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
Monday, May 17, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, May 3, 2010
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
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
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
"Blended Learning" - What is it?
Reading an article about technology the concept of "blended learning" was mentioned several times without offering a clear definition. I did a bit of research and I found a couple of articles including some cases implemented in an University setting which provide you with basic definitions. I have attached the links of the readings to this blog entry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blended_learning
http://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/197143/BlendedLearningStrategy.pdf
http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/melbourne08/procs/stacey.pdf
happy reading
MF
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blended_learning
http://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/197143/BlendedLearningStrategy.pdf
http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/melbourne08/procs/stacey.pdf
happy reading
MF
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Workforce Issues - Interview: Kate Lee (ASU)
Kate Lee who is the Assistant Secretary of the Australian Services Union NSW has been interviewed on the Sector Workforce Issues by Miguel Ferrero (MF), convener of the Traning Directions Network. This is a summary of the conversation.
What has been your career path to your current job?
I’m currently employed as an organiser in the Social & Community Services Division of the Australian Services Union.
What in your opinion are the key workforce issues faced by the community sector?
The biggest issues could be summarized as: low pay compared to work of equal value in the public sector; high turnover of staff into other sectors/industries; lack of career paths and opportunities; lack of minimum qualifications to work in the industry; short term funding and competitive funding arrangements which provide no job security for staff.
What strategies the sector could develop to address these issues?
The biggest current strategy would be if everyone in the sector backed the campaign for Equal Pay being run in our sector . The ASU is running the legal case for equal pay in 2010 however we are also wanting to work with everyone on a coordinated concurrent campaign for full funding for the outcome of the case. The campaign is known as “Equal Pay= Full Funding”.
What is your advice to the Community Sector that could be helpful to face these issues?
There are many small-scale workplace things that employers can do to improve on things like turnover of staff. However all of the issues listed above really require sector-wide agreement on what we need to do to address them. Addressing the issue of low pay through the Equal Pay case will certainly go a long way to helping keep skilled and qualified workers in our sector. However on many of the other issues we need a single and agreed message to government on how to address them.
What has been your career path to your current job?
I’m currently employed as an organiser in the Social & Community Services Division of the Australian Services Union.
What in your opinion are the key workforce issues faced by the community sector?
The biggest issues could be summarized as: low pay compared to work of equal value in the public sector; high turnover of staff into other sectors/industries; lack of career paths and opportunities; lack of minimum qualifications to work in the industry; short term funding and competitive funding arrangements which provide no job security for staff.
What strategies the sector could develop to address these issues?
The biggest current strategy would be if everyone in the sector backed the campaign for Equal Pay being run in our sector . The ASU is running the legal case for equal pay in 2010 however we are also wanting to work with everyone on a coordinated concurrent campaign for full funding for the outcome of the case. The campaign is known as “Equal Pay= Full Funding”.
What is your advice to the Community Sector that could be helpful to face these issues?
There are many small-scale workplace things that employers can do to improve on things like turnover of staff. However all of the issues listed above really require sector-wide agreement on what we need to do to address them. Addressing the issue of low pay through the Equal Pay case will certainly go a long way to helping keep skilled and qualified workers in our sector. However on many of the other issues we need a single and agreed message to government on how to address them.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
"Embedding a YouTube Video in Power Point"
I found this short video that can help you embed a YouTube Video in Power Point. It is really simple and i really enjoyed it.
http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/2010/03/embedding-a-youtube-video-in-power-point.html
MF
http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/2010/03/embedding-a-youtube-video-in-power-point.html
MF
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
SYDNEY FACILITATORS NETWORK - April Meeting
'Wisdom—Whence and Whither' with Jay Hayes
This session is a series of dialogues and enquiries into the nature of wisdom: where it comes from; why it’s needed; and what impedes it. Participants confront and engage “the wisdom paradox”: Wisdom is both abundant in the world and seldom observed.”
The session moves through the following themes:
1. The wisdom around us.
2. The importance of wisdom.
3. The roots of wisdom.
4. Impediments to wisdom.
5. Cultivating wisdom.
6. Applying wisdom to today’s problems.
The basic aspiration is to come to a shared understanding of wisdom and its potential, and to apply wisdom in a practical way to one or more real-life problems affecting the group.
At a meta-level, the session promotes, relies upon, and acknowledges the collective, communal wisdom of participants as a whole and reveals one way that “the getting” of such wisdom can be elicited.
This session draws upon recent work with Dialogue, the Team Learning Pyramid and Collective Intelligence.
About Jay Hayes
Jay teaches courses in management and leadership, including “Leading High-Performance Teams” and a management and organisation course titled “The Community Project,” at the Australian National University, Canberra. He is also a practicing management consultant and has led a wide range of Organisational Development and Change projects on four continents, most recently assisting in a major change program in Zambia, Africa. Jay is involved as facilitator and coach in several Community of Practice initiatives at the university and in the local community. His research interests include the development of wisdom and enlightened leadership, teamwork and collaboration, and organisational ecology. His present focus is on Dialogue and its use as an instrument of learning and change. Jay is author of three books, several book chapters, and thirty peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers. Jay will be moving to Swinburne University in Melbourne in July 2010, where he will serve as Academic Advisor, Professional Practice.
Extra information:
http://cbe.anu.edu.au/staff/info.asp?Surname=Hays&Firstname=Jay
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
This session is a series of dialogues and enquiries into the nature of wisdom: where it comes from; why it’s needed; and what impedes it. Participants confront and engage “the wisdom paradox”: Wisdom is both abundant in the world and seldom observed.”
The session moves through the following themes:
1. The wisdom around us.
2. The importance of wisdom.
3. The roots of wisdom.
4. Impediments to wisdom.
5. Cultivating wisdom.
6. Applying wisdom to today’s problems.
The basic aspiration is to come to a shared understanding of wisdom and its potential, and to apply wisdom in a practical way to one or more real-life problems affecting the group.
At a meta-level, the session promotes, relies upon, and acknowledges the collective, communal wisdom of participants as a whole and reveals one way that “the getting” of such wisdom can be elicited.
This session draws upon recent work with Dialogue, the Team Learning Pyramid and Collective Intelligence.
About Jay Hayes
Jay teaches courses in management and leadership, including “Leading High-Performance Teams” and a management and organisation course titled “The Community Project,” at the Australian National University, Canberra. He is also a practicing management consultant and has led a wide range of Organisational Development and Change projects on four continents, most recently assisting in a major change program in Zambia, Africa. Jay is involved as facilitator and coach in several Community of Practice initiatives at the university and in the local community. His research interests include the development of wisdom and enlightened leadership, teamwork and collaboration, and organisational ecology. His present focus is on Dialogue and its use as an instrument of learning and change. Jay is author of three books, several book chapters, and thirty peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers. Jay will be moving to Swinburne University in Melbourne in July 2010, where he will serve as Academic Advisor, Professional Practice.
Extra information:
http://cbe.anu.edu.au/staff/info.asp?Surname=Hays&Firstname=Jay
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
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