Forum news
Latest News - Page 49
Wednesday 18th March, 2009
Its not how clever you are. . . (click below)
By Admin
Sarah & Fee argue that its not how clever you are; its how you are clever
Sunday 15th March, 2009
Our first experience at the Edge learner forum
By Admin
Our first experience at the forum was new and different. We learnt what the forum was about and how it works. Zoe and Colin were really nice and welcoming and they introduced us to everybody. Zoe and Colin were a great help, with the work and introducing us. Our first experience was fun and challenging, it was also nerve-racking because we were meeting new people. After we met everyone it wasn’t so bad. When we’re at the forum we get treated like adults instead of children where as at other meetings that are similar to this we do get treated like children. The forum is really interesting, it gives people something to do on a Sunday. It helps us to get an insight of whats going on in Rural Sussex. Zoe and Colin told us that we get opportunities to get involved in different activities like; voluntary work, get involved in projects, designing.
Tuesday 10th March, 2009
First Role model interviews at System group
By Admin
Role model interviews at System group Carlisle. Sarah Haughan and Harrison Ward recently filmed our first interview for learning role models with three accountancy students in Carlisle. We interviewed the girls on the pros and cons of their individual educations and asked their opinions on practical learning and academic learning; and what was best for them. The three girls have achieved a lot since they started their training; they made it to the finals of the UK skills event held in London in late 2008 the highest place they could achieve in the accountancy category. We asked them questions like “How would you describe your educational experience” and “What advice would you give a young person who felt an academic route was not for them?” The film will be available soon – Watch this space ! ! ! !
Tuesday 10th March, 2009
Brathay Eagle Crag Consultation
By Admin
This article was written by two forum members to be included in the Futures supplement in the West Cumbrian Times and Star newspaper.
Eagle Crag by Nick Hagan and Simon Binns
In the crippling cold of a January evening, Simon, Sam and yours truly jumped off the train in the heart of the Lake District. As representatives of the Edge Learner Forum (ELF) we had one destination in mind; Brathay Hall.
A stately, ivy-hugged building squatting on the shores of Lake Windemere, the Hall is flanked by an expanse of stunning countryside.
For the last few years, The Brathay Hall Trust has been collaborating with young people on a direct, honest basis to make its centre more youth-friendly.
Our members were more than happy to get involved with a project putting youth opinion at the very core of its development. This project is the development of a new accommodation and learning centre called Eagle Crag.
Following on from an initial brainstorm last year, ELF members from London and Cumbria were invited back to the centre, to catch up on the project’s progress and help shape the next stage.
So, the next day we met with the project’s lead architects to review developments. Results were positive, with members satisfied that their suggestions from last time had been fully taken on board in the plans for the revamped Eagle Crag accommodation.
Next came the real work; a vision for how the centre should be furbished, to make the facilities truly appeal to young visitors. Splitting into two teams, ELF members wasted no time in cooking up a space to truly appeal to young people. The focus was on functionality and style, with ideas ranging from drop-down TVs to making rooms customisable, by including moving walls and ceilings!
Brathay seemed to take a lot from involving young people in the design of the new living space for their young service users. With the young people, architects and Brathay staff all working in complete partnership they were able to build a powerful working relationship.
Godfrey Owen (CEO of Brathay) spoke of how important investment into the young people involved was. By giving them such a full ‘Brathay’ experience and having them working on the team from the very beginning of the project, as creators and not evaluators, led to an all round better result. And guess what? The young peoples’ ideas actually saved Brathay money.
This project was presented to Chief Executives, policy makers and many other delegates at a high profile event held in London by the Big Lottery Fund as a pioneering triumph in public involvement. For more information on the event go to: (http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/public_involvement_live.php)
The young people involved took away a real feeling of accomplishment and confidence in their own ideas as they saw the change that their opinions made. Brathay staff are now fully equipped for working alongside young people which can only build on the types of interactions future service users have with staff members.
The Edge Learner Forum is a nationwide network of young people, trying to change the face of the education system. We believe in learning by doing and engaging young people with the type of teaching they best take in. This whole experience has made Brathay an even more inspiring place.
Thursday 22nd January, 2009
Sussex Forum News
By Admin
The Sussex Forum met for the first time this year on Sunday 18th January. It's our one year anniversary this month and those of us who were there at the beginning reflected on just how far we've come. We have had a few new members over the past couple of months, and we hope that Robyn, Ashleigh, Hannah, Richard and Tiana will continue to attend the forum.
In a bid to keep all our members busy and interested, there were a variety of activities to choose from. One group designed a new postcard for the Sussex forum, another small group thought about what new members to the forum need to know about and Joe worked on adding member profiles to the ELF website. Another group of seasoned members worked on developing a workshop to take into schools, around preparing young people for work experience. We will be taking this workshop into Ringmer Community College in Sussex in April, and forum members will be working beforehand with staff involved in organising work placements to create a valuable and informative workshop. We are also going to be talking to a work placement co-ordinator with East Sussex County Council to talk about the possibility of delivering a workshop to employers as well.
Next month, we will be meeting with employees at NCSoft in Brighton, to work on a new bid for further funding to develop our online interactive game. And coming soon........watch out for Kusi's appearance on Teacher's TV!
Monday 19th January, 2009
Innovation can make all the Difference
By Admin
This article was written by a Cumbria forum member to be included in the Futures supplement in the West Cumbrian Times and Star newspaper.
My name is Annie Hewgill and I am at college in Carlisle studying for my ‘A’ Levels. Although when I was at my secondary school, William Howard in Brampton, I was on the student forum, each year I would attempt to try and contribute something valid but never really succeeded. This was mainly due to my shy personality and lack of confidence that held me back from speaking out. This is why it was such a surprise when my head of 6th Form who chaired the meetings asked if I would be interested in being a member of EDGE Learner Forum.
The forum is an organisation of young people from all over the country from all sorts of backgrounds who are asked to work on different projects, contribute to debate and advise.
Its main aim is to promote and make young people aware of different ways of learning with a large focus on ‘different routes to success’. Straight away I had a very large doubt in my mind about becoming a member due to the daunting task of talking in front of people.
I met the two leaders of the Cumbria forum and somehow I was persuaded to take part. The forum has given me opportunities that are very useful for my future. In the past year I have been down to London three times to take part in different events.
My most recent trip was an event held by NESTA, the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts. NESTA want to make the UK more innovative. There were two of us from the Cumbria Forum who went down to London and at the start of the day admittedly we didn’t have a clue what being innovative was. We soon learnt all about it and by the end of the day I felt inspired to be innovative and inform others about the word and how they too can be innovative.
Innovation is the idea of doing something different to how you would usually, its like breaking out of the box and doing something in your own unique way. It can be anything from something small to something huge.
Pretty much anything can be innovative as long as you have the confidence to do it; for example now for my notes at college I no longer write them on lined paper in biro pen, I now enjoy experimenting with materials, my latest innovative way of making notes is doing my revision cards with ink and quill pen on my sketch paper that usually I would have used in art. To some people my notes may look useless but to me they are much more helpful than my old exercise books.
The EDGE Learner Forum has opened many doors for me in the past year since I became a member, giving me the confidence to talk to and meet new people. It has also taught me that there are many of different ways of doing things and being innovative once in a while can make all the difference.