Alice

= = =Alice Messerer - IT Trainer=
 * Hello from the beautiful Jervis Bay!**

At **YWCA** IT students come from different backgrounds: parents looking for work, adults aged over 40, young achievers, etc. It is always good to get feedback from past students and learn of success stories in job finding and in using their new computer skills in practice. Here is a **Wiki** page describing the IT courses I have been teaching at YWCA on http://trainer.wikispaces.com/

IT students can now create personal web spaces, Wikis, Blogs and have their own Internet presence by utilising images, videos, audio and animations. There are many web tools available to enhance their work i.e. //Flicker, RSS, Utube, Podcasting, Virtual Worlds,// etc. Students can collaborate on-line, share educational resources, find high quality information, create bookmarklets with Del.icio.us, take on-line courses, attend virtual meetings and watch slide presentations.

YWCA also offers commercial courses to those who wish to acquire new computer skills and to further develop their knowledge. Below is a photo of the //Jervis Bay Schoo//l class.

New Internet technologies created a rich learning environment when I introduced them in the **ICPMM263A Internet and Email** course at the //Jervis Bay// school//.// In class we researched the YWCA IT //Wiki// page and downloaded files and notes from it. We used the //Blog// for chatting and talked about the use of images, videos and other links. It was a good class exercise for inexperienced users that hopefully will encourage them to more productive Internet use outside the classroom. Besides enriching their social lives, Internet will help my students to look for new work opportunities in 2008.

One of the exciting tools for a beginner IT student is the use of the 3D virtual world of the //Second Life//. As of July 2007 there are over 8 million //Second Life// accounts and I am sure that in a few years time most education organisations will utilise virtual worlds in their training. They are not only fun to use - they introduce rich sensory immersive experiences, real-life simulation and role-play, use of scenarios and opportunities for communication. I attended a conference on //Second Life// in Wollongong and learnt various techniques for using my own Avatar and communicating in a 3D virtual world. I plan to teach our students //Second Life// IT skills when visiting 3D IT organisations, viewing 3D PowerPoint Presentations and developing their own Avatar personalities. The possibilities of the Internet use in computer training are almost boundless and IT trainers like myself benefit from learning about the evolving Internet tools.

Have a look at the 2007 **LearnScope** project we have been working on this year on http://nswlearnscope.wikispaces.com/ And this is the best **Web Tools Page** I recommend on http://nswlearnscope.wikispaces.com/2007_web_tools