Monthly Archives: March 2009

Education, Schools, Science, Society, Student, Training

Npower Events ‘Enthuse’ A Local School

Npower volunteers have returned Greendown Community School, one of the first schools selected to pilot npower’s ‘enthuse’ programme in 2007, the third consecutive year the event has taken place at the school.

During the recent two day educational experience over 260 Year 9 students participated in a range of 

interactive activities designed to help them think about the impact science and engineering has on their daily lives. South Swindon MP Anne Snelgrove also visited the school to find out more about the programme.

Enthuse, which is part of npower’s Brighter Futures Programme, is a five year scheme designed to inspire and engage students aged 12-14 years old in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.

The students were encouraged to think of ways to improve existing products or design a completely new concept, before considering the very real problem of how we can meet and reduce the UK’s future demand for energy. These activities were followed by a ‘facts and fiction’ session where the students were given the opportunity to meet with engineering staff f r o m npower’s Swindon offices. Throughout the day, the students took part in a series of hands-on activities relating to the power industry.

The day ended when the school’s Director of Specialism, Gill Sarjent was presented with an award, which recognised the continued support and efforts of the school towards the highly successful enthuse programme.

Gill Sarjent said: “The school is very proud to be involved with the ‘enthuse’ programme since day one and continued participation during the last few years. The students have been given an excellent insight into what it would feel like to be an engineer. Also, the opportunity to strengthen our relationships with staff f r o m npower helps bring the activities to life and gives the students a great introduction into the world of work.”

Anne Snelgrove MP commented: “It was fantastic to see the students having such a good time while they were learning. This scheme brings science and technology to life and makes it real.”

Connor Wood, a year 9 student, added: “I think the whole day was good as I liked learning about different careers and I really liked all the “hands on” activities. My favourite workshop was ‘Bright Ideas’ as I liked designing a new product, which was completely different. I think we should run this event every day for year 9 students!”

In 2008 alone, npower ‘enthuse’ days reached out to over 3400 students across the UK.

To find out more about npower’s education programme and free resources for schools and community groups, visit www.npower.com/education.

 

About npower:
npower is one of the UK’s largest electricity suppliers and draws on 50 years experience in supplying electricity and gas. npower offers a range of essential home and business services to 6.6 million customers across the UK.

RWE npower has been awarded the prestigious CommunityMark f r o m Business in the Community (BITC). npower is the only utility business, amongst 21 other companies in the UK, to receive this accolade. The CommunityMark is a new BITC standard which has been created to recognise companies that are good investors in local communities and who have brought about real and positive changes.

The aim of the npower Brighter Futures programme is to inspire young people f r o m their first day at school to their first day at work. This is achieved by helping them to develop their skills and knowledge to make their own choices and empowering them to achieve their vision of a ‘brighter future’ for themselves and for the environment. npower Brighter Futures also includes our apprenticeship and graduate recruitment schemes.

Via EPR Network
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Audio Learning, Education, Education Resources, Education Services, Education Solutions, eLearning, Training, Webinars

Leaders in Collaborative eLearning Work Together on Web Seminar Series

iCohere Inc. and BlueStreak Learning have partnered to provide a free Webinar on the topic of Collaborative eLearning.

According to Jennifer De Vries, President of BlueStreak Learning, “Many education programs provide one-way communication that pushes information out to learners. However, research studies have proven that people learn when they are engaged in the learning process. The premise of collaborative learning is that learners don’t just learn from a course or an instructor; they also learn from each other. Web-based collaborative eLearning environments are developed to facilitate both the formal learning from an instructor or a course, as well as the informal learning occurs with peer interaction.”

“Our collaborative eLearning courses are built around facilitating interactions among students and faculty alike, encouraging experienced professionals to engage with each other around relevant content,” said Lance Simon, Vice President of Client Services for iCohere. “When everyone in the group shares their professional stories, we often end up taking away a set of memorable lessons and best practices that participants can immediately use on the job.”

Our free one-hour webinars provides a case study of a successful collaborative eLearning project, as well as best practices for developing your own collaborative eLearning program. Register for a webinars session online at http://www.icohere.com/webinars.htm.

iCohere is a state-of-the-art collaboration software solution for associations and nonprofits. Partnering with our clients, we provide strategic guidance to raise online collaboration efforts to new levels of engagement. More information about iCohere can be found at www.icohere.com.

BlueStreak Learning is a full-service e-learning firm, with decades of expertise in building successful online education and training programs. For more information on BlueStreak Learning, go to www.bluestreaklearning.com.

Via EPR Network
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Award, Colleges, Education Resources, Education Software, Educational System, eLearning, Science, Universities

The Integrated Solution Group To Develop Web-Based Interactive Learning Portal For The Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance

Tennessee State University (TSU) has awarded The Integrated Solution Group, Inc. a contract to develop a statewide database and web based interactive training assessment system for The Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA). The system will provide TECTA with a central database for student tracking and reporting, and a web based interactive learning and assessment environment where material is presented to foster understanding and use of the Tennessee Early Learning Development Standards (TN-ELDS) to training participants providing care and education to young children.

Tennessee State University (TSU) is a comprehensive, urban, coeducational land-grant university founded in 1912. The university has two primary locations – a 450-acre main campus, with more than 65 buildings, located in a residential setting; and the Avon Williams Campus located in the heart of downtown, near the center of the Nashville business and government district. TSU is a Tennessee Board of Regents System institution. The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) is the sixth largest system of public higher education in the nation, with 45 campuses, over 185,000 students, and 15,000 full-time employees. Tennessee State University is one of the leading institutions in the Tennessee Board of Regents system for research funding.

The TECTA program, managed by the Center of Excellence for Learning Sciences in the Division of Research and Sponsored Programs at Tennessee State University, is sponsored and funded by the Tennessee Department of Human Services. TECTA is a consortium of nine TBR universities and community colleges that provides an academic gateway for preparation of professional early childhood personnel. The web-based interactive learning portal will be the first e-learning initiative established by the Tennessee Department of Human Services.

About ISG

Founded in 1993, The Integrated Solution Group specializes in the design, development, and deployment of database driven custom software applications for Windows and Open Source environments. Typical ISG projects include the development of sophisticated data driven web-sites and smart-client desktop software for business, non-profit, and educational institutions throughout the US. ISG also provides database design and software consulting services.

Via EPR Network
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Books, Education, History, Society

THE BOGSIDE ARTISTS Open Their New Studio

So finally we have opened our new studio. Below is a photo of our old studio. It used to be situated behind The Bogside Inn, a famous landmark in Derry. It was difficult to get to and on the odd occasion when tourists were actually directed to it you could tell they were none too happy to call in. One woman memorably thought it was a tattoo parlor. We were so skint at the time that we cursed ourselves for not having learnt the trade. The rent was cheap enough though. and despite very little help from the local funding bodies and overt antipathy from some those involved in the tourist trade we still managed to stay afloat. Then, one bleak morning, we were informed that the area was due for demolition and it seemed to us as if the heavens had closed upon us.

Undaunted, as they say, we found ourselves new and better premises that form indeed the gateway to the Bogside. This area just at the foot of Rossville Street where it joins William Street used to be called “Agro Corner” by the British soldiers who used to mill around there like chicks around an old boot, lost and bewildered, but relieved to have something to lean up against. Kids would soon be throwing stones at them and retaliations would inevitably ensue, often leading to full-blown rioting that would last right into the wee hours of the morning with concomitant house arrests.

In 1994 we created our first mural, The Petrol Bomber. It was greatly admired at the time and made it to many front pages in newspapers all around the world. It is still admired by most people who see it. And if we thought the world had ended we can now rejoice in the fact that a superior power has turned our defeat into victory. Our new studio is so much better we wonder how we managed to survive at all back at our old gaff.

Above is a flick of us just after we finished the Bernadette Mural. Seems like yesterday and we little thought then we would go on to paint ten more murals that together comprise THE PEOPLE’S GALLERY now fast becoming one of the most visited sites in the whole of Ireland. And we even have a book about it too that was launched recently by John Hume. “Fantastic and entertaining” he called it, which it is, of course. How could it not be? You can get it here.

Nobel Laureate John Hume with Kevin Hasson and Tom Kelly, two members of the group known as The Bogside Artists. In the background is the new studio. The missing member is William Kelly (Tom’s brother) who is in trouble with J.K Rowling’s legal reps over a book he wrote way back in 1990 called Travels with Li Po. You can find out more about that and about The Bogside Artists’ lives and work at: http://www.bogsideartists.com

Via EPR Network
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