoy it.

Connecting Learners - Official Launch 31/03/11 on Prezi

Big Issue Big List

We're in this week's Big Issue Cymru. Check out their website but don't forget to buy your copy from your local vendor too. It's like being famous!!!

Connecting Learners in the Big Issue Cymru

Here's a sneek peek at our feature in the Big Issue Cymru next week for all you lucky Connected Learners.

Open publication - Free publishing - More unison

E-delegate pack now available

Our e-delegate pack is now available. If you've not signed up you can do so by going to the relevant page on this blog We're almost all set now for the big day. Very exciting.

Unison's new toolkit for ULRs "Learning for Everyone"

Lynn and I, along with Unison WULF project workers from across Wales, attended Unison's national Learning in the Public Services conference at Congress House in London yesterday. It was a fantastic event and we all really enjoyed meeting new people, sharing ideas and learning new things. The conference saw the launch of the new informal learning toolkit "Learning for Everyone", designed to help ULRs (and lifelong learning projects) organise informal learning in their workplaces.

Here's an online copy of the toolkit, so have a click around.

Open publication - Free publishing - More toolkit

A guide to digital storytelling

Just found this great guide to digital storytelling http://www.storycenter.org/cookbook.pdf . We will be creating some digital storytelling courses in the next few months and so any ideas for tool and techniques is welcome. We'll keep you up to date

Wales TUC WULF Celebration - Our Presentation

Connecting Learners - Celebrating Our Success on Prezi

Find more photos like this on Connected Learners Cymru

Wales TUC WULF Celebration on 15th March @ Unite in Cardiff

I will be speaking about the success of the project at the Wales TUC's celebration event this coming Wednesday. I'm really looking forward to it. I think that the focus will be on what we've done with Knowing Me, Knowing You; the innovations we've pioneered in creating connectedlearnerscymru; the INCLUSIVE EU partnership and our great Introduction to British Sign Language course. 
If you want to be there, get in touch with us at connecting.learners@cartreficymru.org and check out the details at http://bit.ly/wulf2011 

Cheers/Diolch

Rich

Embracing Change: Who Moved My Cheese? and The Four Rooms

Connecting With Change on Prezi

What we've been doing recently - Winter 2010-11

Open publication - Free publishing - More unision

We've added Ort to ConenctedLearnersCymru - this is my first proper go

visit Ortist

A great new post from Epic

I just had this emailed to me. It shows not only a great way to use digital storytelling but also addresses harrasment in the workplace. Well done Epic!!! http://www.epic.co.uk/blog/telling-stories-using-learning-technologies.html

Revamp of ConnectedLearnersCymru social network

Hi there everyone,

With our computer courses just about to start up, we've had a bit of a revamp of the ConnectedLearnersCymru social network. Click here to sign-up and take part in this great online resource for all the WULF lifelong learners across Wales.

Play Splash and Grab

Here's a great way to help people to take their first steps online by playing the "Splash & Grab" game from Myguide. Just click here

Playing to Learn? An amazing example of the power of Prezi and the great things we can do online

Playing to Learn? on Prezi

Great prezi on the value of social media

Communicator for Change on Prezi

News Release - Project Launch

Open publication - Free publishing - More press release

March for an Alternative - London 26/3/11

Paper Cuts (March for the Alternative, 26 March, London) from csp.org.uk on Vimeo.

Martha Lane Fox on ULRs as Digital Champions

Martha Lane Fox Interview from unionlearn on Vimeo.

Connecting Learners in South Wales Blog

Have a look at the Connecting Learners in South Wales Project's blog at http://connectinglearners.wordpress.com/ . We think it's brilliant, so should we be looking at developing our blog along the same lines?

Our revamped, bilingual brochure now available

Open publication - Free publishing - More unison

Our Factsheet (in English... Welsh to follow)

Open publication - Free publishing - More workbased

Connecting Learners Project Launch - 31/3/11 in Machynlleth

Poll 3 for the Information and Awareness Sessions

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Poll 2 for the Information and Awareness Session

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