Thursday 12 December 2013

Merry Christmas!


We would like to wish all of our learners and tutors a very Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for the coming year. We look forward to hearing all about your festive break and hope it's filled with the good things in life. We'd also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that's involved with Adult Learning wherever you are in South Ayrshire!

The Learning Shop will be closed on the 20th December and will open again on the 6th January.

Merry Christmas.

Friday 22 November 2013

Congratulations!


 
Congratulations to all our new tutors who recently received their certificates for completing the Tutor Training.
We were delighted that Councillor Margaret Toner, the portfolio holder for Lifelong Learning, was able to come along and present the certificates.
It was also great to see Linda Muir back in the Learning Shop. We were able to drag the recently-retired Linda away from her life of champagne and truffles so that she could see the fruits of her labour!
Well done everyone!!
Eric Lindsay

Friday 1 November 2013

Daily Record Article

 
 
WRITTEN off as a troublemaker, all Chloe McRoberts wanted to do was learn.
The Ayr teen has vivid memories of her school days, struggling to fit in and keep up with classmates.
She recalled: “I was misbehaving constantly and the teacher thought I was a bad child. I struggled a lot. At first, they thought it was my eyesight and that was why I couldn’t read the letters. I always struggled to read.
“We would sit down in a circle and read from a book. When it came to me, I could read it in my head but when it came out I’d just stutter.”
Chloe remembers constantly being told off for what was seen as disruptive behaviour and giving up.
“From primary 3, I just thought there is no point. People thought I was trying to cause hassle, but I was trying to communicate.”
Despite the support of her loving parents, it was assumed Chloe simply wasn’t making the effort and was hell-bent on causing trouble.
She said: “When I was nine, I was diagnosed with dyslexia. But teachers just thought I was naughty. My mum and dad would tell the school it’s not the way I was brought up, it’s the classroom environment.”
Sadly, Chloe’s father David died around this time, causing teachers to believe her worsening behaviour was down to her loss. She had developed an eating disorder and it was assumed she was attention-seeking.
For Chloe, it was the only control she had over her situation.
She said: “I just didn’t understand myself. It was obvious that I was different, so I started to self-harm.”
Things didn’t improve at secondary school, despite a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
This, combined with her dyslexia, meant learning in an unsupported environment was extremely difficult.
“I don’t remember much about secondary school because I was on medication,” said Chloe.
“I remember my first day was hellish. I just broke down. Again, no-one understood. They assumed I came from a dysfunctional family, but that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t how I was brought up. I deliberately kicked up to get out of the classroom.
“It was just such a blur to me, but by my last year there was just no point. It felt like the only person who had faith in me was my mum. I had struggled so hard with writing and spelling but people assumed it was my behaviour holding me back.”
After being excluded from school on several occasions, Chloe was removed in her fourth year by her mum, Rosina, who feared for her daughter’s mental health.
“I knew I was clever and able to achieve things but I was devastated leaving school because I wanted to learn,” said Chloe.
Determined her daughter should get some qualifications, Rosina contacted The Learning Shop adult education centre in Ayr.
“They were so supportive,” said Chloe. “They understand that it’s not because I’m stupid or I don’t want to, I have difficulties they help me with. I needed to start again. We started with the alphabet, covered nouns and verbs and adjectives, how to write sentences and paragraphs. It was fantastic.
“Then I applied to Ayrshire College to study Intermediate English, and when I started I already knew a lot of what we were covering. I got a B. This year I’m doing Higher English, Higher Psychology and Intermediate 2 History.”
She even won the South Ayrshire Council Adult Literacies Learner of the Year award, awarded to her by Coun Margaret Toner in June.
Chloe now hopes to become a vet and has been doing observational work in a local practice for two years.
“I’m learning the same things that the veterinary students who come to the practice do. I’ve wanted to be a vet since I was young,” said Chloe.

Tuesday 15 October 2013

VIP visit to the Learning Shop

We were privileged to have a visit from Eileen Howat, the Chief Executive of South Ayrshire Council last Friday.  She came into the shop and we were able to tell her about our service and the impact that we have on our learners and tutors.  Heather, one of our literacy learners was being tutored at the time, and as she has recently completed a Basic Computing course, Eileen Howat was pleased to present her with a certificate.  It is important that we showcase our service and we extend an invitation to anyone who would like to see, firsthand, the good work that we do.

- Julia Wooley

Thursday 19 September 2013

Reading Group – 9.30am – 11.30am, Friday morning in The Learning Shop


Just a wee update on how our Reading Group works!
Starts off with an Englishman, a Scotsman – but no Irishman!  And that’s the students.  Good mix of students from home and abroad – 5 in total presently and hope to be 6 by 27th September.
I read the story aloud.  I don’t mind interruptions as some of the Group are foreign students who may not understand all the words.  We read one chapter at a time and discuss what’s happened and what we think may happen. We also have lively debates on issues raised within the story – we can be a noisy bunch.   This also gives the students a chance to highlight any words/phrases they don’t understand.   After every story we complete a Story Review.  Usually for homework I ask the students to read a chapter from the story and send me a small write up by email.  That way I can pick up any spelling/grammar problems.  This works well.
Mostly we read Quick Reads.  Most are good though we have had a few bad ones too – the Group don’t waste any time in letting me know if they think a story is not good.
 We can recommend Quantum of Tweed, A Sea Change, Full House and Wrong Time Wrong Place.  But found Hell Island and Hostage not very enjoyable at all.
And if you are feeling a bit more adventurous there is Seige, a good story but a full sized novel.
Let me know if you would like to join in or if you have any students you feel would benefit from joining the Reading Group.

Monday 9 September 2013

ESOL Tutor Training 2013

Well done to Elaine Valentine, Lisa Masiello, Alison Keaney, Angela Pawlicka, Ruth Hart, Sharon Maclean, Lesley Shepherd, Fiona Crowe, Laura Clews, Jayne Stevenson and Maggie Bunnett  who attended the two day ESOL tutor training course on the 15th and 16th of August 2013.   The training aimed at giving tutors an awareness of how to facilitate learning sessions for ESOL learners.   Tutors had an opportunity to experience what it is actually like to learn another language and learn some of the ESOL ‘jargon’ such as; drilling, modelling , realia and gestures.    The opportunity to attend the ESOL tutor training will be offered to all tutors who have completed their literacy tutor training.    Most of our newly trained tutors are now helping both literacy and ESOL learners.   All that remains to be said is welcome to the world of ESOL!
Ann Gentilomo

Monday 26 August 2013

Update!


The summer holidays have finished and the Learning Shop is back to business as usual.  Staff, tutors and students have returned from their holidays, those with childcare issues over the summer have started back, the ESOL tutor training has been undertaken (with very good feedback) and the next wave of Tutor Training starts on 27th September.  Projects are up and running again and the admin staff are busy with new registrations and more phone calls. Yes, business as usual!  We are all looking forward to the next few months and the team hope to bring in some new innovative ideas which we will be sharing with you.
As per usual we have to thank all our volunteers for their continual support, and if you would like to add any comments to this blog, please do so!

Beyond our Control!


Those who attend the Learning Shop will have noticed the noise that is fairly constant, due to the work being undertaken on the outside of the building.  We do apologise for this (and also the occasional deluge of water from above!) but the work has to continue and we look forward to the finished project in a few months.

Thursday 22 August 2013

Hello From Girvan!!



Our beautiful seaside town and lovely South Carrick villages have enjoyed a nice summer with plenty of visitors! However, this has not stopped our dedicated team of tutors and students from meeting! All through the summer they have continued to meet in the Carrick Opportunities Centre which thrives with all sorts of activities-yoga, therapies for Carers, lip reading, confidence building courses, textile courses (CLD).The Job Centre is also in the centre with Adult Learning and Community Learning and Development!
This environment suits our students very well. Many of our students come from small villages and knowing people are coming and going for various reasons puts them at ease, confidentiality being very important to them.
 As well as our one to one pairings we also have a reading group for our ESOL learners and any of our other students who would like to build up their confidence within a group. In our group we choose a book or short story which I read out loud, we discuss the plot, characters, etc and then the students take turns in reading it back. I give help with pronunciation and meaning of words. They all encourage each other and have fun! We have students from all over the world because many come to work at Turnberry Hotel. At the moment we have people from Italy, Spain, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, China, Mauritius! and Scotland! If you, or anyone you know, would like to come along it takes place on a Tuesday morning from 9.30am-11.45am in the Carrick Opportunities Centre, Henrietta Street, Girvan. Telephone number 01465 716600 and just ask for Elaine Fitzsimmons.

Finally we have a punctuation and grammar session that meets on a Tuesday from 11.45am-12.45am where any problems are gone over.   This is popular with our ESOL students, so we have it directly after the reading group. It is available to everyone though.

If at any time you are passing through Girvan please come in and see me! I am the Literacy Development Worker you don’t often see and I would love to meet you!

Elaine

Friday 9 August 2013

2013 ESOL TUTOR TRAINING


Thursday + Friday 15th/16th August

The adult learning team  provide  English as a second (or other) language  (ESOL) classes in the community.      This intensive 2 day course offers literacy tutors an  opportunity  to expand their skills and work with ESOL  learners.   Over the two days you will    

·         be introduced to the ESOL teaching methodology

·         gain awareness of how it feels to be an ESOL learner

·         learn  how to plan and deliver a programme. 

·         gain awareness of   working with learners from pre-beginner to intermediate level

·         be better equipped to work on a 1:1 basis or assist in larger groups.  
 ‘An Introduction to Working with ESOL Learners’ is SCQF accredited at level 6.    Tutors who are interested in receiving accreditation for their work will be offered an opportunity to do so.

The course may  be repeated later in the year.  Contact the Learning Shop to register your interest and for more information

Susan Wilson 

Thursday 1 August 2013

ESOL Update!!!


The ESOL classes will commence week beginning 5th August 2013 with our Survival English course.  This two week course will be taught in the John Pollock Centre by Liza Donaldson from 6-7.30pm. 
All the other courses will commence week beginning 19th August:
Monday: access 3 level in John Pollock Centre from 6-7.30pm. Teacher is Susan Wilson.
Monday: access 2 level in the Learning Shop from 6-7.30pm. Teacher is Ann Gentilomo.
Tuesday: access 2-3 level in the John Pollock Centre from 1-2.30pm. Teacher is Susan Wilson.
Wednesday: access 2 level in Learning Shop from 6-7.30pm. Teacher is Liza Donaldson.
Thursday: pre intermediate level in Learning Shop 5.15 – 6.45pm. Teacher is Irene Lamont.
Thursday: intermediate level in Learning Shop 7.30 – 9.00pm. Teacher is Eileen Opiolka.
Friday: access 2-3level in John Pollock Centre from 9.30- 11.00am. Teacher is Susan Wilson.

If you think you know someone who may benefit from attending one of the classes please contact Ann.Gentilomo@south-ayrshire.gov.uk or call the Learning Shop on 01292 263304.

Thursday 25 July 2013

Inspirational!


When all your colleagues pull out all the stops to wish you well in your retirement, you’ve got to be delighted
That’s the way I felt on Wednesday evening at my retiral ‘do’ in the Town Hall. I loved my presentation picture, loved my flowers, loved my gardening tokens, loved my afternoon tea treat at Turnberry. I guess you could say I was pretty pleased!!
It was great to see so many colleagues, partners, tutors and friends from my time with the Council. And I was so pleased to hear that my post of Literacies Manager will soon be advertised, and the future of The Learning Shop assured.

Literacies support changes people’s lives for the better. We have the evidence to prove it, and the enthusiasm of staff (paid and voluntary) to deliver it. I am proud to have established such as service in South Ayrshire, proud to have nurtured such a fine team of professionals, proud to continue alongside them as a volunteer ( I can’t really retire completely!).

We have the vision and the energy. That’s all we need to inspire another generation of Adult Literacies Learners. Let’s go for it!
Linda

Wednesday 17 July 2013

Linda's Retirement

Linda Muir – Literacy Manager

I have worked with Linda for over fifteen years since, in the ‘old days’, we were known as Supervising Tutors.  Linda had the idea for a dedicated Adult Learning Centre, and after working from the old CERIC building on Whitletts Road, a small dingy room in the Wallace Tower, an office in Wellington Square and upstairs in the Carnegie Library, Linda’s dream became reality and the Learning Shop was opened 10 years ago. Adult Learning has come on leaps and bounds since then and from employing 4 workers with a total of less than 20 hours a week, we now have a team of ten. Things certainly have moved on!

As most of you will know Linda has announced that she is retiring.  Is it a coincidence that since Linda announced her retirement, the Learning Shop has been covered in scaffolding?!!

Linda will be very much missed as a member of the Community Learning and Development staff; she has become very involved in partnership working and has made great links with local organisations over the years. 

She has trained over 500 Volunteer Tutors, ensuring the service we offer is as professional as possible, and without these trained tutors we would not have been able to help 2300 learners!

Most of all she will be missed by the Learning Shop staff.  She has been a great manager, as well as a confidante, mentor, friend, organiser and expert at party games!  We all wish her a long and happy retirement.  As you can imagine she will not be sitting back waiting for things to happen!  She has exciting plans and I am sure she will treat this new phase of her life with great gusto!

We all wish you well Linda!

Julia Wooley

Friday 12 July 2013

We are OPEN!

We are back to business as usual, see you soon!

Friday 5 July 2013

Shop Closure



Due to building work, The Learning Shop will be closed from Monday 8th July until Thursday 11th July. We hope to re-open on Friday 12th, and will phone round our regular tutors and learners next week to let them know when they can return to the Shop.

Thursday 4 July 2013

2013 ESOL Tutor Training


Thursday + Friday 15th/16th August

The adult learning team  provide  English as a second (or other) language  (ESOL) classes in the community.      This intensive 2 day course offers literacy tutors an  opportunity  to expand their skills and work with ESOL  learners.   Over the two days you will    

·         be introduced to the ESOL teaching methodology

·         gain awareness of how it feels to be an ESOL learner

·         learn  how to plan and deliver a programme. 

·         gain awareness of   working with learners from pre-beginner to intermediate level

·         be better equipped to work on a 1:1 basis or assist in larger groups.  

 ‘An Introduction to Working with ESOL Learners’ is SCQF accredited at level 6.    Tutors who are interested in receiving accreditation for their work will be offered an opportunity to do so.

The course may  be repeated later in the year.  Contact the Learning Shop to register your interest and for more information
 
Here are some more pictures of our recent ESOL family evening that might give you some inspiration!
 

Susan Wilson 




Wednesday 19 June 2013

Adult Literacies Learner of the Year


Chloe McRoberts had great problems at school, and her dyslexia meant writing, spelling and numbers were always a real challenge.  These problems resulted in her struggling with attendance, motivation and concentration and she left school with no qualifications at the age of 15.

Her big ambition is to become a vet, so she knew things had to change.  On leaving secondary school she immediately enrolled with the Learning Shop where she received two sessions a week – one in literacy and one in numeracy.  She began to make great strides in her learning and understanding; progress with her writing and her growing confidence meant she was able to apply to Ayr College to take an English course.  She was accepted and has done extremely well, and she intends to continue with even more subjects next year.

Chloe knows she has a long way still to go to achieve her dream, but if her dedication and progress continue….she will get there!

 

Julia Wooley

ESOL Family Evening


On the 6th June 2013 we organised an ESOL family evening in the John Pollock Centre where our ESOL learners enjoyed a splendid night of entertainment, ate traditional international food and socialised with their Tutors.  Some of the learners with their Tutors organised activities such as a quiz, bingo and a comical performance where everyone was encouraged to practise their language skills.    The evening allowed learners to meet others from their native country and everyone agreed to organise a future ESOL social evening at Christmas.

Thursday 6 June 2013

 
 
 
Learning experience as volunteer tutors receive training certificates

Fifteen volunteer tutors, who want to help adults improve their literacy and numeracy skills, have received certificates for successfully completing a comprehensive training course here at The Learning Shop.

Mary Ballantine, Christine Bell, Amanda Caldwell, Hilary Christy, Jan Donaldson, Maggie Eccles, Mae Gemmell, Patricia MacKenzie, Anne McLellan, Margaret Mehta, Jacqueline Norris, Angela Pawlicka, Gerrard Platt, Lesley Shepherd and Lesley Valente all received their certificate from Councillor Margaret Toner, South Ayrshire Council’s Portfolio Holder for Lifelong Learning.

Councillor Toner said: “I’d like to thank the newly qualified tutors for their commitment to helping others and for the work they’re doing in supporting learners to improve their core literacy skills.

“These skills can make the difference between finding a job, or gaining promotion, can help parents support their children at school, or assist them with homework and the friendly tutors and a fun learning environment at the Learning Shop makes all the difference.

“In the last 10 years the Learning Shop has trained 500 tutors and worked with 2,300 learners, helping to change people’s lives for the better. It’s a tremendous achievement and I’m honoured to present the new tutors with their well-earned certificates.”

A birthday cake, complete with candles, marked the occasion and Councillor Toner was invited to blow out the candles and make a wish .... hopefully that The Learning Shop will still be providing literacies, English as a Second Language and IT support for another ten years at least!

 

 
 

Friday 17 May 2013

Welcome!


 
Hi Everyone
We won’t always look like this!!
At the moment The Learning Shop building is getting a makeover as part of the Ayr Townscape Heritage Initiative. It’s quite appropriate really – we’re getting dressed up to celebrate our anniversary!
Yes!
Adult Learning has been working out of The Learning Shop for a whole ten years now and all the team from Girvan to Troon are celebrating our first decade, during Adult Learners’ Week.
We’re holding an Awards Night in the shop for our newest volunteer tutors on 22nd of May. They’ll be presented with their certificates by Councillor Margaret Toner, and we’re launching our new website.
We hope you like it, and that clients, partners and referrers will visit it on a regular basis.
We’re working with learners in Troon and Maybole, Prestwick and Tarbolton, Girvan, Maidens, Dundonald, Lochside ..... you name it! How many tutors and learners have we worked with since 2003? I’ll tell you when I’ve stopped counting......
It’s looking like over 500 tutors and an amazing 2,300 learners.
Wow!

Linda