Introduce yourself!

Hey Joan, I’m putting together a post on ice breakers in the coming weeks. What are your favourite?

Welcome @LINDSAY_SOUTHWORTH-S ! Great to be connected! I’d recommend getting in touch with @David_Rosen who is very knowledgeable about how learning circles work with language learning groups. Here are some of his thoughts on the topic :ESL/ESOL Learning circles

We’re still involved with Notre Dame Education Center too you might be interested in this much longer discussion we had with Manny about language learning circles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZMn9_T7d38

A post was split to a new topic: Icebreakers: Energizers!

Hey all! I’m a bit late to the intros but before I posted a question on another topic I thought I’d say “Hello”. I’m Marsha from San Jose Public Library in CA. I started running Learning Circles at my branch in 2017, and have lead a few since then as well as coached some newer facilitators in our system. Looking forward to hosting another Learning Circle starting in March or April!

2 Likes

Hello I’m Grant Croley. The director and one of the instructors at Elevate Madison Ministries a non-profit organization that teaches computer skills to the under and unemployed people of Madison Tn a suburb of Nashville Tn.

I’m excited to learn about p2pU and the learning circle model of teaching. We currently use a traditional instructor lead style of teaching, It has served us well but we are hoping to have a more sense of community within our classes and make deeper connection with our students.

I’m hoping that learning circles we help us make that deeper connection. In addition as we can start to grow a community of learners in Madison, we can raise-up facilitators to cover more topics that we teach traditionally today.

The latest thing I learned was over dinner tonight. I do not like balsamic dressing.

Thank you including in the p2p community
Grant Croley

1 Like

Welcome @Grant_Croley! Great to be connected! There’s a large range of basic computer courses out there, as well as many higher level technical resources. I’d be curious to hear what interests your community. Looking forward to discussion facilitation strategies in the future.

How did you hear about us? Are you a member by any chance of NDIA? A few of us will be at their net inclusion event in Charlotte come April.

Hello everyone, this is my very belated introduction to the community space. I am a department manager at the Cologne Public Library and am in charge of our Learning Circle program. We’ve dubbed them “Lernteams” here in Cologne and have hosted five since the fall of 2017. So far so good, but we do of course want to improve and expand. I am also participating in the EU LCIC (Learning Circles in Libraries) project along with the P2PU team.

1 Like

Hi! I’m Gwendolyn Haley–a Public Services Manager from Spokane County Library District in Spokane, Washington (USA). We are just dipping our toes into learning circles, and particularly interested in using learning circles to increase educational opportunities and accessibility for rural communities.

1 Like

11%20AM
Hey @Nicole_James Great to see you here. That you are hiding under 2!

2 Likes

Hello, everyone. My name is Qumisha, you can call me “Q”. I’m a Librarian at the Detroit Public Library. I had the random thought that became the Q method. I’m excited to be in our new digital space, and to share information and ideas.

2 Likes

Hi, my name is Tran Khoa, and I am a lecturer at Hoa Sen University, from Viet Nam.
Thank you for your platform and your learning circles

1 Like

Hello everyone,

I am Catherine Amia. I hope it’s not too late to introduce myself.
I am from Uganda; and am a librarian working in a community library whose name is Kawempe Youth Centre.
I enjoy disseminating information in all it’s forms.

Through the training obtained last year from the some of the P2PU team members, I together with the rest of the staff I work with have been learning a lot on how to promote collaborative learning through platforms such as this one. We have so far had one successful learning circle that graduated 8 participants in a Public Speaking course. We are currently organizing one in “Building Your Leadership skills,” we have actually signed up 12 participants for this.

This is truly a great platform that is promoting lifelong learning and bridging the digital divide hence contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3, Quality Education).

3 Likes

I prefer red wine vinegar to balsamic in most dressings. When I’m lazy (most nights), I usually just sprinkle some salt and pepper on top of an un-dressed salad, and then pour on a little less olive oil than I think I should and a little more red wine vinegar than I think I should.

We’re happy to have you here, @Grant_Croley!

Thanks for stopping in, Gwendolyn! I’m glad you’ll get to meet @Nico_Koenig in person next month.

Hi @Catherine_Amia! I’m so happy to meet you here. We are very committed to helping you continue to grow learning circles in Uganda, so please let us know how we can help.

1 Like

Hello everyone!
My name is Margaret Mbithuka and i am a librarian at knls Kithasyu _ Kibwezi, Kenya. i together with the rest of the staff i work with, we have introduced one learning circle with 9 participants in basic computer skills am looking forward to learn more from this platform as we promote lifelong learning among my community and transform their lifes.

1 Like

Welcome Margaret! I have met many of your colleagues including Juliana, Joseck, Kaltuma and Miriam. Glad to see new librarians taking party! We are looking forward to supporting you! Outside of basic computer skills, what is your community interested in learning? What are you personally and professionally interested in achieving as well?

Hello, Everyone! I’m Morgan from MCPL, a public library in Kansas City that offers mobile small business and entrepreneur support outside library walls and rooted in the ecosystem. We call it interventionist librarianship as apposed to embedded.
We were invited by the public library system down the road. I have a background in higher education and have always had an issue with the lack of follow through and intentional design of online learning. Libraries spend a lot of money on databases and have little to nothing to show for it.
I’m hoping to utilize Learning Circles to get a better ROI on our online learning investments and make more impactful learning experiences. Although my focus is small business, workforce development/job readiness and entrepreneurs, I anticipate this model spreading to other departments.
I recently attended SXSW and learned so much about how giant corporations are trying to act like start ups. Fascinating!

2 Likes

Hello! My name is Emily. I’m an ESOL teacher and program manager at the Center for Southeast Asians in Providence, RI. I just had a great Learning Circles training with Sherry from Providence Public Library and am looking forward to bringing this resource to my students.
Thanks!

1 Like

My name is Susan Kelley. I am a teacher of English as a Second Language who is always looking for new ideas. I am here because I want to learn more about learning circles. I want to learn how to use them and how to help my students use them to practice their speaking skills and build confidence as they facilitate the learning of their peers.
I am hoping to learn some new ideas for this group and hear from others about successful learning circles.
Thank you!

1 Like