2011 Canadian Federal Election

Announcement: New Course from GLA

2011 Canadian Federal Election – About Canada Votes 2011

On May 2, 2011 Canada will be having a federal election to either re-elect our Prime Minister or elect a new Prime Minister.  Many experts agree that the Aboriginal vote is very important and in some cases, these votes may decide who the next Prime Minister of Canada is.  Good Learning Anywhere is offering a LIVE Centra course for learners interested in learning about voting in a Canadian election.

The course is not going to be a political debate.  It will focus on the importance of voting in Canada.  Questions that will be covered in this 2 hour course are: What is an election?  Why is it important to vote?  What is the history of Aboriginal voters in Canada?  Who can vote?  Where do people vote?  How do people vote?  Who are you voting for?  What impact does my vote have?

We are offering this course 3 times before the election.

• Thursday April 14 – 10:30 am ET
• Wednesday April 20 – 10:30 am ET
• Tuesday April 26 – 10:30 am ET

Sign up for one of these dates by visiting our website: http://www.siouxhudsonliteracy.com/register.htm or by calling 1-866-550-0697.  If you have any questions, you can also contact Warren by email – warren@siouxhudsonliteracy.com.

If you are new to online learning and using Centra, we recommend you register for an Introduction to Online Learning class prior to taking the elections course.

• Wednesday April 6 – 10:30 am ET
• Wednesday April 13 – 10:30 am ET

The Sioux Hudson Literacy Council (SHLC) is a non-profit, community based, client centred Literacy and Basic Skills program.  We also operate the Sioux Lookout Learning Centre and Good Learning Anywhere e-Channel distance delivery program.  SHLC is a non-profit agency and is funded by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) and formerly the National Literacy Secretariat (NLS).

Tough Times for Adult Literacy in Ontario

The Adult Literacy world is facing some tough times in 2011.

Cutbacks are expected to hit all of Ontario’s Literacy and Basic Skills organizations, though the effects will be felt throughout Ontario, in workplaces, social services and homes.

Good Learning Anywhere started in 2003, reaching people in remote areas of Ontario, and giving them a chance to upgrade their skills.

2009 was a big year for Good Learning Anywhere.  The Province’s Budget Initiative for 2009-10, 2010 -11 gave our program the opportunity to grow and reach so many more people in need of basic upgrading and literacy skills.  Many Ontarians living in remote and rural areas have had the ability to access services previously not available to them – and now may be denied these services again.

Now, with that two year funding about to disappear, Good Learning Anywhere, along with Literacy groups across Ontario, will be forced to cut back services, and in some instances, shut their doors.

But all is not lost.

You can help.

As a Canadian citizen and a taxpayer, you have a voice.

By sending a letter to your MPP, you will add your voice to those learners and literacy practitioners who know the value of adult education and training.

If you would like to send a letter to your MPP, please fill out this form below and we will help you send it out!

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December Learner of the Month

December Learner of the Month – Darcy

At Good Learning Anywhere and Sioux Hudson Literacy Council, we take a lot of pride in announcing our learners of the month.  It’s never an easy decision but for the month of December, Darcy made it much easier for us.

As an online practitioner I had the great fortune to meet Darcy online in several live classes from our Self-Management/Self-Direction series.  From Day 1, Darcy was actively engaged in the class demonstrating a lot of participation.  She always had a positive spin on things and her attendance was fantastic.  As a practitioner, it was always comforting to see when Darcy logged in to class and was ready to learn.  I knew how important these classes were to her and that her energy would be contagious for the class.

I also had the great fortune to meet Darcy in person, along with several other learners, at Haldimand-Norfolk Literacy Council in Dunnville, Ontario back in December 2010.  I was invited to participate in their Volunteer and Skills Development Training celebration and hand out some certificates to the learners.  It was a very special moment to put a voice to a face and then hear how we are making in impact in their lives.  Here is an article on how grateful the learners are to HNLC – Students Thank Literacy Council for Transforming Their Lives.



Unknown to Darcy, I had a special award for her: December Learner of the Month.  I usually don’t get nervous speaking in front of others but this time I did.  I wasn’t sure if I would be embarrassing Darcy in front of others or making her feel awkward in any way.  My intent was to celebrate her success and share her story with others.  At the end of the celebration, I asked Darcy if she would be interested in sharing a little more about her online learning experience with other learners and professionals in the literacy field.  In her words, here is what she had to say:

When I enrolled in the Volunteer Development Training Program, I had absolutely ‘no’ idea of what it was that I would really be getting into. There were a number of other individuals who took part in this program and we all had a lot to offer and a lot to learn from each other.

What I learned most (and I guess it was something I had forgotten that I already knew) is this: Anything I chose to do is a commitment that I am making with myself.  It was rewarding for me to give myself the time to get out of the house, meet some new people and to “complete’ something.  Respect and confidentiality were right up there on the list too.

Twelve weeks sounds like a bigger number than 3 months; so, I’ll say it took three months to ’rebuild’ with totally wonderful people.

I had three days per week that I had committed to myself to attend a volunteer Placement (Salvation Army-Food Bank), a personal interest online course Introduction to Aviation and the actual (Volunteer Development Training Program) online courses :  Introduction to Online e-learning, Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem, Time Management,  Communications, and Decision Making.  Also we were instructed in WHIMIS, Safe Heavy Lifting, Customer Service, Conflict Resolution Skills, and a fun time doing Personality Dimensions.

Let me tell you that if you think that we are not affected by just a person’s voice, WE ARE.

I found myself needing to hear those voices of the instructors.  It’s about upbeat, positive people who are delivering information to you because they either love the topic or because they really want to be a part of your successes.

For a while I felt like I was running around in circles and why am I doing this…?

Then it was coming to a close and I reflected on my past involvement with a Community Theatre and how a bunch of people would audition for roles in the play, others would work toward building the set and finding props, others would work on scheduling rehearsals, ticket sales, publicity and then it would be over in about the same amount of time (3 months) from beginning to end of production.

This was sort of a behind the scenes way to get back with the “living”; getting out there and just being and doing.

I received a Diploma from the Volunteer Development Training Program, Certificates for completing the online courses and that was it.  I did it!  I completed a three month program, met a lot of great people and now it is over, or is it?

I also met with an e-Learning coordinator who researched some of my interests and found a college Course (online) that under my circumstances (living in a small town, no colleges, and no vehicle) I can still obtain an Education.  How exciting is that?!!!!  Very!!  Thanks everyone.

I’d say may experience with e-Learning has been a positive one.  It is a commitment to yourself and you’re worth it!

The people who I admire, respect and confide in are my support in any endeavour I chose. They know who they are.

On behalf of Sioux Hudson Literacy Council and Good Learning Anywhere, we congratulate Darcy and wish her all the best with her future goals.  If you ever need anything Darcy, you know where to find us.

Lillian Ruttan – Learner of the Month November

“I jumped in full-force.”

That is how Lillian summarized the beginnings of her journey.

 

I think that pretty much sums up who Lillian Ruttan is when she’s in an online class. Full-force, full-energy, full of life.

And that is one of the reasons why she is Learner of the Month for November 2010.

To call Lillian an ambassador for Good Learning Anywhere is fitting for a few reasons:

1. Lillian is always “there”: she’s always participating, always ready to learn.
2. Lillian is a facilitator: she will troubleshoot with learners and help instructors, in and outside of class.
3. Lillian spreads the word: from Lillian’s enthusiasm and community spirit, we’ve gained more than a few new learners from her neck of the woods and across Ontario.

Just this past fall, I met Lillian when I visited the lovely ladies of the Adult Learning Line in Kenora.  Before meeting her, I felt I already knew her, as she had attended more than a few of my classes: I knew her as a warm, gentle and kind person, a woman who is strong in her faith and who is enthusiastic about learning.  And, that is exactly who she is.  But as it is with most online interactions, what I thought I knew about Lillian was only the tip of the iceberg.

What really shone through for me was Lillian’s sense of humour and her passion for helping others.  As I was busy attempting to set up the iMac to take some group photos, I overheard Lillian telling other learners how our online sessions are all recorded and was showing them how to access the classes within a Centra account.

 

Lillian’s journey to Good Learning Anywhere began over a year ago.  I had the joy of instructing Lillian in her first class, Introduction to Online Learning.  From that day on, Lillian discovered a passion for computers.  In fact, working with computers, understanding how they work, and learning how to fix them is part of Lillian’s goal for the future.  Computer know-how is an important skill to have today, and with the skills she’s gained in the online classroom, Lillian is well on her way.

Lillian’s success boils down to a few things in her life: the Adult Learning Line and Good Learning Anywhere.  She said she was introduced to upgrading and learning by Lynn Kowal, one of the wonderful practitioners of the Adult Learning Line.  It was Lynn who inspired her to take that big leap to becoming an adult learner.  And though Lillian had made the step towards improving her skills twice before, she told me it was the Adult Learning Line and the availability of the Good Learning Anywhere program that really “made it stick”.

 

So Lillian, I thank you for your spirit, your generosity, your committment to learning, and for “jumping in full-force”.

 

It is a pleasure and honour to know you and name you Learner of the Month for November!

Learner of the Year – Krystle S.

Being an adult learner is not a simple thing: when you make that decision to upgrade your skills,  life doesn’t stop, and it certainly doesn’t take it easy on you either.  There will always be bills to pay, children to feed, family members to deal with and countless other things that get piled on top of the  stress of going back to school.  

Knowing the day-to-day challenges faced by many of our learners, we wanted to recognize and celebrate their achievements.

We thought long and hard about what qualifies a learner for distinction.  Is it perfect attendance?  Regular participation?  Excellent marks?  What distinguishes a learner from the rest?

While those things are wonderful achievements, and things that we also recognize, we realized that we were looking for something else when searching for “Learner of the Year”.

Krystle S., a twenty something learner from Southern Ontario embodies what it means to be Good Learning Anywhere’s “2009-10 Learner of the Year”.  

Krystle is a woman who has persevered, who has stood up to challenges, who has supported her peers and led by example.  She has taken the skills and teachings of our courses and has forged her own path to success and continual learning.

What better role model can there be?

As GLA’s 2009-2010 Learner of The Year, a surprise package was sent to Krystle in recognition of her achievement.

Here’s what Krystle had to say:

“I got the package the other day that you mentioned would be arriving. You can’t imagine how surprised and thrilled I was to see that I had won an ipod nano and got a certificate too! I was stunned and speechless at first and then really happy!”

“My experiences in SHLC classes have really convinced me that I can do Centra classes and meeting you has helped me realize that there are programs for adults out there and options for us to finish our education. So I really owe both you and SHLC a lot. Please relay my thanks to everyone. I really appreciate the certificate and ipod nano, its a great reminder for me to keep with it. Taking these classes has actually inspired me to go back to school and work on my OSSD.”

“It’s also inspired my dog Tyson to continue with his puppy classes after graduating and starts his next grade level this month! Thanks again, Krystle and Tyson”

Krystle, Tyson, well done!