The Great Silence

I heard a remark recently and it makes great sense, I quote, We live in a world of great advances in the area of communication and technology and there is no communication on another level. We will examine this more closely, because I feel we are all the poorer. One day last week I travelled on a number of buses here in the city. On them all were passengers who exchanged no words of greeting, mobile phones ringing non stop, others listening to their own world of loud music.while others just gazed out the windows. All this adds up to lack of friendliness, no time for one another, isolation and alienation.

Progress is great, has many benefits but as a society are we losing something that money cannot buy. I have no doubt we are losing something we all aspire to, the friendly hello. It can mean so much and is never forgotten rather it is cherished and preserved. For some people it can make their day. for others a vital tonic for living daily life. As a nation we have come a long way in progess that affects every facet of life. I finish with this quotation, "No man is an island," we all need people.

Civic Engagement

This morning I attended an event in the DCU. The theme running through it was Civic Engagement, and an occassion for DCU to show its appreciation of the ongoing process. As somebody involved in the Intergenerational Learning Project since it started in 2008, I can really say it was great to be among really committed staff and students involved in the different projects on display. The day is gone when access to third level education centres was limited to sons or daughters of professional people. I think in rural areas especially this was in no small way contributing to discrimination and class distinction. Fast forward we live in the 21st century and a new era in this respect has begun.

Viewing those projects today it was very interesting to see the different headings and their outreach potential for the local community. The beneficiaries young and old which is very encouraging. As was pointed out the committments of the tutors and students to the different projects. Personally I was unaware of the great student involment in the projects. This is the programme for the future and betterment of society, we can all take a bow and assess our role and benefit. I congratulate the winners, the rest of us by participation are all winners.There is always the next time.

Learning Age Conference

On Wednesday last June 9th I attended the above conference in Belfast. It was a learning experience in that there were people attending mostly from Northern Ireland, the Uk and a small number from central Europe and as a result a much broader picture emerged in the context of Lifelong Learning. One or two observations at this stage, a great interest in Northern Ireland particularly in rural areas. and in the UK the age group 50-75 lifelong learning policies and funds directed at this age group. From 75 upwards no incentives available at any level. Intergenerational learning regarded as one component of learning process. there was mention of The Forsythe Review in the Uk which encouraged on going learning, skills update, and training. The 18-25 age group accounts for most expenditure in the education area.

As I stated already Northern Ireland has a lot going for it, after the troubles daily life returning to normal, adult learning playing a major role. Another observation women more interested than men. In this context learning means coping with retirement, bereavment and health issues. There are a number of cross border groups U3A and others involved in the process. I was delighted to give my testimony of a senior learner which was well received and commented on.

I attended a workshop about adult learning in Australia. There the situation is a small ageing population. Here there is an organization called Cota which looks after the needs of senior citizens on many levels including education. On line learning very common with senior citizens,people have a preference to learn at home.

For women in middle age Beyond Maturity Blues is peer education dealing with depression,bereavement, retirement as an identity. Most of this brings about self learning groups. For men there are special groups which deal with unemployment, health issues relevant to men. An example was given of a group interested in astronomy who bought a telescope for viewing events in space, they meet on a regular basis for an exchange of views and are interdependent. Walking clubs. community based activities common in Australia.

Finally to say here in Ireland learning in later life is in its early stages and making great progress. The future is very promising. I enjoyed the conference and would be willing to give a feedback in more detail sometime in the future.

Speech criteria

In this blog i will deal with gestures in the context of public speaking. Gestures are an important ingredient,they convey a message, they focus attention on the speaker, they also can enrich a speech. When a speech is delivered from behind a lectern gestures can be limited, best to move around and use simple and natural gestures. Body language should be comfortable for the speaker and enjoyable for your audience. We all have heard the expression, he talks with his hands. Next time you see a public speaker take note of the gestures, are they simple, natural, add meaning to the message.? If yes enjoy them.

A Donegal Afternoon

On yesterday May16th I attended a very enjoyable event in Temple Bar. It was Donegal Live- a showcase of Donegal through music and song. I first heard about it on "Morning Ireland" on Friday morning. As was correctly stated on radio Donegal was so long referred to as the forgotton county owing to its geographic situation and access, now the situation has changed owing to a better road system and its local airport. The event yesterday really consolidated all that is positive about the county in its cultural and musical tradition. Donegal has a great record in this sphere, mention Bridie Gallagher, Daniel O!Donnell among others. Music transcends all barriers and especially traditional irish music played in any location. Pakie Bonner who will ever forget Italia 90 in Genoa. As I already stated it is great to be in a position to showcase your native county in all its positive aspects. Every county in the country would benefit from such an occassion. We live in a multicultural society, everybody is welcome to savour our great Irish culture. Failte gach duine.

Organize your Speech

Greetings hope you are enjoying my blogs (Public Speaking) so far. The last blog dealt with the first speech to a toastmasters club. (The Icebreaker) There are ten projects in the basic manual. I will now deal with Project 2, the main criteria here is to organize the speech. This means to select an outline. a clear message and conclusion. Outline: Opening sentence, quotation or maybe a question. the purpose here is to capture the attention of the audience. All this leads to the body of the speech, (main point, support material.) After this is the conclusion, (review or summary, maybe a memorable statement) Time for this speech is 5-7 minutes. The main word to describe this project is organization. The technical elements described in a previous blog(voice projection and speaking rate, eye contact apply to all project speeches. I will leave it at that for the moment. happy speaking.

The Conference

Hello everybody and well done on a great show yesterday,it really will remain in my memory for a long time. Everything went perfect,the rehersal on Tuesday certainly paid off in no small way.I feel the great message is press ahead intergenerational learning has many positive aspects both for the learners and the students, and this was endorsed by everybody yesterday. As I mentioned in my speech great friendships have been established and this is so enriching on so many levels at any age. I attended the health workshop and really the message was to take time out and be still, we all need to do this. Finally lets remember yesterday as a defining moment for the Intergenerational Learning Project.

Speech Evaluation

When a speech is being evaluated in a toastmasters club the important criteria is how it was delivered not its content. Eye contact, projection of voice, dress, pace and general presentation are all important elements. (1) Constructive suggestion as to how presentation could be improved for future speeches. The first speech from the basic manual is called the icebreaker. It is 4-6 minutes and the main idea to introduce yourself to your fellow toastmasters, ( nothing too personal) what you are comfortable with. Notes encouraged for the early stages. I will deal more with notes in a future blog. P. J.

Media Module

In February 2008 when the Intergenerational Learning Project started I did the media module. A general assessment of the various forms, radio, television, films, the press. Two results from that module(1) It broaden my views on the media,hence increased my interest.(2) My favourite media is radio. now the challenge of radio to increase my interest was a reality. How could I respond to this.? Being a volunteer with Age Action I had some experience of a radio studio so it was not something new. I had often wondered how my voice came across on the airways. The opportunity presented itself as part of this module. We had to submit material 1-2minutes for the airwaves here in DCU. I submitted portion of a speech by Mother Theresa of Calcutta given at the UN in New York on Friendship. The exercise went very smooth being told that I had a great voice for radio.This to me meant so much for self confidence and a wish to proceed further in this area.

friendship

I write of two employees of a Belfast factory of different religious and political persuasions
The factory closed and our two friends went their separate ways in the world.
Many years passed and word came through that both of them emigrated to America.
Both were conscripted to the army and were sent to Vietnam where the were killed in action.

The bodies of both men lay together on a hillside in Vietnam far away from Belfast.
They differed so much in life. and still in death they were together.
We all need friendship friend and foe, rich and poor. saints or sinners.
Friendship costs nothing and means so much to both receiver and giver.
Friendship offered is never forgotten,go on be a friend.

Tips for Public Speaking

Public speaking is the greatest fear of most people, I would like to mention some tips that have been tried and tested. First is relax very important. Get to know your audience, subject and venue.

(2) Eye contact,focus on one person in the audience, then in a semi circle over the heads and the wall of the room. Good eye contact is vital.

(3) Voice projection, that is speaking rate and volume. Volume depends very much on the number in the audience and room size,also if projectors or microphones are being used.

(4) Sincerity depending on the subject. To convey sincerity by your delivery.

(5) Gestures, again depends on the nature of the subject, if too many gestures are used it takes away from the presentation. Sometimes if speaking at a lectern the speaker is encouraged to move slightly.

(6) Everybody has a certain style of speaking. Light hearted or sincere. My own is the latter. Whatever is your style try to improve on.
Those are some of the main tips for public speaking. I am in a toastmasters club myself (public speaking) for a number of years and recommend highly to anybody with an interest in public speaking.

I finish with a well known saying in the context of public speaking.
Tell the audience what you will speak about.
Speak about it.and then say what you talked about.

Intergenerational Learning

Intergenerational learning is here to stay. I have enjoyed immensely the module since it began in 2008. The friendship support good humour made it all so easy. Learning is a life time experience. I think people of my gereration certainly think they are on a different planet. Words like Facebook Twitter Powerpoint add them to our vocabulary. We hear a lot in some quarters about discrimination. inequality, a lot has been achieved by breaking down barriers, I feel inter genarational learning is and will lead the way in this area.


The conference on May 6th will be a showcase for the DCU and a defining moment for Trudy. Trudys enthusiam has driven the module from the start, Let May6th be a day to celebrate and also an occassion to remember those who for one reason or other had to drop out.