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Newsletter
The LearnLinks Newsletter is a regular internet publication
highlighting the work of RMIT LearnLinks, a learning partnership
between RMIT University and seven community learning centres
in Victoria. Relevant information about other RMIT Learning
Networks projects is also included in the newsletter.
In
this issue:
Hello from Cheryl
Welcome to
Geoff
Microsoft
Unlimited Potential (UP) Initiative- whereveruni
RMIT Community & Regional Partnerships
Forum
News from the Partners
Date of Next LearnLinks Meeting
Other Important Dates to Remember
Hello
from Cheryl
Hi Everyone,
Welcome to this second newsletter for the year. Thank you
to everyone for sending in your reports, and updating the
tracking spreadsheets. The spreadsheets have been good in
keeping us all updated on progress, etc.
Please keep a record of any invoices that get raised for
LearnLinks students. Send the details to myself or Geoff,
so we can get it sorted out, but also keep a log so we have
data on how often they get sent, which courses, sites, etc.
Thanks for this.
Cheers
Cheryl
Welcome
to Geoff
Yes, our new Project Officer is on board - Geoff Lewis. Geoff
comes to us from The Salvation Army Employment Plus (Epping
Branch) where he was an Employment Consultant and Site Trainer.
He also completed his Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace
Training at Moreland Adult Education - so he is already familiar
to some of you.
Geoff's phone number is 9925 9571. Please make him feel welcome.
We will shortly arrange a visit to the sites so Geoff can
meet you all.
Microsoft Unlimited
Potential (UP) Initiative- whereveruni
Unlimited Potential CTLCs help improve lifelong learning
opportunities for disadvantaged Australians by connecting
individuals and communities. Through local partnerships, Unlimited
Potential creates affordable opportunities for local people
to contribute to society and the local community.
The objective of Unlimited Potential is to support CTLCs,
enhance their impact in the community and ensure their long-term
sustainability. Unlimited Potential achieves these objectives
by:
- Providing direct resources to support
CTLCs, including:
- Curriculum - both formal and informal
- Funding for selected elements of CTLC operations
and Microsoft software for CTLC operations.
- Acting as clearinghouse for sharing
tools and best-practice examples, covering such topics as:
- Volunteer management;
- Community engagement; and
- Evaluation tools.
- Assisting CTLCs in community engagement and
attracting disadvantaged individuals in the community to
attend centres.
- Linking to other relevant programmes such
as Microsoft Authorised Refurbisher (MAR).
- Evaluating the effectiveness of the Unlimited
Potential network and CTLCs in providing technology access,
engaging disadvantaged individuals in learning, increasing
technology skills and improving community connectedness
and identity.
- Responding to the evolving needs of CTLCs
as agreed with Unlimited Potential members
Participant Eligibility for whereveruni
Eligible participants for the whereveruni are
people who:
- Do not have meaningful access to and experience with using
computers and the Internet, and are
- Holders of a current Health Care Card, Aged Pension Card,
Disability Card, or can produce some other form of documentation
relating to socio-economic disadvantage
- There is no age restriction for participants
Participant Competencies / Outcomes
Each participant will be eligible to attend
a minimum of 16 student contact hours - usually spread across
8 x 2 hour sessions. At the conclusion of these sessions,
participants should have:
- Increased confidence and proficiency using the internet;
- Improved skills in windows navigation, file management
and program installation;
- Had an opportunity to use programs creatively;
- Increased knowledge of software and hardware; and
- A greater appreciation of and confidence in themselves
as learners.
Community Research
Club participants will complete a User Survey at the start
and end of each term to be used in The Smith Family's community
research.
CTLC Partner Reporting Requirements
At the completion of each whereveruni:
- The participant must complete the User Survey, either
by completing the Word document and emailing it to the CTLC
Partner, or alternatively, completing the User Survey online
(when completed). A minimum of 5 User Surveys must be sent
to Cheryl Lewis-Fitzgerald for each term.
- Prior to submitting to The Smith Family, the User Survey
is to be printed and signed by the CTLC Partner (eg: Trainer
/ Co-ordinator). As the User Survey is an anonymous document
participants are not required to sign it, and should not
be identified with it.
- Signed surveys must be kept by the CTLC Partner and made
available for Program Audits if requested.
- CTLC Partners generate and file a club list for each whereveruni
session that includes
- Trainer's name
- Day and time of training
- Venue of training
- Number of Club members
- Signature of the Trainer / Co-ordinator
At the end of the term the CTLC Partner will:
- Have provided a minimum of 80 Student Contact Hours
- Email to Cheryl Lewis-Fitzgerald or complete the online
the User Surveys
- Send one case study to Cheryl Lewis-Fitzgerald (there
will be a template)
- Send information to Cheryl Lewis-Fitzgerald which provides:
- Numbers of people who have used the UP Curriculum
during the term and feedback regarding the usefulness
of the UP Curriculum and suggestions for improvement.
- Numbers of people who have used the Microsoft Software
during the term
Contact Cheryl Lewis-Fitzgerald for further
information
(03) 9925 9631 or cheryl.lewis-fitzgerald@rmit.edu.au
Links
RMIT Community & Regional
Partnerships Forum
Yes it is on again!
'University
Community Engagement"
Monday
22nd August, 2005, RMIT Storey Hall
The Forum is an opportunity to
reflect and learn from the experience of engagement, partnership
and capacity building. The Forum this year will also build
into the Review of RMIT in the City, which is another target
in RMIT's indicators for Community Engagement and a key priority
for 2005.
Key Note Speakers
Dr Ira Harkavy:
 Ira
Harkavy is Associate Vice President and founding Director
of the Center for Community Partnerships, University of Pennsylvania.
An historian with extensive experience building university
community school partnerships, Harkavy teaches in the departments
of history, urban studies, Africana studies, and city and
regional planning.
As Director of the Center for Community
Partnerships since 1992, Harkavy has helped to develop service
learning and academically based community service courses
as well as participatory action research projects that involve
faculty and students from across the university.
Professor Ira Harkavy is in Australia
as part of the Australian Consortium Fulbright Senior Scholar
2005.
Dr Ron Faris:
 Dr.
Ron Faris is President of Golden Horizon Ventures, a consultancy
focused on lifelong learning strategies, global training reform
and interactive learning technologies. Prior to obtaining
his Ph.D. in Educational Theory (adult education and educational
administration) from the University of Toronto he taught high
school in British Columbia and Australia and in a factory
classroom in London.
He has taught at a distance at
the University of Victoria since 1992 and at the new Royal
Roads University in the MA Program in Leadership and Training
(service-learning at a distance for mid-career students).
Further details on the forum will
be posted here soon. For further information, contact Cheryl
Lewis-Fitzgerald (9925 9631 or cheryl.lewis-fitzgerald@rmit.edu.au)
News from
the Partners
From Moreland Adult Education:
1. RMIT delivery - All Certificate
II in IT (Applications) hours have been filled, with the last
enrolment posted in June. Only 4 Modules of a GCO of the CGEA
are left for enrolment during term 3.
2. MAE's My Connected Community
project was completed in April. The program exceeded expectations
with more groups registered than the required 36. Groups had
between 6 and 29 members and spanned a broad spectrum of interests,
such as groups for Arabic-speaking women, health support,
study groups and IT support.
3. MAE has a co-operative arrangement
with an artist to run some creative arts training during the
weekends. Although this can be accredited at the lower level
through a GCO at level 3, MAE are investigating if the level
of demands warrants getting an accredited visual arts course
on their list of registration
4. MAE is interviewing and training
librarians at the moment so that they can start to run the
library training package again. Although it seems that the
Certificate IV will be the most popular option for study,
MAE will run the Diploma if interest levels are high enough.
5. Feedback from the Diploma of
Further Education students from 2004 show that everyone who
was accepted for tertiary study has successfully completed
their first semester of study. Education, Psychology and Industrial
Design were some of the areas of entry.
Invoices from RMIT
At the recent LearnLinks Operations
Meeting, some of those present voiced their concern that students
may be receiving invoices from RMIT requesting payment. If
you have experienced this within your organisation or received
word from your students, please contact RMIT Learning Network
so that we can resolve this issue.
Communities in Victoria -
Got a question?
Do you want to know what's happening
in the various communities around Victoria? Want to know what
projects are running on your doorstep?
Head to the Building Stronger Communities
website, located at http://www.communitybuilding.vic.gov.au
It's filled with guides, reports and tools. Various ways of
searching the website also mean that it's easy to navigate
and locate what you want.
Date of
Next LearnLinks Meeting
|
9.30 am - 12.00
pm, 18th October 2005,
Venue: TBC
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Other Important Dates to
Remember
| 31st July, 31st Aug, 30th Sept, 31st Oct,
30 Nov |
Copy of Updated Tracking Spreadsheet sent
to RLN (email to Geoff) |
| 30th November 2005 |
Enrolment & Enrolment Variation Cut Off
Date (all enrolments and variations must be sent to the
RMIT School before this date) |
| 2nd December 2005 |
Report 3 Due in (Fax or RLN) |
| 3rd December 2005 |
Deadline for Submission of Results (all
requests must be sent to RMIT Schools before this date) |
| 9th December 2005 |
Invoices to RMIT School must be submitted
no later than this date |
And
remember - this is your newsletter, so let us know your stories
to share with others.
Archive
March
2005
October
Newsletter 2004
April
Newsletter 2004
December
Newsletter 2003
October
Newsletter 2003
August Newsletter 2003
April Newsletter 2003
February Newsletter
2003
Newsletters
from previous years
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