Go, see, now!

Just reading Sara's post below about her work prompts me to remind readers to visit the AdEd Interest Flickr Group which has got more than 600 photographs of the most amazing work done by learners over the last couple of years.

The work seems to get more inspiring by the day and is such a valuable record of what is happening in Gloucestershire.

If you visit, do leave a comment, won't you?

voice recorders

just to share something really simple that has made a real difference in our community choir.
Many of the members do not read music, so learning complex songs with 4 parts can be very time consuming, and 3 parts often sit in sessions while the 4th part "note bashes".

This time I've recorded the different parts on the Olympus digital recorder - some sung or hummed, some playing the lines on the piano, using a new file for each - my husband did the bass lines, so a variety of voices! and with some songs we recorded a quartet of us, so the whole effect of the song could be heard!

Once uploaded on the computer each of these files can simply be burnt on to an audio cd as a new track (straight on, no need for any complicated conversion software) the tracks listed, and the resultant CD can be copied. Once the files were ready the Cd took about 20 minutes to compile.
(We sold it to members at 50p a time, with all the term's music on it, which more than covered the cost)

The result has been dramatic! No more sitting around listening to others learning their part, only polishing up and focussing on the hard bits.
The speed of learning has increased not just for the individual but for the whole group, as the song can be put together so much more quickly.

It's not for everyone, but I know several members who have played it over and over at home or on the car cd, and it really offers an alternative learning style. The gain in confidence of the "I can't singers" has been tremendous!

never too old!

In my Foundation English class a couple of weeks ago I recorded a group of ladies (all in their 70's) talking about their Diwali Shopping expedition to Leicester, which was obviously a fantastic day out! One of the ladies looked at the recorder and said "Oh, its an ipod, I'd love one of those!"

they've been learning past tense since then, so after some present/past matching games and practice I replayed the recording, asking them to listen for wrong (or no!) use of past tense. The looks of revelation were a picture! absolutely no coyness about either being recorded or hearing themselves, just concentrating on the job in hand.

motto: 1. you're never too old 2. give every listening task a sharp focus

Learning Champions - volunteers who help attract local people to learning

Established over the last two years we have a group of 8 volunteers working in the centre of Gloucester. They advertise learning opportunities FREE to their peers, neighbours and families. If people are a bit hesitant the volunteers offer to accompany people to the first class.
Shortly a similar group will be starting in the Forest of Dean with a FREE course run at Coleford in November. It is proposed to have another group in Tewksbury next year.
course is based on learning manual on http://www.continyou.org.uk/resources_and_publications/publications/Adult%20and%20community%20learning

Information is needed from tutors and providers on the classes for the volunteers to advertised on your behalf. Please let the gloucester group have the information!!!! Use gloslearningchamps@googlemail.com


What a wonderful FREE way to increase your enrolments!!!

voice recorder update

this week I recorded 5 new learners telling me a little about themselves and their families - the recorder is so small and discrete they hardly bothered about it. I have uploaded the 5 files at home, which will form part of the initial assessment process. It is great to have the recorder and be able to take it home to play with!

Now I need to find creative and effective ways of using the information in the creation of the learning programme and in RARPA.

I'm at the Camel workshop in Kingsholm and learning such a lot! more later.,

Community textiles group uses technology

We're doing a project on the River Severn, and this morning went down to the river and took photos.

When we got back, we were temporarily locked out so we had an early lunch and started copying the photos onto the laptop.

So once we got into the room we were ready to learn how to make a Power Point presentation.

Learners are keen to make short videos and power point presentations of trips to the river.

just to see if I could do !it - I have added a couple of photos