Launceston a go go!

13Aug10

On Wednesday I was in Launceston with Anne-Marie, (brrrrrrrrrr…!) We filmed 6 volunteer stories and they were all fantastic.

We allowed 30 mins for each person, filmed about 6-8 minutes and we also took a stills shot on a little mini polaroid. For the polaroid, I asked the question: ‘Why do you do what you do?’ and the volunteer wrote their answer on the white board . (To contribute, to give back, I enjoy it, it enriches etc) were some of the answers.I will attach a couple of pics here. The polaroids break the ice and sometimes can be nice to use on story cards.

Then we filmed mainly focussing on how they came up with the idea to volunteer, their first reading partners, best moments, worst moments etc.

It was full on..but really worthwhile. You will see the results in about ten days. They should be useful across all your  regions as talking triggers, training points and recruitment materials.

There were beautiful stories, some tears (always good!) and a great willingness to share.

We spoke with a few volunteers who had more stories than we had time. Some of those would be really great to collect in an anonymous way: print stories or audio.

Anne-Marie had organised perfectly of course! Garry now has his whole iphone filming thing happening and has sorted the software hiccups.

So it’s Launceston a go go…!

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Privacy Settings

13Aug10

,

Hi everyone…here’s the privacy settings I wrote about in the comment to the last post. You can see this is set to Public at the moment, go to Edit to select Private for group members only.

Also: just to be clear: when I talk about engaging with others I am mainly thinking about allowing comments.(Which I would monitor..or someone else)

I would imagine this blog would continue to function with only your group as authors.

But it would be good to hear your thoughts on it and whether you would like that in the future?

Moya

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is it read by just us?

09Aug10

hi all just a thought as i must have missed the instruction phase, is this blog only accessed by us?

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an update on the client with mental health

03Aug10

hi all

after this client reached level 3, i really didn’t know what to do with this client – well after searching some research i decided to start a creative writing class. found a tutor.

this client was directing weekly abusive calls to myself, unable to direct focus, or apply process yet had the intellect and was highly frustrated.

this class has enabled her to go with the schizophrenia in a creative format which has produced a calmer individual, i no longer have abusive calls and she has completed a newsletter article for a local mental health service.

we have also had great results with clients that have high dyslexia needs, they have embedded standard learing practices and writing skills through a creative format, not new reasearch – but something we have been able to emanate in a LINC setting using volunteers, a word of warning though – she is a published writer that takes the class and she has worked with mental health.

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i am now medicated ha ha

29Jul10

after a long and arduous week….. i am now medicated, large bottle of vodka, meditation, smelly candles and a HUGE bar of chocolate. oh how i smile!

well girls nearly another week finished, i love fridays…………37 clients, 3 weekly classes, and a partridge in a pear tree……………..Oh its nearly christmas! 

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today i love my job!

26Jul10

free smiles, hearts touched, relationships built, bridges crossed, a passage of time never to be returned as the voyeur into someone elses life………….we are so privileged

i love my job!

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Literacy Acrostic

22Jul10

Coordinators of Literacy are we
Ohhh the phone calls
Ohhh the frustrations
Real
Devoted
Innovative
Nice (but sometimes naughty)
Amiable
Tolerant
Ohhh the joys
Reasonable
Sure making a difference to those who cry for help 

OF 

Literacy is our focus
Into it in a very big way
Terribly flexible
Excited with successes
Realistic with goals
Advancing the cause of literacy
Caring very caring, for each other, for volunteers and for the community
Yay – we make a difference everyday 

Happy Thursday 

Anne-Marie

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what we do

15Jul10

we had a clients wife ring up yesterday to say her hubby had been made redundant due to his level of literacy as the job role had now changed, and she was completely concerned that he was “going under fast”    ………………………….to the rescue, well we placed him with a tutor, added him in to the low level computer class…………………do you feel you rescue NO, have we really changed this chap NO, im i feeling down……………YES……………..well …………….thats what we do.

we listen, we support, we smile, we help, we give a pathway, we cry at home and work, we get angry at the outside system, we want to change the outside system and the treatment of others, but we carry on all the same.

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Blog to the rescue

06Jul10

Burnie LINC has been running a trial Work Readiness program. In one of our sessions we looked at using technology to write and upload reviews of items in our statewide collection. Some reviewed books, others DVDs and CDs.

The interesting development was when a particpant asked if we knew how to make some super secure ‘corrrection’ to a Windows application. Why? Because she wanted, needed somewhere to journal; somewhere private and where her kids wouldn’t easily access. She wanted a small place in hyperspace where she could be her self and not always Mum, unemployed, daughter …

So I suggested she use WordPress and showed her how to join and what she could do. In the lunch break I found her busy writing away and she turned to me with a great big smile and said, ‘Thanks’.

I know we need to be aware and supportive of levels and measurements but I also believe we need to remain vigilant about the power of words, the act of writing to liberate. This woman doesn’t have to worry about grammar, spelling, context, audience or any of the other things people come to us needing help to do. All she needs to concern herself with is writing her story and maybe, oneday, this will propel her to learn more about the technicalities and give her the confidence to ask for help. Libby

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Tissues and Dam Walls

02Jul10

Help help, this week has been full of high need clients all with extremely emotional stories to tell…

Monday it was the son of an Indian lady who said his mum is feeling completely isolated because of her inability to communicate with her new community. 

Tuesday it was the lady who can’t have her children at home because she has insufficient literacy to mange their medication (two children both have chronic illnesses with medication dosages that vary regularly). 

Wednesday (sob) it was the 75 year old guy (sniff) whose wife died a year ago.  He would like to read novels but frequently comes across words he can’t pronounce or read.  So he grabs a dictionary and looks them up, by the time he gets back to his book he can’t remember the story.  I asked him what he was interested in and he said that was a bit of a problem.  He retired in his early sixties when his wife was first diagnosed with cancer and until her death he cared for and supported his wife.  So as a result he can’t remember what he used to be interested in!  I told him that he must have been a very good husband to his wife.  He said “no, just a husband.  That’s what husbands do”.  I did the full on cry at my desk that day. 

Thursday it was the guy from the factory who works for a company that has just changed hands.  He is great at the practical stuff but now he finds that he has to write reports.  The call came from his wife who said her husband is so distressed that she worries what he might do. 

Friday, that’s today… and we have the lady who would like to read books to her four year old daughter but can’t even write her own name.  I suggested she go to the local Reading Together program but alas the daughter lives with the dad and the step-mum and there are issues with visits.

I assured all these people that there is hope and that we can find a solution and get them on the road to conquering reading and writing.

That’s the tissues part.  And don’t think for a moment that I’m losing it, I just feel for the people then find my boot straps and get on with the job!  That’s what Literacy Coordinators do  

The dam wall is because we don’t have enough tutors to help all these people.  All we can do it plug a few leaks and hope that the gods of volunteering will send some volunteer tutors who are all ready to start (of which we have happily had a few lately).

Happy weekend, from Anne-Marie

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