MCGirr

We had 13 learners who successfully achieved various qualifications this month:

5 learners achieved NCC Level 2

4 learners achieved NCEA Level 1

4 learners achieved NCEA Level 2

Congratulations to all of you. Well done!

The following comments from our trainees describe their experience of studying at McGirr Training:

"McGirr opened doors I never knew were even there.” Dante (17)

“It has made me a more all rounded person.” Sevana (57)

“Walking into a welcoming environment and experiencing a better way to learn.” Sian (20)

“Second chance to learn” Tania  (32)

One of the workplaces McGirr offers on-site training to is to be involved in a Department of Labour research programme into literacy, language and numeracy (LLN) skills in the workplace. Interviews with learners, tutor and management will take place near the start of the programme, and again around six months later to determine the impact of the training.

 

The Department of Labour has commissioned this research through the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) to find out more about the factors that support workers’ use of skills gained in workplace literacy programmes in their day-to-day work.

 

NZCER is an independent research organisation based in Wellington that is committed to improving educational outcomes for all New Zealanders.

 

The questions included in the research are:
 1.       What is learning transfer, what does learning transfer look like in workplaces, and what is known about factors that support and hinder transfer, especially in relation to the transfer of LLN knowledge and skills?
2.       To what extent does the alignment between workplace literacy demands, learner needs and LLN programmes impact on transfer?
3.       What are the practices that appear to support LLN transfer in a range of New Zealand workplaces?
4.       What is the productivity-related impact of LLN initiatives on participants, their immediate work environment and the broader workplace?

The team here at McGirr Associates have always been a pretty charitable bunch.  Many of us have an interest in development and aid both abroad and in New Zealand.  That's why we've decided to put our feet where our money is ...... or our money where our.... we are doing a big walk.  Eight foolhardy souls are walking 100kms non-stop to raise awareness and money for Oxfam and all the incredible work they do.

The event is called the Oxfam Trailwalker and you can click on the logo below to visit their website.




Basically we'll walk through the night while our wonderful team of supporters feeds us, massages our aching legs, bandages our blistered feet and keeps our spirits up. 

We need all the help we can get so if you wish to donate to the cause then follow the links below to our two teams.  We'll post some photos of our efforts soon.

Please give generously:

Trail Blazers

No-Doze Commandoze

It seems like twittering is all the rage right now.  There is a lot of talk about how this tool could be used to enhance learning.  Carol Cooper-Taylor is unashamedly pro-twitter and has a list of reasons why on her blog.  Personally, I'm way too easily distracted already and I'd just waste time twittering about my lunch (leftover Macaroni cheese today).  I tend to agree with Jon Stewart in the video below



If you're having trouble with the video try the 'Daily Show' Website.

OK, Jon might be a little bit too curmudgeon-like in that clip but he raises some good points.  When does technology stop enhancing learning and start distracting from it?  For those of us who promote 'blended' delivery which embraces technology but also acknowledges the benefits of face to face teaching and even paper-based material this is a question we ask ourselves constantly.

With the launch of our online numeracy tool only a couple of weeks away we are pretty comfortable we have got the balance right, hopefully learners will be able to stop tweeting long enough to find out.

Summer is here!

The weather is great, there's cricket, BBQs, and beaches.  It's also a time to look forward to the new year.  Here at McGirr we are pretty excited about what we've got lined up this year.  LINKS numeracy is going to get a lot of use this year and will help a lot of people.  We have our Small Business Administration course, Health and Safety resources and a HUGE redevelopment of our Computing resources to look forward to.  I hope that your 2009 will be as exciting as ours.

We are now going through the final testing on the LINKS Numeracy course.  It's looking really good and I'm not just saying that because we made it, it really is very good.  for a look at three of the modules (there are eleven in total) click here.  We've also made a brief introduction video.  It's pretty simple but it does give you a quick tour of the software, you can see the video below.  More news soon.

It's been a long time between posts, and although it might appear as if the novelty of a new blog simply wore off I can Assure you that is not the case.  The truth is we've just been really, really busy.  There are a lot of exciting new opportunities that we'll blog about in the near future but for now we want to trumpet our latest Workplace Literacy project.

The project is funded by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) under their Workplace Literacy Fund and is called the Small Business Administration course.   Click the logo below to find out more.

The course is a great idea and an innovative new use of the Workplace Literacy Fund.  It's focus is on 'financial literacy' and it aims to help improve the productivity of small to medium sized businesses.  It's being run as a distance learning course and relies on the resources and systems that this team have made, so we're pretty proud of ourselves.  Learners will learn about Workplace Calculations, Business Administration, basic bookkeeping  and eventually move on to using MYOB Accounting Software.

We've also made huge progress on our LINKS course that will be very useful in the delivery of future Workplace Literacy Contracts.  We have some other big projects that we'll blog about soon.

First things first, click on the picture below to have a play with the first module of LINKS Numeracy.

So there it is! This is the first of eleven modules and the rest won't be too far away. We are recording voiceovers and doing bug checking right now.

Progressions

LINKS is matched to the TEC's Learning Progressions for Adult Numeracy. This module sits at the very early stages of the 'Additive Strategies Progression' which is why the learning is pitched at such a low level. For more information on the progressions visit the TEC website.

Voiceover

There is a lot of voice over in LINKS Numeracy and that is not an accident. LINKS Numeracy has been designed to be easy to use for learners who might struggle with literacy issues as well as numeracy. The plain english voice with a kiwi accent is there to help explain the key concepts and many of the instructions. learners will be able to listen to the voice to support their understanding of what they are reading on the screen.

What Next?

Not only are we hard at work putting the finishing touches on the rest of the e-learning but we're also putting some thought into the associated resources. You may have noticed the 'Download Tasksheet' button. This is where a learner will be able to access a set of reenforcement exercises that can be contextualised for their own workplace or other scenario.

More Information

Has this piqued your interest? Feel free to contact us through the site or call 0800 4 MCGIRR (0800 4 624477) and ask for Mandy or Phil.

We're developing a "thing". I say "thing" because there is a lot of confusion out there around the terms 'Learner Management System' or 'Content Management System'. There are lots of LMSs out there and each one seems to do something different. Some are all about spaces for discussion others about collecting data. There was so much confusion in the market that we couldn't find an LMS to do what we wanted it to in a clear and simple way, so we're making one.

Ours has a very simple idea behind it; to deliver our e-learning in a clear and simple to use way. It'll track learner progress as well but our first goal is for the user to be able to use the e-learning easily. Design is underway and looking really good. We've been presented with a 'mood board' covering colour schemes, fonts, layout etc. Boost have done a wonderful job. The colours are welcoming, the fonts clear, icons are simple, we love it.

It's a good start and we're looking forward to showing it off.