Over the last few months I have had the privilege of working with a great group of parents at Keith Street and Castlecliff Schools. These are parents and grandparents bringing up children. Many of them had very little prior computer skills. In the 20 hours training they learned about gmail, about using the internet, about the Google Drive, making slides and google docs and how they could support their children's learning. Here are some of the families from those classes:
They came further than any other classes have using their chromebooks. Here are the presentations they put together at the end of their class. They all contributed. Remember most of them could not have done any of this before class. This was from the Castlecliff class:
Congratulations to our 8 wonderful graduates at the Whanganui Learning Centre.
Now you know loads about Google, Google Drive, Google Docs, Word, Excel and how to help your children master technology.
Unfortunately two of our graduates were sick so unable to attend. To celebrate their graduation each graduate did a slide for their class presentation. Here is a link to that that presentation.
Today I saw a group of learners, who knew nothing about Google except how to search, talk for ages about the Google Drive, Calendars, Emails etc.
Several of them never used email. Now they know how to share files, open Google Slides and watch a video that shows them how to learn things for themselves.
You are never too old or young to learn about the Computer. Here is Bernard a granddad bringing up his mokopuna learning the wonders of the Chromebook from Aaron. I am not sure what Aaron is showing him but it does have his attention.
For those of you thinking about doing some learning here are some tips and tricks.
Next month our Whanganui Learning Centre class is graduating so we look forward to sharing our success with you.
There is an amazing amount of information around about parenting in a digital age. It is a huge challenge for parents. Here are a couple of youtube videos which could help you on that journey.
This is a longer video about the challenges faced.
Recently the Parenting Place and Vodafone created digi-parenting.co.nz which has nice simple tips. This is an introduction video.
Keep enjoying the digital world. With it you can learn anything!
In May 2016 we celebrated our first Chromebook trial. Since then I have been slowly upgrading our Chromebook training materials and discovering the wonder of the Chromebook for myself.
What is a Chromebook you ask? The easiest way for me to tell you is to share this video.
Chromebooks are amazing little devices. They basically have the internet and nothing else. BUT on the internet you can do EVERYTHING. They switch on right away and boom you are in the internet.
Instead of using Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint you use Google Docs, Slides and Sheets. They are like simple versions of their Microsoft cousins. They have some amazing features like in the help area you can type what you want to do and it actually does it for you a lot of the time. It makes it so much easier. Some of the feedback from our classes has been "wow this is so much easier. I have tried to learn Word and Excel so many times. I didn't get it. Now I can with Google".
The great news is you can also use Microsoft if you have Microsoft 365 which most children at school do. Here is a photo of one of our graduates Jonathon with his son enjoying his Chromebook.
We are running three more Chromebook trials at Whanganui in September. If you have school aged children who live in Whanganui and don't have technology at home go and see one of these schools: Castlecliff School at Polson Street, Whanganui OR Keith Street School at Keith Street (In Town) Whanganui OR TKKM o Atihaunui a Paparangi (Putiki opposite the church) to register.
Well we are very much in catch up mode here in Whanganui after an extremely busy six weeks. I have now arrived back in the office and are going to post the photos from our many graduations. These are the photos from our Marton class on 2016. Deepest thanks and gratitude to our wonderful trainer and coordinator Angela Coleman from the Marton ICT Hub and Vanessa Te Ua and Michelle Cameron our principals from Marton Junction School who hosted our celebration and Michelle from James Cook. Also to Andy Watson Mayor Rangitikei who is a great supporter of our programme.
Here is to our wonderful class of 12 graduates who all completed 20 hours of computer training and gained the goal of having technology for their kids.
We have never been so busy. Graduations in Marton, Ohakune, Taihape and Whanganui over a 12 day period.
A cold snap decided to hit in Ohakune and the mountain provided a beautiful backdrop for our 14 Ohakune graduates.
Over eight week our graduates have learned about everything from Word to Google Drive. There were parents from Ruapehu College, Raetihi Primary School and the host school Ohakune. Here is our celebration. Here are our families
