"Blogs for Trainers"

Dear TDN members
I would like to share two interesting blogs. One of them is run by Ryan Tracey who is a regular contributor to the magazine "Learning and Development" and I would like to recommend two articles: "Taxonomy of Learning Theories" and "Intructivism, Contructivism and Connectivism"

http://ryan2point0.wordpress.com/

The second blog is called "Train the trainer blog" and would recommend the article: "10 Things that Only Work for Trainers".

http://www.wetrain.biz/blog/category/blog/

Happy reading

MF

WHAT IS “OPEN SPACE”

At the last Training Direction Network meeting, Jessie Williams who is the CCWT Training Calendar Coordinator facilitated the “Open Space” section. She covered the following topics in her presentation:

- What is Open Space
- How to use/practice it
- Its positives and negatives

This is a summary of Jessie’s presentation:
· Open Space is a process-based facilitation activity
· A loose facilitation framework is utilized. There is not set agenda
· There are four rules
- Whoever comes is the right person. Share your ideas and allow other to do the same
- Whatever happens, happens
- Starting is the right time and follow your own energy
- When it is over is over. There is not a set timeframe
· Different groups work around butcher’s papers where the discussion takes place.

Participants have the chance to join and leave different groups
· Open Space is based on self-organising principles. Human beings tend to get organized very quickly
· One of the conditions is to bring passion and responsibility for the whole process
· Theme leaders facilitate discussion around the butcher’s paper and report back to the group
· This facilitation method works well when you have a big group, where there are diverse views and there is a potential on possible conflict.
· The “law of the feet’ operates in the “Open Space context”: people are allowed to switch groups or go wherever they want to go

· Example of an Agenda:
- Plenary
- Choose the theme leaders
- Develop the agenda – selecting the topic
- Go to the group discussions
- Compile notes – documenting issue on butcher’s papers
- Develop action
- Allow people to provide input

Attached to this article you will be able to watch two videos from YouTube providing further understanding into the topic:

“Using Social Media in your organization: Examples and Strategies”. Presentation

At the last meeting of the Training Directions Network, Silvia Bethencourt who is the Community Information Coordinator at TRI Community Exchange run a presention titled: “Using Social Media in your organization: Examples and Strategies”.

The value of this presentation is to put in context how the Community and Welfare sector can get positive outcomes from adopting these social media tools and the main challenges NGOs have to deal with.

This is a brief summary of the Silvia’s presentation. You can download a copy of it by clicking the link attached to this blog entry:

· The presentation will be focused on two tools: TWITTER and FACEBOOK
· Current users are moving from Web 1.0 (the information portal) to Web 3.0 which includes smart phones, notebooks and IPADs.
· According to the Nielsen 2010 – Social Media Report: Facebook is the dominant online social networking in Australia. Twitter users have increased exponentially in the last two years and mobile social networking is gaining traction

Issues that come out from using Facebook and Twitter
- Community workers are time and resource poor
- There is a steep learning curve for the sector
- Social media is not free – it needs a time commitment

Questions you need to raise before using these new technologies
- Do we want to expand our reach (clients, networks)
- Do we need to connect with others?
- Do we want to share resources?
- Do we want to share our stories?

Our sector is good at telling stories and networking. So social media will help us to expand that expertise and experience. Social media is not only about technology is also about relationships.

You can obtain a PDF copy of the presentation by clicking this link:

http://www.cnet.ngo.net.au/images/stories/tri_presentation_blacktown_community_services_conference.pdf

MF

Workforce Issues - Interview: Jaye Toole (Macarthur Disability Services)

Jaye Toole, who is the Training Coordinator of Macarthur Disability Services was interviewed by Miguel Ferrero - convener of the Training Directions Network. This is a summary of the conversation.

Q. What has been your career path to your current job?
A long and complicated yet interesting one! I was involved in various community work based around being a ‘stay at home’ mum with three children i.e. playgroup and school canteens and various positions on the committees. I then recommenced paid work with Lifeline as a warehouse manager and developed training programs for the staff regarding safety and other hazard and risk management issues. I moved to the Red Cross and was there for a few years and then moved to a registered training organisation as an adult facilitator of competency based aged care and disability work.

This role also included managing other trainers, developing materials and more. I then went back fulltime training on a special dementia education project for 15 months and have been in my current position as Training Coordinator since October 2007. During this time I have studied and received a number of competency based vocational and training qualifications. I also have a Bachelor of Health, Ageing and Community Services and am currently studying for a Masters in Education (VET) which is a major in the vocational education and training.

Q. What in your opinion are the key workforce issues faced by the community sector?
I don’t believe education is taken seriously enough or seen as professional development. This lack of support for people who are interested in receiving training leads them to self fund and then move on. Research indicates if you fund training for staff they are more likely to remain with your organisation. I think it’s important for workers to understand about the sector, not just from the hands on perspective, but theoretically and historically. I also strongly believe that offering training could be used as an attractant for recruitment.

Q. What strategies the sector could develop to address these issues?
Having conversations with training providers and apprenticeship/traineeship canters. This would clarify and get rid of all the myths and rumours regarding training. Training can be offered effectively and reasonably priced in a number of ways.

Q. What is your advice to the Community Sector that could be helpful to face these issues?
Recognise, reward and value training as a way of developing your staff and up-skilling them to be prepared for the future. It is a successful way of looking at succession planning, especially as the community sector has many, small and autonomous projects where one person is working or small teams are working. Training and development are ideal ways of managing when staff leave and removes having vacant positions during recruitment and can support a path of strong internal promotions.

Sydney Facilitators Network - May meeting

Dear TDN members
you are cordially invited:

"'Ritual, a powerful tool to facilitate change and transformation' with Allan Rudner

All change and transformation is accompanied by loss, however small or large. In order to create space for the emergence of the “new”, a “letting go” process is important to undertake. This is a significant reflective space which can be made more powerful by marking the moment with a ritual. While this ritual ceremony has spiritual implications, it is not necessarily a traditional religious observance.

It would be useful if you are attending this experiential presentation, to note changes you might be considering, by accident or design, and bring at least one of them with you to our evening together.

Some events worth considering include; change of work, family life, health, relationship status, moving home, and children leaving home. These are just a taste of the range of possible changes in one’s life. Some will be accompanied by deep personal transformations.
The experience and understanding of the power of ritual will give you access to a significant facilitation tool to add to your pool of resources.
Allan Rudner BSc, MA Cultural Psychology

Allan is a co-founder, senior leader and trainer, and trustee of the Pathways Foundation. Pathways Foundation is an Australian organisation that designs and delivers Rites of Passage programs in the wilderness throughout Australia, for boys, girls, men and women. His experience and training spans; Leadership Development, mentoring youth at risk, suicide and crisis intervention training, family violence and sexual assault training, career transitions, and other deep transformation processes. He is the designer of a Rites-of-Passage program for men moving to Elderhood. Allan sat as a member of the Council of Elders at the first Global Rites-of-Passage conference in Hawaii in 2008.

Allan continues his work internationally, with Rites-of-Passage, Executive Coaching, Mentoring, Leadership Development, Eldering, and as a Speaker. e: allanrudner@gmail.com m: 0411 191 354

Venue:
University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Jones Street, Ultimo corner Thomas Street.
Room 5.580 Level 5, Building 10, Take the lift to level 5, cross the atrium foot bridge, walk straight ahead to room 580.
Time:
from 5:30pm to 7:30pm sharp No RSVP - Just turn up