User:Debznz

My Learning4Content course home page

= My profile =



Professional background
I started out as an agricultural economist before moving into secondary school teaching. I became dissillusioned with secondary teaching and moved into social services, community education and community development. From 1989 I worked briefly in the polytechnic sector and after a redundancy in 1993, moved moved back to community, managing a domestic violence intervention project and facilitating education programmes, for about 12 years. In 2005 I started working at EIT Hawkes Bay teaching social services and in 2007 was appointed to the role of Co-ordinator/tutor on the Diploma of Adult Education.

Education
Hold a Bachelor in Agricultural Science (Hons) through Massey University, a Diploma in Teaching (Secondary), Certificate in Adult Eucation and a Diploma in Integrative Psychology (Hakomi) through EIT. Currently completing a Masters in Adult Education (Adult Learning Global Change) through Monash University in Melbourne.

Professional
I am passionate about encouraging learners to learn to learn, and to come to a place of valuing learning in their lives as means of shaping their own future and positively influencing the futures of those with whom they associate. I encourage learners to find the ways of learning that work for them, and have relevance for them. In order to do this I endeavour to teach in ways that are strongly grouded in the principles of social learning, and in which meaningful relationships (learner:learner, learner:teacher)are established and fostered. I try to create learning opportunities that are meaningful in the life and/or work contexts of the learner. In my role as 'teacher' I try to never forget that alongside learners, I too am a learner in whatever the teaching and learning context we are sharing.

My current teaching roles include:


 * Programme Co-ordinator/Lecturer Diploma of Adult Education (see information at http://www.eit.ac.nz/study_programmes/diploma_in_adult_education.aspx)

The papers I am teaching in this current year are: Teaching Practice, Assessment and Evaluation, Programme Design and Development, Teachers as Leaders and Advanced Teaching : Principles and Practice.


 * Lecturer Certificate in Introduction to Social Services (a foundation level programme)

The papers I am teaching in ths current year are: Personal development and New Zealand Society


 * I am also active in the wider EIT community, facilitating an annual teaching and learning "Innovation Week", and contributiing to the Teaching and Learning Plan 2010-2015, as well as participating in a Literacy and Numeracy community of practice, and fostering programme and faculty based teaching and learning fora.

My own learning:

In the Masters in Adult Education programme I am currently participating in, I have completed the following papers to date:


 * 1) Adult learning : Contexts and perspectives
 * 2) Work and learning
 * 3) Fostering learning in practice

and have a further three papers to complete:

4.  Locating oneself in global learning (In progress across whole programme)

5.  Global/local learning

6.  Understanding research



Personal

 * Cycling - Road and MTB
 * Triathlon
 * Adventure racing
 * Good wine and food
 * Good movies
 * The occasional thriller to read



My wiki projects

 * I registered for eL4C41, a Learning4Content workshop to learn wiki skills.
 * I am planning to research and establish an online community of learning "Bicultural teaching for Pakeha teachers in tertiary education in Aotearoa/New Zealand". I have established a separate wiki-page Wiki Project 2010: Bicultural Practice to record my initial ideas to contribute to the community from my own current practice and to note ideas for developing this project

Feedback and notes from my WikiNeighbours

 * Dear Deb, Can you share with us your experiences on what was most beneficial to you on learning wiki skills? --R C Sharma, PhD 14:13, 3 August 2010 (UTC)

--jennip 03:53, 23 July 2010 (UTC)

My Sandbox

 * My Sandbox