VUSSC/Trinidad and Tobago Boot Camp/Report on Day 2

Report on Day Two: 8th May 2007

The day began with Dr Richard Nielson, Denrich consultant giving an overview of Project Management (PM) including its importance, reasons for project failure, PM as a system, key principals for managing projects and the iron triangle of PM. He explained thoroughly the different project management techniques and stressed that all these can be easily carried out using simple software.

Wayne Mackintosh has emphasized the importance of free software tools. Wayne highlighted the future potential of import and export functionality between eXe software and Mediawiki. The future of benefits of a Wiki to pdf export were also highlighted.

There was a long discussion regarding the creation of resource materials and online content on Life Skills planning to the VUSSC Bootcamp 3 in Trinidad and Tobago. The issues discussed included pre-boot camp activity, the work programme for three weeks, post-boot camp activity, type of grouping, selection of one theme with its topics for each team leader, number of notional hours for each topic.

A discussion forum was created – Life Skills in Paradise – using Goggle group facility, and all the team leaders were invited to participate. It is expected that each leader will invite other participants and interact with them to facilitate critical discussion among members and help develop the content materials. It was generally agreed that Wayne will facilitate Wikieducator tutorial sessions for our pre-bootcamp training starting next Tuesday, 15 May 2007.

Life Skills Course Outline

1. Intrapersonal Relationship Skills − Dr R Bholah

• Self Assessment
• Values Education
• Goal Setting and Time Management
• Wellness and Health Care(Nutrition, Fitness, Stress Management)
• Substance Use Education ( Drug education)
• Heritage

2. Interpersonal Relationship Skills − Dr R.K. Shalyefu

• Parenting
• Gender and Relationships
• Human Sexuality and Sexual Health
• Citizenship − Maintaining Good Interpersonal Relationships in the Community
• Leadership

 3. Communication − Ms A.Airall

• Process, Forms and Barriers
• The ‘Arts’ of Listening
• Conflict Resolution and Anger Management
• Public Speaking
• Public Relations

4. Financial Life Skills −Mrs C.Prevatt-Wiltshire

• Money Management
• Consumerism
• Saving and Investment
• Entrepreneurship

5. Employability Skills − Mrs Lumaava Sooaemalelagi

• Job Search and securing employment
• Ethics in the Workplace

Baseline student workload

• Certificate − 120 student learning hours
• Each topic is therefore 5.45 learning hours

Assessment

• Portfolio (formative)
• Examination (summative)