DCU ILP Blog

We're back!

2012-02-01T14:58:00.000Z

A new semester of modules from the Intergenerational Learning Programme in DCU:

COMPUTERS FOR BEGINNERS - Intergeneration55@DCU

Each learner will receive three two hour sessions with the support of a DCU volunteer student. Subjects include emailing, internet and online shopping. The course operates on a three week cycle.

February 14 to March 1
March 6 to March 22
March 27 to April 12
April 17 to May 3
May 8 to May 24
May 29 to June 14
June 19 to July 5
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 10am to 12noon and 2pm to 4pm
DCU Campus, Ground Floor, School of Educational Studies, Henry Grattan Building
€20 (Funded by the Dept. of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources).

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

This is an eight week course for anyone who would like to improve their skills with regard
to emailing, using the internet and on-line shopping. There will also be an introduction to digital photography.
Starting Date: February 18th
Duration: 8 weeks
Day: Saturday
Time: 10am to 1pm
Location: Dublin City University, Henry Grattan Building
Fee: €70

TO THE INTERNET AND BEYOND

This is an eight week course for anyone who is quite comfortable with email and browsing the internet, but would like to know more about Facebook, Twitter, Skype, and other social media.
Starting Date: February 18th
Duration: 8 weeks
Day: Saturday
Time: 10am to 1pm
Location: Dublin City University, Henry Grattan Building
Fee: €70

LIFE WRITING

This is an eight week course for anyone who would like to start writing whether it be life stories, poetry, short stories based on life experiences.
Starting Date: March 6th
Duration: 8 weeks
Time: Tuesday 2pm to 2.30pm
Location: Dublin City University, Henry Grattan Building
Fee: €50

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

This course will look at various topics including positive ageing, mindfulness, memory issues,
physical and mental wellbeing, etc.
Starting Date: March 5th
Duration: 8 weeks
Time: Monday, 11 am to 1 pm.
Location: Dublin City University
Fee: €60

For further details or to register email carmel.conroy@dcu.ie or call 7007423 / 7007865 and leave a message.

Food, Glorious Food, by Irene Fitzgerald

2011-06-13T17:19:00.000+01:00

Food, Glorious Food

Food today is easily sourced and readily available in the western world, but not too long ago (a favourite cliche of seniors) the shopping for food was a completely different experience. The local shop, once the centre of village and street activity has been replaced by the ubiquitous supermarket chain store, while locally sourced and home-cooked food has been given the pushover by fast food joints, burger bars and pizza parlours.

Who remembers the bread van delivery of our daily bread, the outrage when bakers were granted a day off on the Sabbath, resulting in no fresh bread from Saturday till Tuesday? Vegetables were sourced by local farmers in rural towns and villages, as were milk, eggs, chickens and turkeys at Christmas time. Wild berries and crab apples picked in autumn were made into jams and jellies, which lasted until the following year, when the same procedure was followed and so on. The joy of discovering baby mushrooms on early mornings in August, taking them home in a basin, being very careful not to squash them before showing them off to all encountered en route, then poaching them in milk before devouring them on hot, buttered toast! Buying mushrooms in plastic containers covered with cling film doesn’t have the same attraction or cause anywhere near the excitement of foraging in the wild for our own breakfast delicacy.

The price of progress has to be paid, but surely some things were better in the old days?

The Bramley Apple Tree, by Brigid Murphy

2011-06-08T14:23:00.002+01:00

Bramley Apple Tree

One of my earliest memories is of a lovely old Bramley Apple Tree in our garden. It was situated in the centre of the back garden.

In Spring it bore lovely white/pink blossoms and in late Summer, without fail, we had a good crop of large cooking apples. Throughout the year we children had great fun climbing the tree and occasionally we fell out of it. We have the scars to prove it !

I can still remember the lovely apple tarts my Mother made using those crisp juicy apples, which she picked fresh from the tree. For dessert on Sundays we often had baked apple or stewed apple with cinnamon and custard. Lovely !

O'BAMA by Martina O'Brien

2011-05-22T07:02:00.007+01:00

J.F.K visited Ireland in 1963 which turned out to be a historic event and for many that day is etched into their minds as a momentous visit. Since then it seems that almost every president of the U.S could be granted an Irish passport and if they so wished could play for the Irish soccer team. So why do so many Americans and U.S presidents identify with this small island?????

The sceptics among us might say so what? that politicians use every trick in the book to get votes. They may argue that this is a ploy to catch those valuable Irish- American vote by claiming Irish heritage that his "Great Great Great Grandaddy was Irish." However what they don't recognise is that ancestry is an important thing especially in America.

In America its history is inextricably linked to Europe and other countries all around the world, it is not like here where when we are asked where we are from? we often reply Irish. In America it is more multi-cultured and although not all the time but much of the time, Americans claim to be half of or a quarter of or a tenth of another nationality. You see identity counts over there, ancestry counts, it matters to people and while Obama may not be here for long, I think him going to Moneygall Co. Offally is him acknowledging his roots to this small island. I believe firmly that he has the right now if he so chooses to add that apostrophe to his surname, by coming here hes has earned it because in my eyes "there is no one is as Irish as Barack O'Bama."

One small step for the Queen, One giant leap for Ireland by James O'Brien

2011-05-21T18:04:00.006+01:00

Obama who? I don't think anyone including myself expected the Queen of England
to steal the show from the enigmatic American president before he arrived but lets face it, she did! Barrack Obama has his work cut out for him if he is to take on the 'Queen in Green.' Perhaps he is thinking of dying his hair green or sporting an all green outfit.
When it came to stealing Obama's thunder she proved that "Yes, she can."

Ok, ok that is enough with the cliches however I think I am still right in saying that what happened over the past 4 days was significant. While Britain is our nearest neighbour, the psychological distance between us has been great for many years. The trip she made was steeped in symbolism, from the time she stepped off the plane wearing green, the scene was set. Also the pictures on our TV screens of her at the garden of remembrance, acknowledging Ireland as an equal. Although people may argue that this is just a symbol and something we all knew already knew, I think it was an important act.

I think on her trip she went further than anyone thought she would have, including me. For instance who ever thought that we'd be hearing the Queen speaking Irish? "A Uachtaráin agus a chairde" a very simple Irish phrase but from her its a very powerful one. What this trip has proven more than anything is that symbolism is powerful and it is important. While the scars of old wounds remain as Mary Byrne told RTÉ "we have our past, but we don't have to live with it."

Chronic pain, a TED Talk

2011-05-19T11:39:00.002+01:00

At out last ILP Wednesday conversation, Eimear talked compellingly about living with chronic pain. The video below is from a TED talk, where a pediatrician and specialist in pain management explains some issues about chronic pain.

Memories by Anna McCann

2011-05-18T05:59:00.002+01:00

MEMORIES

For days now I have tried to drum up a memory that I could sit down and write a piece on but to no avail, not that I don’t have any, I just have too many and when I choose one others come crowding in, like Joan’s first trip to a cinema when I thought her eyes would roll out when she saw the size of the screen.

Then if we had a power cut the kids would have a concert. Kathleen banged on the piano, Mandy and Michael played guitar, Anna had a tambourine and Joan did percussion with two pot lids. Rob at that time was “still a bit of fluff in God’s pocket” (as my mother would say), but later on when he was old enough he came in with the tin whistle. We still love a get-together and belt out a few tunes now and then.

My regret when I look back is the only thing I learned to play is the radio and I’m afraid Robert is in the same boat, we both do a little dancing, but even at that the kids outdo us every time.

In writing this piece I brought to mind half forgotten events, some happy, some sad, some funny and some that makes me cry, but they are all treasured memories and I hold them close to my heart.

Memory of a sad day by Rose Murphy

2011-05-18T05:28:00.005+01:00

There were 5 children in my family, twin girls and three boys. I am one of the twins.

My story started in 1947 the year of the school strike that went on for a long time. My Mam decided to get us into Holy Faith and my brother David, aged 10 years, was sent to St. Canice’s School on North Circular Road. We had all been in St Peters School in Phibsboro prior to this.

On the morning of 19^th February 1948 we all went to school as usual but our lives changed that day. Myself and my twin came home from school to discover our aunt was there minding our two younger brothers. A teacher had come from my brother David’s school to say he was in the Mater Hospital.

During the school break he had been playing on the stairs and had fallen 30ft over the bannisters and unbelievably to all the boys around he got up and walked into the class. However during the next class the boys told the brother what had happened as he became unwell. He was brought up to the Mater Hospital on the bar of the Brothers bicycle.

When my Mam and Dad went into the hospital he was able to talk to them.

My brother’s spleen was ruptured and at that time there were no blood banks available in 1947. My brother died at 9 o’clock in the operating theatre.

My Mam and Dad came home they were distraught and the memory of that night still stays with me.

“This memory for me was life changing”

Ageism and fashion, by Cathy Fowley

2011-05-12T12:36:00.003+01:00

The Irish blogger Fatmammycat has written a serious/funny post on age and fashion. It would seem, from her online reading, that ageism is alive and well when it comes to fashion, and the ideas that people have as to who should or shouldn't wear what. It comes from a poll in the Daily Mail, which is reported here , and advises us that long hair has to be cut after 53 (why 53, and not 50 or 55?) and swimsuits go to the back of your wardrobe at 61; one wonders what you wear when you go swimming, but there you are. Not a swimsuit. No style tips for older men, though, who it seems can wear their runners for as long as they like.Fortunately, Fatmammycat also links to a wonderful photoblog, Advanced Style, where wonderful photographs are posted of New York elderly residents, full of style and class; in the words of the owner of the blog, it

offers proof from the wise and silver-haired set that personal style advances with age

I am sure all who have attended our classes concur; style is not a matter of age!

Intergenerational Research Project: The Findings By Ruaidhri, James, Mary and Joseph

2011-05-12T11:16:00.000+01:00

We have just finished analysing all of the data found from our research study and have uncovered some very interesting findings. Although our findings cannot be generalised to the wider older population, they do give a good indication of the attitudes and concerns of the participants in the Intergenerational Learning Project. From our initial survey, it was found that 92% of respondents have access to a computer however 46% of those surveyed had no experience of using computers prior to joining the course. This clearly indicates the benefits in the ILP as it is providing the elderly with a much needed resource in aiding them to utilise the technological resources which many already have available. Of the respondents, 81% identified the primary reason in attending the course was to become more computer literate with 15% indicating the primary aim was to establish new communication links with family. Our research also found that 35% of the participants did not currently use Facebook but would consider doing so in the future. In terms of online shopping, 46% of the respondents had made a purchase on line with 35% stating that they hadn’t but would consider doing so in the future. This lead us to explore these issues further in the focus group with the results outlined as follows:

· 6 out of 7 respondents have access to a PC in their own homes.

· Those who had home computer access would use it 30 minutes or longer each day

· The main reasons why participants use the interest is to browse, e-mail, and use Facebook with two of the respondents having used the internet for online booking purposes.

· The respondents made some very interesting comments regarding Facebook. There was a common agreement amongst the participants that they did not want others to see what they were writing. Some also felt that they did not know enough about Facebook and found it very difficult to use.

· None of the respondents had used online banking and they do not intend to do so in the future either. One respondent noted that they enjoyed the experience of going to the bank and they would not get this by using internet banking.

We feel that these findings are very interesting and that the whole area of the elderly engaging with computers is one which should be explored further in the future. We would once again like to sincerely thank you for your participation in this project and wish you all the best for the future.

What will I write?? By Ruth Meehan

2011-05-05T15:21:00.001+01:00

Write something, ‘SHE’ said.
What sort of something…I suppose I could say something about my visit last week to the South Dock Theatre for the return visit of the Russian State Ballet – this time doing Giselle – even more wonderful than last year’s Swan Lake.
Or
I could say something about buying Bin Liners (no, you heard correctly). There is more to this than you might imagine – that is if your imagination is in freefall…I don’t suppose you would know what 40 x 20 cm means? Nor do I – and I don’t think the very nice young man – stacking shelves nearby really quite understood either.

Not to bore on for too long – suffice to say I have looked at the packing slip and find it was made in China – so all I have to do is write to someone in China and all my problems will be solved.

Cathy's great news by Trudy Corrigan

2011-05-05T15:02:00.003+01:00

I am delighted to let you all know that Cathy Fowley is now Dr Cathy Fowley. She received this accolade following her viva on Wednesday 4th May here in DCU.

Cathy has been a very major part of the DCU Intergenerational Project (ILP)which began in 2008. She first joined as a student volunteer. That is whenI first met her and together we discussed the benefits of developing teachingand learning methodologies that could best be used so as to enable olderpeople to become more fully involved in the use of technology and in accessing social media sites.Cathy in recent times has become involved in the projectas a tutor.

Cathy's own research is in evaluating how younger people use blogs and social media as a social network medium.Through the ILP, Cathy has further developedthis concept so as to evaluate how social media might be of benefit for many older people now and in the future.

Cathy is a native of France and I have been constantly fascinated with the fluid way that Cathy moves so seamlessly from conversation in English to conversation in French when she meets with other colleagues from France hereon campus. Since 2008 Cathy has moved to introduce a Blog spot for the ILP and a twitter space so that we can discuss, exchange, ideas and perhaps most important of all is to enable us all to stay connected to each other through our shared stories and opinions shared on our Blog and Twitter site. This was during a time when she was busily studying for her own doctoral thesis. I have no doubt that she will further expand and develop this idea for the future.

Cathy together with our fantastic tutors, Carmel, Eimear, Joan, Marian and Joan have developed teaching and learning strategies so as to enable older people to access the technology with an ease and to make it suitable for use in their daily lives. In many ways we would like to think that this is a Gateway intofurther learning opportunities at third level. This together with the one-to- one shared learning/peer learning engaged in between the older students on the ILP, and in particular through the volunteering of our DCU students makes this goal much more achievable for our older students.

So on this day Cathy we would all like to congratulate you and say well done.Your achievement is so well deserved. We look forward to working with youin the future through the ILP. We would also like to wish Eimear very best wishes during her stay in hospital and Eimear we wish you a very speedy recovery. Finally for all our students who have participated in the project and whoare busily writing up their theses just now, studying for exams or workingon assessments we want to wish you very best wishes now and in the future.We also want to thank you for the time you volunteered with us on the project. We look forward to meeting you again soon.

Research Project Update by Mary, Ruaidhri, Joseph and James

2011-05-04T10:56:00.003+01:00

On Saturday the 26th of March, 37 members of the Intergenerational Learning Project kindly took part in a survey to help gather insights into aspects of their computer studies. Firstly, we’d just like to thank everyone for their interest and participation as without it, research of this nature would simply not be possible.

Throughout the next week, we carried out an initial analysis of the results with some very interesting and insightful findings being made. These findings provided a foundation for further research in the form of a focus group which was conducted on Saturday 2^nd April. The focus group lasted approximately 20 minutes and was held in a room adjacent to the Business School Canteen. As always, all information collected was kept completely anonymous. We would like to convey our sincerest appreciation to those that took part and to the others that were interested but unable to attend on the day.We are hopeful that this research will help provide us with information which can be used to further improve the course and to establish the key areas in which older people wish to use computers. The results will be made available in the coming week. Once again if you have any questions at all, please direct them to your class tutors and they will pass them on to us. Thank you all again for your cooperation and support for our project.

Easter by Patrick John Gallagher

2011-05-04T10:52:00.001+01:00

Easter 2011 will be remembered as the latest one in many years.

Unlike Christmas the feast of Easter varies from year to year.

Our Celtic ancestors had no calendars,therefore the movement and

position of the sun played a major part to determine seasons and festivals.

Christmas occurs after the winter solistice 21st December.

Easter has been the subject of much debate in the earlier centuries.

It was accepted to be around the spring equinox March 21st.

The date was not really finalised till relatively recent centuries.

The golden rule to determine the date of Easter is,

if between 21st March and 27th April you have a full moon

the Sunday after is always Easter Sunday.

The next late Easter occurs on 24th April 2038.

Memo to all Intergenerational learning volunteers by Dr Kate Irving, School of Nursing, DCU.

2011-05-03T17:45:00.001+01:00

Dear Students,
I run a service within DCU called Memory Works. The service helps people
with memory problems find clarity about what their problems are and how to
live life despite the problems. I tend to get people to think about their
diet, exercise, emotional wellbeing and cognitive and social stimulation.
Some people I see have dementia and some do not but to varying degrees all
have memory problems and difficulty learning new information. A small number
of them state that they would like to learn to use a computer and I would
like to offer them support with this. They are also usually quite intimidated
by the idea. From my perspective this could tick a number of boxes such
as widening social circles and cognitive stimulation from learning new information.
Also there is an on line cognitive stimulation programme that they could
benefit from if they could get on line.

Obviously they may need a little more support than normal students might
but I am convinced that the people I have in mind would be capable of learning
if things were repeated often enough, written down and most importantly if
the fear was taken out of it for them.

Such referrals wouldn?t be all that common but it would be great to have
a number of students who I could call on as and when a client would like
to learn some computer skills. That student would have to be able to provide
some one on one support and be motivated with respect to this specific group
of people (with memory problems). I could offer advice about learning approaches
and starting levels etc if required? I think it could be a very rewarding
thing to do.

My e mail address is kate.irving@dcu.ie please contact me if you are interested
in volunteering.

My meeting with Kate in DCU by Trudy Corrigan, School of Education Studies

2011-05-03T15:50:00.003+01:00

Just two weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting with Dr Kate Irving who is a lecturer in the School of Nursing DCU. Kate and I met as Kate is very interested in the DCU Intergenerational Learning Project (ILP). The morning that I met Kate, we had a fascinating discussion together as we chatted over our coffee break. We are both really interested in the concept of a stimulated mind in aging. Kate introduced me to an author who I had never heard of previous to our conversation that day. This was Dr Peter J Whitehouse M.D., Ph.D . who is a geriatric neurologist. Together with his wife Catherine, he founded The Intergenerational School in Cleveland Ohio which is committed to enhancing lifelong cognitive wellness.

Dr Whitehouse together with Daniel George M.Sc produced a book in 2008 titled The Myth of Alzheimer’s . In this book Dr Whitehouse believes that Alzheimer’s disease “represents our culture’s attempt to make sense of a natural process (brain aging) that we cannot control. “ ( Whitehouse, 2008:4) He goes on to state that “ ….there is no one biological profile of Alzheimer’s that is consistent from person to person, and all the biological hallmarks of AD (Alzheimer’s Disease) are also the hallmarks of normal brain aging.”( Whitehouse, 2008:4)

I am not an expert in this field and I have experienced seeing other people living their lives having been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. As my own area of interest is in the valuable role older people have to contribute in education, in particular I am interested in the potential role that formal and informal educational opportunities might contribute in their lives in the future, I was fascinated by this book. I am especially interested in the contribution which older people bring to learning through their lived experience, expertise, their creativity and tacit knowledge shared in quality educational opportunities with younger people. I believe their role has a substantial contribution to be shared in third level learning.

My conversation with Kate that morning and my subsequent reading the book (thanks to Simon who obtained this for me through our bookshop on campus), enabled me to further reflect on the benefits of a stimulated mind in ageing. Here are some recommendations which Dr Whitehouse shares with us so as to keep the mind stimulated in ageing:

Building a Cognitive Reserve:

Engage in stimulating activities.
Get all the education that you can.
Learn new skills.

Staying Vital in your Later Years:

Don’t be afraid to seek help from doctors and other health-care professionals.
Learn a new language.
Learn to play an instrument.
Play games/cards with a social group.
Engage in intellectually stimulating conversation.
Tend a garden.
Read intellectually challenging books.
Take an adult-education class.
Volunteer in your community.
Maintain a positive outlook on life.
Advocate for your beliefs.

Finally Dr Whitehouse states that “ one of the most persistent themes in this book has been the importance of lifelong learning. Learning strengthens our cognitive reserve and saves us from intellectual stagnation…..Art or music skills that you develop can be used to help younger children cultivate lifelong skills and hobbies. A creative writing class may yield poems, stories or books that can be of inspiration to other people.” ( Whitehouse, 2008: 274-275) Sometimes the best of conversations can be shared over a coffee break and I certainly think my conversation with Kate that day gave me much food for thought.

If you are interested in reading this book here are the details:

Title of book: The Myth of Alzheimers (2008)
Authors: Peter J Whitehouse, M.D., Ph.D. with Daniel George, M.Sc.
Publisher: ST. Martin’s Griffin 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
Address of publisher: www.stmartins.com

Embracing Life Changes by Carmel Conroy

2011-05-03T12:50:00.004+01:00

Wednesday April 13th 2011

Our conversation on self confidence and motivation is still in full flow. Although the session did finish, a little later than scheduled, due to the fantastic audience participation, we are still hearing about people’s reflections on the subject.

Paul King, (lecturer with DCU School of Educational Studies), started the conversation asking people to think about how they perceive themselves, physically and emotionally. Paul used an exercise called ‘The Circle of Life’ which helps people to channel their thoughts and enables them to look at their lives and how different times, events and decisions have affected their journey thus far. The idea being that the better you know yourself the better chance you have at reflecting on positives and changing negatives to give yourself the courage to create a healthy sense of wellbeing.

Eimear Ni Chearnaigh spoke of her experience of Neuropathic Pain and how she approached the idea of changing negative thinking and to create a "new self". Eimear’s talk was inspirational and many people identified with the subject. There was a great sense of awareness and involvement from all the participants our only issue was the clock.. Unfortunately we ran out of time but not before Ruth Meehan spoke about her involvement with DCU’s Intergenerational Project and how challenging herself has enhanced and broadened her attitude to lifelong learning.
The conversation continues…………..

My Experience of ILP by Michelle França

2011-05-01T15:49:00.003+01:00

ILP has brought me an amazing experience. It gives you the opportunity to meet lovely students, to find out about their lives, their stories, and to make a better difference to their lives. It is an honour to me that I can have the opportunity to bring nice changes into lives of people with such experience already, and so much knowledge and wisdom. I also find it beautiful how it is never too late to learn, as occurs with those students, and how it is never too little to help, as we can make a difference to them. The project is run by well-disposed people with great moods and a very friendly and carrying assistance. They bring a sense of togetherness and cooperation to our group. Working with ILP has brought me only joyful experiences, which I intend to keep having.

Can You Feel My Pain by Eimear Ní Chearnaigh

2011-04-21T05:34:00.000+01:00

Almost ten years ago I was badly burnt in a house fire. I sustained full thickness third degree burns to 26% of my body. As a result of the burns and about 60 operations the muscles, tissue and nerves in my body had become badly damaged. The burns slowly began to heal and I should have been rebuilding my life but instead of feeling better I was experiencing more intense pain. This pain began to radiate throughout parts of my body that had not even been burnt. Doctors could find no physical reason for the pains that felt like stabbing, burning and stinging electric shocks shooting from my neck down my back and into my legs. It took six years before I was diagnosed with Chronic Neuropathic Pain.

Chronic Neuropathic Pain is a hidden condition. The central nervous system stops functioning properly, causing the nerve-endings to constantly send signals of pain to the brain, even after wounds or tissue has healed.

Living with Chronic Neuropathic Pain can be a sad and isolating existence. It has the potential to steal away from you what you feel are rightfully yours. Your body does not belong to you anymore. It won’t function in the way it should or used to, it fatigues quickly and sometimes feels like it will shutdown completely. Your choices don’t belong to you anymore. Everything you do and everywhere you go is dictated by the level of Pain you have at that particular time. Your thoughts don’t belong to you anymore. How you think becomes invaded with negativity, your judgement becomes so clouded by the Pain that you cannot think rationally. This overbearing Pain becomes the main focus of your thoughts. Your feelings and emotions don’t belong to you anymore. Neuropathic Pain has a huge impact on your emotional wellbeing, causing you to feel completely overwhelmed by it. Feelings of depression and anxiety become part of the daily struggle for survival.

As Neuropathic Pain runs it path of destruction, wreaking havoc on your mind and body, your life as you knew it begins to slip away, causing distressing and detrimental effects. The fact that nobody around you appears to understand what’s happening to you makes this a very cruel condition to live with.

There is no cure for chronic pain. Multi disciplinary pain management and advanced, highly specialised medical intervention is the only hope (at the moment) for temporary relief and for any chance of some quality of life. However, Chronic Pain is not formally recognised in Ireland (or Europe) as a disease in its own right. This serious condition continues to be misunderstood, misdiagnosed and inappropriately managed. You can help to change this by supporting the 'Can you feel my Pain' campaign and signing the bill of rights.

Chronic Pain Ireland, in conjunction with Pfizer and a number of other leading patient and citizen organisations across Europe have joined forces to call for real change through the campaign "Can You Feel My Pain?" Later this year, we hope to have collected significant support for the Rights, which will be presented alongside the launch of a European wide report (Pain Proposal) that aims to drive recognition of the personal, social and economic impact of chronic pain on the European population - promoting change to ensure the right patient receives the right management and treatment at the right time.

There are five key rights that we believe will help improve the life of people affected by chronic pain.

1. Right to be Understood

2. Right of Access to Information

3. Right to Professional Support

4. Right to Early Intervention and Optimal Pain Management

5. Right of Pain Relief as a Fundamental Human Right

Hello Everybody! by James O'Brien

2011-04-20T17:22:00.008+01:00

Hello Everyone!

I just wanted to write a little something to introduce myself to you all.
My name is James O'Brien and I will be taking over the running of this Blog for the next 2 weeks! :)

Some of you may remember me from the Intergenerational Project last semester when I was a student volunteer. As some of you may already know I am currently finishing off a very stressful but rewarding masters in Business Management here in DCU. As part of this course I got the chance to get involved in the Intergenerational project. My experience with the Intergenerational Learning Project has been a very positive one. I really enjoyed my time helping out at it and I actually learned a lot from the experience. I think I am not alone in this regard, there is many who would agree that it really is an enriching experience to be involved with such a project. It is also a way of meeting some genuinely nice people and I was lucky enough to have met many of them while volunteering last semester. As you might have guessed I took part in the blogging class with Cathy, although I did hop between other classes too. So I feel in a way that I got to know a bit from each of the classes and experienced different aspects of the project.

Following on from my experience at the ILP, I decided to try and get involved in other projects too. I am currently teaching another computer class in the liberties area in Dublin. I try to incorporate a lot of the things that I learned from doing ILP into my classes, so blogging, social media and then the more basic skills also are all taught at my class.
I probably would have never been able to teach this class had it not been for the intergenerational project. It is what spurred me on to take on this new endeavour and I am truly grateful to the ILP and to everyone who takes part in it because it helped me to gain the skills, the knowledge and particularly the confidence I needed to teach. Anyhow thats a little about me!

I hope to do a good job looking after this blog and I really look forward to receiving your posts!

James

Wednesday Intergenerational Conversations, April 13th

2011-04-12T15:03:00.000+01:00

Intergenerational conversations:

Embracing life changes

with Paul King (lecturer, School of Education), Eimear Ni Chearnaigh (ILP tutor), Sean Murray and Ruth Meehan (ILP participants)

Self confidence and motivation can be a major issue in many of our lives, especially when it comes to embracing new learning opportunities. Some of the reasons for this can be a past experience of 'chalk and talk' schooling and lack of self belief. Moreover, retirement is a life changing experience that if not handled well can lead to motivational issues and lack of self worth.

Our conversation will be led by Paul King, lecturer in psychology from the School of Education, Eimear Ni Chearnaigh, one of our Intergenerational tutors, and Sean and Ruth, who are both learners in the Intergenerational project.

The session will run from 2pm to 4pm approximately in room C114 upstairs in the Henry Grattan building.

We would like to address the issue of building confidence and self-esteem in older people following changes in their lives such as retirement, children leaving home, getting older etc, but also the changes throughout our lives, from the student years of our ILP volunteers, to middle age and its challenges, and to retirement. Eimear Ni Chearnaigh will speak of her experience of Neuropathic Pain and how to change negative thinking and to create a "new self". Sean will talk about his experience as a learner and the benefits that has brought to his life. We hope many of you will attend, and participate in what promises to be a fascinating conversation.

My Laptop by Mary Ryan

2011-04-09T07:54:00.001+01:00

I can e-mail, twitter and blog without even a sob,

I can snap and down load and send them abroad,

To be viewed by the foke in the Aus., Blue stack Mountain.

Via U3A with their blog, helped them to contact the old sod.

They know how helpful you are, to silver suffer a far.

So now they can view DCU in all it’s glory.
This good news must be told, what a storey.

Well done Trudy and Co. It’s just so.

Air Pollution, by Katherine Murphy

2011-04-08T11:02:00.000+01:00

Our thoughts are with the people of Japan who are enduring the radioactive and plutonium cloud that is being released into the atmosphere from the Fukushima nuclear plant and may spread around the world. The history of air pollution is very bad and has been affecting the world for many years. In1976 a town in Italy, Sevesco had a bad leak of highly toxic vapour, Dioxin, one of the deadliest poisons known to man. In1984 we had a pesticide leak from a factory in a slum area of India, Bhopal, from which tens of thousands died. Again we had Chernobyl in 1986 in which few people died but the land was so contaminated that the inhabitants and their children are suffering from ill effects and that cloud spread as far as this country. We hope our nearest neighbours who have six nuclear plants on their west coast are taking stock of the Japanese situation and proper care of theirs plants are in place, as we would be the first victims if an accident occurred. Our own environment needs to be nurtured and greater care should be taken when our government and multinationals decide to build nuclear and chemical plants. We should all query our own waste management so that we and our future generations can live in a clean environment and enjoy our wonderful natural resources.

A Royal Moment by PJ Gallagher

2011-04-07T21:35:00.000+01:00

I could not let this week pass, after the State visit of Princess Albert of Monaco to recall the visit of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace fifty years ago. I had the privilege of meeting the then young Princess Grace.

At the time I was recovering after major heart surgery in the Children’s Hospital in Crumlin. At the time I was 13 years of age and 120 miles from home and one week after surgery.

I remember being seated in an armchair looking up at this person who was so well known from the films. She was dressed in a white coat with a matching band on her hair. Through a glass panel were assembled the photographers and media. Behind me was a staff nurse from Cavan.

This week I have looked at that picture and reflected. Time has passed on, Princess Grace is gone to her reward.that nurse hopefully still around. Yours Truly still alive thank God.Yes that was fifty years ago, for me A Royal Moment never to be forgotten We all have great moments in life, let us cherish them.

Nuala Smith, from the Oxford Literary Festival

2011-04-07T09:00:00.000+01:00

Fay Weldon and Paul Bailey = writers (Older ones) at the Ox lit festival

Sunday afternoon I had tickets for an all encompassing talk on India from someone called Patrick French. He was coming to give us India from every point of view, social revolution, today's 'high tech' on to Sonia Gandhi - one of the most powerful women in the world. My daughter made a dash by bike to join me - sweet child, as it was Mother's Day. She arrived red faced (the bike broke down) and panting but in time, but only for us to hear that poor Mr French had a foot infection - that he'd contacted in India - and so couldn't make it.

Would we like tickets for another speaker then? of our money back? Devastation etc and then we plumped for Fay Weldon and Paul Bailey instead. There are so many venues and talks going on here at once, Christ Church is so huge but when we looked through the list for 2 p.m., really Fay and Paul were the best on offer.

So all that to explain what we were doing there. I'm not a big fan of Fay Weldon, though lots adore her (Confessions of a She Devil etc ) and she is interesting in that she is 79 and writes every day!!! Described as a feminist wit she has countless novels to her credit and currently teaches creative writing in Brunel University. Bailey is 74 and has just published "Chapman's Odyssey" - has awards for several novels - At the Jerusalem and Gabriel's Lament among them and also teaches creative writing at Kingston London uni. Both great raconteurs, talked a lot about hospitals and their experiences of but were very funny in the telling.

So what did I learn from them? That age is of absolutely no interest to a writer, only that it has added value in that your are wiser and have less to worry about, and - more time to write the ideas that you now are more sure of! ( Mind you, Bailey said that on reflection, he wasn't sure if he was wiser, but that he 'knew more" - which i certainly agreed with.

More soon. Humanism, Ethics, Shakespere and Ingrid Betancourt to come. .. Hope you've not dozed off.

This blog post is cross-posted from Nuala's own blog.

The Word Bottle by Anne Doyle

2011-04-06T14:44:00.006+01:00

Having seen the image of the “Irel” bottle shown on screen on Saturday I thought about to how much the word bottle has been adopted by and given a spectacular welcome in the vernacular, thus adding colour and idiom to the English Language. Originally, bottle simply and solely meant a useful glass container for a variety of concoctions from water to wine, from coffee to champagne, from Lysol to lemonade---the list is endless. With the passage of time the use of this word, bottle, came to be used also as a verb, adverb or gerund, enhancing everyday speech with new, varied, imaginative and often trenchant meaning. It is not too much to suggest that the language generally has benefited enormously with such an extension of use, the following of which is an example:

This morning’s traffic was wicked—a right old bottle neck at Ballymun caused, I suspect, by that bottle blonde wan, driving her BMW at breakneck speed while on the bottle. No wonder her poor fella, at home in bed with a naggin of poteen within easy reach, for precautionary purposes of course as he would tell the moton her return, is all bottled up, afraid to say “boo to a goose” having had to put up for so long with her as his partner and she not much better than a bottle- washer. Far from being described as having no bottle he should let those who would thus criticise him show them how he can down a bottle or three in right short time. If there are any further snide remarks about him he should relax and bottle out, or else throw a bag of bottles at the blonde and be shut of her for once and for all. In

France

, in a situation like that he would “pass the bottle of smoke”: a right smart move that would be!! His only other line of defence would be to start attending bottle parties , but from now on without the blonde.

After all that I’d need a drop out of a bottle myself!!

The White Wires - Lets Go To The Beach

2011-04-02T08:35:00.000+01:00

Traditional Irish rock? These Irish farmers/vets who usually get together for a session in the local pub are "playing" a song from a Canadian band, much to the delight of their audience. They were featured on RTE radio this morning, but the video deserves to be seen.

My experience on the project, by James Bourke

2011-03-25T15:25:00.000Z

My name is James Bourke, and I served as a DCU student assistant in the Intergenerational Project learning during the autumn months of 2010. Having recently completed an undergraduate degree in engineering here at DCU and having a deep rooted interest in Information Technology (IT), I was very interested in participating in this exercise.

Over the years, I have spent hours with friends and family providing a similar service but only ever in the context of one-to-one learning, although this did often spiral out of control resulting in one-to-many, all gathered around one computer.

The project put into context the true power of the internet as a means of communication, in that it bridges gaps that stretch between family, continents, language, age and culture.

While I appreciate that this project was not built with my learning in mind, I have to confess that I learnt quite a bit during the few weeks. During the course of this project I discovered benefits that being a part of a team can have on the performance and experience of everyone present. The knowledge base is significantly larger than any one person might hope to have, ensuring every issue that a learner may have can be addressed successfully. I also discovered that there is a very big difference between doing such an exercise individually for family or friends and doing it as part of a group for strangers (having said that, it didn’t take long for us all to become very well acquainted).

I feel privileged to have been a part of something this special. To conclude, I suppose I would like to impart some wise words to provide some assurance for the learners in participating in this project:

“Never be afraid of doing something new. Remember that an amateur built the Ark and a group of professionals built the Titanic.”

Fukushima Memories by Christine O'Flynn

2011-03-24T14:07:00.000Z

During the past two weeks, I watched with horror the unfolding catastrophe in Japan. I don't think any movie could recreate the scenes as that enormous tsunami swept away all before it. It made me think back several years to when my I visited my daughter in Japan – she was a student in DCU then, studying International Marketing and Japanese – at that time, the students spent third year in the country whose language they were studying. She had a Japanese friend who invited both of us to visit her just outside Fukushima City. The city is inland and, I hope, will have escaped damage from the tsunami though maybe not from the earthquake. On the bullet train from Tokyo, I saw rows of small farms where the farmers were planting rice in the paddy-fields, a lovely sight on a sunny spring morning. My memories of those couple of days are a jumble of random recollections. We saw an ancient shrine, over one thousand years old, with representations of the various ages of Buddha, all carved into the rock. We were brought to see a traditional farm complex where the cocoons were being dried before being used in silk-making. We saw the groves of mulberry trees where these cocoons are cultivated. We could see a row of mountains in the distance with the remains of extinct volcanoes clearly to be seen. Our friend's house, half-way up a mountain, was typically Japanese, but with all mod. cons including a traditional kotatsu table, which is a table placed over a pit in the floor about 40 centimetres deep. A charcoal heater is placed in the pit but, this was in the modern-style with an electric heater. A thin throw-rug is placed over the table and the table-top put on top. It's a cosy way to sit and have dinner! On the way back to Tokyo, we took the local train which travelled towards the sea, stopping at small stations along the way. We travelled through hills, covered with lush spring foliage of pale green, yellow, pink and numerous other colours, as colourful as flowers could ever be. We reached the coast and travelled south, going inland sometimes and then coming back to the sea again. These are some pictures in my mind's eye when I think of Fukushima – sad to think of the devastation along that same coast, a lot of which may not even exist anymore and, even sadder, the loss of life that ensued.

My Experience, by Ruaidhri

2011-03-21T15:36:00.002Z

My name is Ruaidhri and last semester I acted as a volunteer with the project. This was my first time to participate in an activity of this sort and as such was a great learning experience for both myself and the older students. For the classes I was based with the beginners group. In this class, the students learned how to set up and use their own Gmail account for email and also created short stories which they presented to the class at the end of the year.

Upon entering the course, I had initially thought that the motivating factor for the students was simply to grasp the technology and become more aware of the IT world. I suppose this assumption was based on my own experiences with IT. However, I quickly learned that although learning to utilise the various IT tools was of importance, the key goal of the students I worked with was to establish additional communication links with family, friends and loved ones.

The students in my opinion are expert communicators. The descriptive nature and style of language used in both the stories and some emails allowed me to create clear images in my head of the situations they were describing. By writing in this fashion, the messages carried much more meaning and I was amazed about how engrossed I became in them and how much attention they commanded. This expressive style of language is in stark contrast to the much more concise language style I have become accustomed to in online communication. I feel that this emphasis on description and meaning which I have learned from the students is something I will definitely bear in mind for my future online communications.

The experience proved very enjoyable for me and I would highly recommend anyone who is interested to get involved. I also want to commend the older students for their proactive approach in embracing the technology and making the experience so enjoyable and rewarding.

Learning by P.J. Gallagher

2011-03-10T09:29:00.001Z

I am delighted to be back in the Intergenerational Learning Group again.

There are certainly new faces around which is great to see. This is my first contribution to the site blog in a while, just to share something I heard recently in the context of education for senior citizens.

When mention is made of school, it refers to a system; education is in the context of life.We are never too old to obtain new ideas, be it information technology or other subjects. When yours truly finished primary education that was it, I was fortunate to attend secondary school foe three years. It is always fortunate to obtain a second chance in life.

When I think back on the conference last May, no doubt the highlight of the Project to then. What a memory it is to cherish, for everybody concerned. To everybody I wish success.

2011 spring term

2011-02-04T09:06:00.002Z

We are ready to start again, and hope many of you will join us for a short term of 6 weeks. It will be a good time to brush up on your computer and internet skills, learn something new, and may also be a good taster term for new learners. Registration will take place in DCU on Saturday, February 26 at 10 am. We meet outside the Helix (look out for people wearing badges) and the registration will take place in the Business School. This term, we offer six modules:

Modules A and B cater for inexperienced computer users/internet surfers,
Module C will build up on basic skills,
Module D, introduced this term, will be dedicated to Microsoft office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) as well as digital photography (uploading, organising and editing).
Module E, an advanced module for those already familiar with basic computer functions, will be geared towards internet-based skills.
Module F is our blogging and social media module.

Please feel free to contact Trudy Corrigan (trudy.corrigan AT dcu.ie) or Cathy Fowley (cathy.fowley AT dcu.ie) for more details.

Intergenerational projects here and elsewhere

2011-02-01T12:49:00.000Z

We came across this YouTube video, created by a Canadian intergenerational group dedicated to combatting ageism. The complicity and friendship which shines through in both generations reminds us of the atmosphere of our project in DCU.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T09:45:00.000Z

We wish all our learners, DCU students and friends

a happy, peaceful and... technological New Year

Thank you for making 2010 a terrific year for the Intergenerational Learning Project,

and here's to an even better 2011!

Photograph by Patricia Tormey, cake designed and made by Foluso Famoyin, both DCU student volunteers.

The Intergenerational Learning Project by Conor.

2010-12-22T13:29:00.001Z

The Intergenerational Learning Project – Conor.

What were feelings, attitudes, and beliefs before starting the project?Looking back at the first week of the Intergenerational Learning Project I see now that I was actually quite naïve as to what ‘beginner’ meant when I signed up to be part of the class. I had originally chose beginner as although I felt I had good computer skills, I did not wish to get ahead of myself and attempt to teach an older learner about blogs and RSS feeds!
However, what I quickly learned was that beginner meant someone who had possibly never opened a laptop before in their life, or at least someone who felt like they knew absolutely nothing about computers.
This was both a blessing and a curse, as in one way I was getting to see how older people view things such as email or even simple concepts such as icons or scroll bars when I would view them as second nature. On the other hand however, I had to try and remember what way I had learned about them from scratch back in primary school and try and explain these concepts to someone who had never heard of them before.
Overall, these interactions with beginner users really helped me to understand how new and even frightening computers can be to older or beginner users and I feel the Intergenerational Learning Project was is an excellent way for older learners to get to grips with the lights speed change at which the world around them is evolving. The ILP is definitely the first step in helping them achieve this.

How has the ILP changed my perceptions and views?First of all, it has completely changed my perception of how difficult computers must seem to those who have never used them before. Even just viewing how some of the older learners struggled with the track pad or to understand the new meanings for words in the computer age such as copy, past, click, word and paint to name just a few.
Also, one additional key area that I felt I learned was in the interaction with the older learners and in hearing their reasons as to why they wanted to learn computer and internet skills. For the most part it was to stay in contact with children or relatives which I felt showed great courage and determination on their part to embrace these new technologies and to make the effort to learn about them and how to use them to keep in touch with those close to them.

Intergenerational Learning Project By Ian

2010-12-21T13:27:00.002Z

Intergenerational Learning Project

By Ian

I found this course to be of great benefit for students and older learners alike. The project gives older learners the opportunity to learn in a relaxed environment. For students it gives us the opportunity to share our technological expertise with older learners. The most rewarding part of this course for me was seeing the learners gaining confidence in using computers. It gives them an invaluable skill which they can take away from this course. Hopefully this means that they can keep in touch with family members via e-mail and become confident in using the internet.

I am a master’s student myself and have to take complex computer classes such as JAVA. I find such classes challenging and initially daunting. I can therefore empathise with the learners on how complicated learning new computer skills can seem at first. I find myself that persistence, practice and determination are the key to acquiring new computer competencies. Watching the learners growing in confidence and in skill level was rewarding to watch and be a part of. Computer competencies are invaluable and can open up a whole new world for this group.
Learning new computer skills is an ongoing process for people of all ages and ability. Even the most computer literate person must keep up with the latest technological innovations. What we must realise in this country is that although we are perceived as a technologically advanced nation, much of our population are lacking in even the most basic skills. If innovative courses become more widespread that can surely only be a good thing. It is important that people are not left behind in the 21st century where computer technology is changing as quickly as the weather!
I genuinely hope that the learners have enjoyed their Saturday mornings spent with us in DCU. I hope that they can take away their new found skills and have the confidence to use them in their own homes.

Some thoughts on the Project by Yicheng Zhou (Ethan)

2010-12-20T13:25:00.002Z

Some thoughts on the Project

by Yicheng Zhou (Ethan)

As an international student, I’m happy to be a part of this project. Talking to these lovely ladies always makes me feel comfortable. They are just so polite and thoughtful. They remind me of my parents all the time, when they are so worried about touching the keyboard at the beginning. I still remember the time I taught my parents how to use Skype, and there is nothing different.

The learner I mentored is no different to these older people, so lovely, having the same curiosity as kids when using the Internet. She is nice, and always talks about her children and grandchildren. She is funny and makes me laugh all the time about these interesting things between her and her grandchildren. I have to admit that it felt so good when I got the first email from her. She might not be the student who learns the fastest, and I’m definitely not a good teacher. But who cares, it was always good when I saw her start to familiarise herself with the keyboard and touchpad, to check email, and most important, not be terrified when sitting in front of a laptop. It’s not only about learning, or going to a school, but we are trying to provide a new insight for these people, letting them see the whole world, even though they might never be able to be there physically.

I can’t say there is any difference between these older ladies and the ones back home. These older people are always being so kind and warm. However there are some differences between the societies which make these people seem so alive. When I’m with my learner, she can’t stop talking about her hobbies and friends. This so different compared to my grandparents. Her life is interesting; she has always something to keep herself busy. On the other side, there are lots of older people in my country who can only stay at home, who are lonely and having nothing to do. I think this is exactly the purpose that these types of project.

I’m glad that I could be a part of this project and provide my help. As a student from a foreign country, it’s always good for me to talk with these nice ladies. They always make me feel warm. I’m so glad to see they are happy and making progress during the course.

A Diagram by Anne Doyle

2010-12-11T00:11:00.001Z

Last week, realising the necessity of escape from the all pervading media coverage of the current state of our nation, I, quite by chance, came upon a T.V. programme listed with the unlikely title “The Beauty of Diagrams” (BBC4). Intrigued and wondering how could diagrams be “things of beauty” I felt impelled to investigate, so, tuning in at 8.30p.m.I was surprised to find that the opening sequence showed the interior of a Cathedral where a requiem Mass was being celebrated. Admittedly the whole scene was one of beauty, the chief celebrant, clothed in exquisite robes of satin embellished with gold and silver embroidery, assisted by about a dozen concelebrant bishops and priests in no less elegant attire, together with a choir whose resonance filled to the roof that beautiful Gothic Cathedral. Mass concluded and a burial took place when the coffin was lowered into a grave in front of the Altar. It was at that point I noticed, in a prominent position to the left of the Altar and close to the grave, an unusual “sculpture” depicting concentric circles. Could this be the diagram? Yes, it was certainly diagrammatic but what was its relevance to the ceremony, to the burial, to the whole sense of occasion and rejoicing ?

All was revealed with the appearance on screen of Marcus du Sautoy, mathematician, philosopher presenter of the programme and finder of beauty in diagrams. The burial which had taken place was that of the remains of Nicolaus Copernicus who, in 1540, after years of study of the movement of celestial bodies, in particular the planets, concluded that the church was in error in the belief that the earth was the centre of what we now know as the solar system, but was, then, thought to be the universe. His diagram of 6 concentric circles showing the orbits of the known planets, with the third circle from the centre representing earth’s orbit, was totally at variance with the church’s understanding the planetary system. Fearing excommunication as a heretic, his diagram, in its beauty and simplicity echoing the beauty of creation, could not be published until 1543 when he died. Buried in an unmarked grave in Frombrok Cathedral his remains were, in 2008, identified by means of D.N.A It is almost 500 years since his death during which time most of the development of our understanding and acceptance of the marvels of the universe might properly be attributed to the initial impetus of Copernicus as illustrated in the concentric circles, the simplicity of which is strikingly beautiful.

Note: Finding the programme by chance was for me such a relief from thinking of and worrying about our economic problems! May I mention that there are more “diagram” programmes to be transmitted on Thursdays, possibly providing thoughtful respite from contemplation of the arctic weather.

Recession, Recession, Recession ??????? by Gerry

2010-12-06T16:23:00.000Z

Recession, Recession, Recession ???????

Recession

Here we go again, another recession. I think I have gone through three of them. As a child in the ‘50s, I have a faint recollection of Christmas time and my father being unemployed. He was a qualified chef and had worked in the best hotels in Dublin.
But in a recession qualifications means nothing. He was made redundant. For me it was great to have my dad at home, but being a kid I had no idea what it all meant.
Christmas came and Father Christmas delivered my present. It was a second hand Mecano Set. I was lucky not like some other kids, who received nothing. I wondered for years afterward, why Santa didn’t delivered a new one. Eventually my dad returned to work and we were back to normal.
The next two recessions were, for me, was not as bad. I had a good job in a semi-state company and had no worries through these recessions. I am retired now and will deal with any problems that confront us from now on. Let’s see what the budget will have for us all in December.

(reblogged from Gerry's own blog)

Snow day!

2010-12-02T10:13:00.001Z

borrowed from here

Due to our current severe weather, the ILP classes of Saturday 4 December have been cancelled. Stay warm and stay safe, we'll see you on 11 December for our last class of the semester.

Ena's Blog by Ena O'Mahoney

2010-11-24T14:37:00.003Z

If anybody would like to know more about a demonstration organised for next Saturday, please see Ena's Blog: http://enaom27.blogspot.com/2010/11/march-saturday-27th.html

A Sense of Place, by Karen Heneghan

2010-11-22T11:17:00.001Z

I could just about remember the 70s, It had nothing to do with my memory, more to the fact that back then I was much younger and more carefree, But here we are now in 2010 and my memories of the 70s appear crystal clear, why you ask, well all the talk of yester year is been repeated in every corner of this country. The fear of the unknown has risen it's ugly head, good honest hard working people are loosing their homes. I have the vision in my head and I can taste the poverty, yuk I remember.

A SENSE OF PLACE BY KAREN HENEGHAN

EVICTION

long gone have many nights when laughter brought joy beyond our sights,

cast back in our memorable days when feelings of triumph filled our ways,

but now a last farewell to tainted times where loud talk once filled our carefree minds.

where is there to stand to trace, the months and years that seem to race,

don’t you wonder what we’ll find standing here tonight,

the texture of the sun is good i hope the dawn is bright.

i do not know these mute folk standing by my side, their silence evokes my dignity, their thoughts demote my pride.

no one could know the acheing that tears one’s life apart, when punished overcruelly, your mind rejects your heart.

dwell i will for one last time o’er a place i once called mine, precious moments too soon are shaken, waiting roads not lightly taken,

unknown destiny now must i except, life is so uncertain than the seas own hidden depth.

Genealogy session, by Joan McGrane

2010-11-16T16:38:00.000Z

Genealogy

Using Information Communication Technology to build your family tree

While involved in researching my family history I wanted to see what data could be accessed online before undertaking further research. I discovered a number of resources which are readily available, some require payment, but a lot are free. I will be sharing these web-sites, along with information which I have gleaned from my own genealogical research in a talk with Jim Calallly and Patricia Tormey. Jim and Tricia are volunteers on the Intergenerational Learning Project and we all share an enthusiastic interest in genealogy, and although we are amateurs we hope to present a session that will prove both interesting and informative. The session will take place between 12.00pm and 1.00pm in the Business School in DCU in room Q119 after tea/coffee break. So, if you already have an interest in researching your family tree, or you are just curious, do come along!

For our prospective students

2010-09-30T12:03:00.000+01:00

DCU INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING PROJECT

Are you over 60?

Would you like to learn basic or new computer skills?

and

meet new people, utilise these computer skills and gain confidence, while having some fun!

v Join us on Saturday the 9^th Oct from 10.00am to 1.00pm on the Intergenerational Learning Project based in the School of Education, Dublin City University

v Learning new ICT skills will take place under the guidance of tutors. They will be facilitating classes from Beginners through to Advanced, aided by DCU student volunteers, in a relaxed and enjoyable environment for all.

v The classes run for eight weeks – at a cost of 60 euro. So, whether you have some computer skills or none, you will be catered for.

Interested?

Contact: Trudy Corrigan trudy.corrigan@dcu.ie

read our blog

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For our prospective student volunteers

2010-09-22T10:47:00.003+01:00

DCU INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING PROJECT

What are you doing Saturday mornings?

Or, you could be, meeting new people, utilising your skills, gaining confidence, making a difference and having fun!

v Join us on Saturday the 9^th Oct from 10.00am to 1.00pm on the Intergenerational Learning Project based in the School of Education.

v By volunteering your time, you will be helping older learners with their ICT skills under the guidance of tutors who will be facilitating classes from Beginners through to Advanced in a relaxed and enjoyable environment for all.

v The classes run for eight weeks – so there is a chance to attend at least one session! You do not have to be an expert – just willing to help out.

Interested?

Contact: Trudy.Corrigan@dcu.ie

Blogging and social media module

2010-09-10T11:00:00.000+01:00

Introduction to Third level learning through blogging and social media

Cathy Fowley

Aims:
To introduce students to different forms of blogging, both in practice and theory, to encourage participation in social media from older learners, familiarize all students to different styles and genres, and develop critical thinking and appraisal.

Outcomes:
The students will create their own blogs and maintain them for a period of time, both in form and content.
The students will participate in online conversations with other bloggers.
Through introduction to academic articles and blogs, the students engage in reflective thinking on the practice.

Prerequisites:
Students should be familiar with Word (typing, basic formatting, cut and paste) and email packages, have a basic understanding of Google products (Gmail, search), know how to use digital cameras and download the photographs.
An interest in writing is a bonus, or an interest in a specialist subject (music, cooking, knitting, stamp or postcard collecting, etc.)

Description:

There will be three elements in the module:

Writing: life writing, specialist writing : what to write and how to write it. Will start with analysis of specialist blogs and diary blogs.
Technical: how to create and customize a blog, using the Blogger platform. How to post, including pictures, videos, music.
Social: how to participate in blog conversations, through comments and links. Will include introduction to academic articles on social media.

ICT Advanced module

2010-09-10T10:58:00.000+01:00

ICT Advanced module

Marian Flanagan

Aims
To build on what the students have covered during the intermediate module, including social media, and to prepare students for the more advanced module in blogging and social media offered by Cathy Fowley. In addition, this module will allow the students to use the Internet for practical purposes, for example, researching a holiday destination or checking the availability of a product in a shop. The students will have the opportunity to work with Microsoft Office programs. Overall aim is to build students’ confidence when using the Internet so that they use the Internet in their own homes.

Learning Outcomes
Following this module the students will have the confidence and the know-how to use the Internet for many different purposes: checking email, interacting with online social media, conducting practical tasks online, and to listen to radio shows/watch tv programs online. They will be able to stay in touch with people, upload photos, create photo slideshows, and to use the Internet for general purposes. The power will be transferred to the student and they will decide how the Internet can help them with various tasks.

Prerequisites
The students should be very familiar with using a computer and have had experience using the Internet. They should be at the stage where they are comfortable using a browser and are familiar with searching online, clicking on links and saving files. It would be preferable if the students have experience working with email packages.

Description
The module is divided into practical and creative sections.
Practical: setting up email account if they haven’t already done so; organising emails; browsing websites of interest; bookmarking; using the Internet to help with daily tasks
Creative: creating an iGoogle page; creating a facebook/twitter account; uploading photos to share with friends and family; starting a blog; creating a powerpoint presentation to show friends and family; listening to/watching podcasts

ICT Intermediate Module

2010-09-10T10:56:00.002+01:00

ICT Intermediate Module

Carmel Conroy, Eimear Ni Chearnaigh

Aims
To build on basic computer knowledge, whether gained through the beginners module or elsewhere. This will include Learners developing their usage of Microsoft Word. The module will also look at further ways of exploring the internet which they can integrate into their everyday lives. The Intermediate modules have been designed to enable learners to progress towards the advanced modules at a comfortable pace and if they so wish they will be equipped with the skills to undertake further learning opportunities.

Objectives
Learners will be able to:
Use word processing to create, save, edit and enhance documents
Create a g-mail account and use e-mail to communicate on-line
Access the internet and be able to search for information
Use the internet to access the various online facilities including music, film, radio and TV.
Upload photographs from digital camera/mobile phone onto computer
Create a slideshow/presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint
Identify the various social media platforms provided through the internet

Prerequisites
Learners should have an introductory knowledge of computers including navigation of the different functions and elements of the keyboard. Learners will also have a basic knowledge of Microsoft word and the internet including an understanding of e-mail and the functions therein.

Description
Practical: Using the internet for everyday purposes i.e. banking, travel, communications
Technical: Understanding the various elements of computers both hardware and software
Creative: Designing documents and presentations, using imagery, text and music
Social: Interactive modules designed to create a rapport between learners, tutors and volunteer students

ICT Beginners Module

2010-09-10T10:54:00.000+01:00

ICT Beginners Module

Joan McGrane and Joan Flood

Aim: To introduce learners to the operation of computers using laptops, to encourage and develop confidence in using Information Communication Technology and to familiarise the learners with basic applications.

Outcomes: The learners should be able to:

Recognise hardware and software.
Identify the functions of the elements of the keyboard and scroll bar.
Utilise the mouse effectively.
Identify the Microsoft Office Word programme.
Utilise the features on Word.
Utilise Word to start writing creatively and insert images with Clip art.
Recognise the concept of saving data.
Utilise the features of copying and pasting.
Identify the Paint programme.
Identify the Internet programme.
Utilise the Internet.
Receive and send email.

Prerequisites:
The learners will have either no knowledge of very little knowledge of using a computer. Learners who have already started to write creatively will be encouraged to develop this along with first-time writers.

Description

There will be three elements to the module:

Technical: the basics of how to utilise a computer, the jargon and how to navigate around the Internet and use email to communicate.
Writing: using the Word programme to tell their own stories, giving the learners the platform to use their own voices, thus contributing to their confidence levels.
Social: to develop interaction in a safe, comfortable and fun environment, with learners being guided at their own pace.

Autumn semester 2010

2010-09-10T10:43:00.000+01:00

The Intergenerational Learning Project is about to start again, for the autumn semester. Registration will take place on October 9th, in DCU.

This year, we will be offering four modules: beginners module, intermediate module, advanced module, and introduction to third level learning through blogging and social media. Look out for the module descriptions on the next blog entries, and we are looking forward to seeing you in October!

One day in June, by Trish, Anna and Joan

2010-08-14T11:00:00.003+01:00

22nd June, 2010
DCU: Making a difference
DCU Strategic Plan 2010:2012

On the day the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese came to DCU for the unveiling of the Strategic Plan for 2010-2012 there was a big attendance and great excitement in the room.

The Intergenerational Project participants eagerly awaited the President’s arrival for the unveiling of the DCU Strategic Plan.

We all used this opportunity to catch up with news while we waited for things to kick off. It was great to meet again since the Computer Classes had finished. The president was there to show support for the Project which is close to her heart. She was pleased to hear that people of the older generation were given an opportunity to take part in new learning opportunities. She spoke very well about passing the thread of knowledge from generation to generation and how important it was for the younger and older students to learn from each other.

Trudy Corrigan spoke eloquently about the project and we felt very proud to be involved with such a worthwhile forward-looking enterprise.

We were delighted to be involved in the last official function of President Ferdinand von Prondzynski and to be introduced to the new President Brian McCraith. We also had a photo opportunity with the President of Ireland.

The staff of DCU excelled themselves with the food which was delicious. In particular the chocolate covered strawberries were a treat and disappeared very quickly. We would like to thank them for a great spread.

It was a very enjoyable and successful day and we hope the success continues in the future.

As quoted in the Strategic Plan “DCU’s mission is to foster creativity and knowledge to stimulate change for the benefit of society”. We feel that we have a major part to play in the future of this plan.

Trish Anna Joan.

AONTAS Senior Learner Network - The Voice of Senior Learning! by Niamh O'Reilly, Aontas O'

2010-08-12T11:00:00.002+01:00

The AONTAS Senior Learner Network has been running for 2 years with almost 233 learners
involved from across the country. The network was established after AONTAS conducted a
piece of research ‘Don’t Stop Me Now – the Lifelong Learning Needs of Older People.’ The
aim of the senior learner network is to provide a medium for dialogue with, and between, older
learners. By developing networks, learners are enabled to come together to discuss their
experience as an adult learner and also the barriers and issues that arise during their learning
journey. Through this process of sharing experience specific issues are identified and a solution
found through the support and assistance of AONTAS. Adult learners are empowered to take
on these issues and through a collaborative approach with others reach a satisfactory outcome.
Learner networks are inspirational in that the learner’s experience is used to motivate others to
work together for a better adult learning service in Ireland. This is one way of addressing the
needs of senior learners (55+) and raising the profile of this important, but often overlooked area
of lifelong learning.

Running for 2 years and after 4 meetings the Senior Learner Network the outcomes of the
senior learner network include:

A Manifesto for Senior Learners
A submission to the National Positive Ageing Strategy
A logo for senior learning.

The manifesto was created from the outcomes of the Senior Learner Network Meeting, which
took place on Wednesday 4th February 2009. This Manifesto is based on the views of learners
themselves, it is the result of discussions with over 120 learners. Basically it says why senior
learning is important and what would be done by government and education providers to create
the best possible learning service for older people. Use this manifesto yourself, let your local
politicians know about it – keep senior learning on the political agenda! To download a copy of
the manifesto click here.

The last AONTAS Senior Learner Network meeting took place in the Davenport Hotel, during
the Bealtaine Festival. The theme for the meeting was creating a logo for senior learning. The
reason for doing this is that at the last meeting, in September, the Network discussed how to
move ahead with the Senior Learner Manifesto. One of the proposed actions which would help
address manifesto point 2: Creating and distribute information on the learning opportunities
for older learners in every community - is the creation of a logo which identifies that the
course is aimed at older people. Therefore this was the basis for the meeting as it moves on
implementing the manifesto and is also creative, because the learners will create the logo, and
therefore fits into the criteria of the Bealtaine festival. We were delighted with the wonderful
ideas that were presented on the day, 6 logos were proposed. The report outlines these logos.
The results of the final voting for the best logo did not provide an overall winner so we will go
back to the senior learner network in the autumn to get the final agreement on the logo. To
download a copy of the report from the meeting click here.

The Senior Learner Network is moving into its next phase in line with the new AONTAS
strategic plan, which will be produced following extensive consultation this year. It is ready to
take the leap into being part of a greater movement of learners through a National Adult Learner
Forum. The future for senior learning is bright and exciting!

“It has put life in my years and hopefully will add years to my life.” Ardee Senior Learner, on the value of lifelong learning for older people

For more information please see http://www.aontas.com/membership/learnernetworks.html

AONTAS is the National Adult Learning Organisation. The mission of AONTAS is to ensure that every adult in Ireland has access to appropriate and affordable learning opportunities throughout their lives, thus enabling them to participate in the economic, social, civic and cultural development of Irish society. With almost 600 members it aims to increase the profile of adult education and to lobby with members to improve the sector.

Can you imagine? By Eamon Timmins

2010-08-11T10:58:00.000+01:00

Could you imagine life without computers and the internet? Imagine all the things you could not do.

To start with, you would not be reading this blog, or keeping up to date with dozens of other interesting websites. Forget about checking your email, or keeping contact with family and friends by Facebook or Skype.

Online banking and shopping would also be off the list. And when you heard a DJ on the radio advising to check out the latest review or important piece of information on a website – well you know he would not be talking to you.

But this is not an imaginary world. Some 80% of over-65s in Ireland do not have computer skills or access to a computer. What’s worse is that the Government has decided that its digital inclusion funding, used to train groups such as old people, ends in October.

In the U.K. the National Plan for Digital Participation was launched in March, with a target of getting 60% of older people on line by 2012. In contrast, Ireland has no plan, no target and, after October, no funding.

To add insult to injury, the Irish Government’s Local Government Efficiency Review Group advised recently that drivers who do not pay their motor tax using the online service would face a €10 levy. Like many people in Ireland, they fail to recognise that the reason a large number of older drivers are not using the online option is that they cannot use a computer. The solution is to train them, not penalise them.

Using a grant from the Government’s digital inclusion funding, Age Action’s Getting Started computer training programme has helped train over 5,000 older people in the last two years.

Getting Started has transformed the lives of those it has taught, providing them with basic computer skills to word process, surf the internet and use email. The programme has been running in 12 counties, with 500 volunteer tutors and 200 partner organisations. However, the end of Government funding has placed a question-mark over the future of the programme.

Age Action is currently searching for a corporate sponsor to enable the programme continue and to expand. We are determined to do all we can to ensure that every older person who wants to be trained, is trained.

Where once computer skills were a luxury, they have now become a necessity. No section of society should be left behind. No caring society should allow this to happen.

Eamon Timmins is Head of Advocacy and Communications at the national older people’s charity, Age Action. To join, make a donation or support Age Action, visit our website at www.ageaction.ie

Bealtaine Festival, Sue Russell (Age and Opportunity)

2010-07-14T16:34:00.000+01:00

Age & Opportunity is the national not-for-profit organisation that promotes opportunities for greater participation by older people in society through partnerships and collaborative programmes.

Here at Age & Opportunity we are just about recovered from the Bealtaine Festival which ran throughout the month of May all over Ireland. While the numbers are still coming in from hundreds of organisers and thousands of events, we can safely say that it’s been our biggest ever festival!

Bealtaine (the Irish word for May) is a nationwide festival which celebrates creativity in older age. Now in its fifteenth year, the festival embraces all art forms and encourages participation in the arts by older people as artists, performers, event organisers and audience.

Bealtaine stretches across institutional boundaries and crosses thresholds of libraries, arts centres, day care centres, theatres, nursing homes. This year Bealtaine took itself off to rivers, lakes and beaches as Active Retirement Ireland got together with choirs to sing in the Dawn Chorus at locations all over the country.

From start to finish the month of May saw non-stop action. The festival kicked off with a performance of the ‘Blow the Dust’ Orchestra at Heuston Station. The orchestra was formed at the National Concert Hall as part of Bealtaine 2009. Older people were invited to dust off their violins, guitars, drums or trumpets or whatever and start playing again. Some were dustier than others – but by the end of May 2009, they gave their premier performance. By 2010 they were ready for the main stage of the National Concert Hall and played for a sell-out audience.

One of the things that really stood out for me was the generational role reversal in action. Where often I have seen proud parents beaming away at their performing offspring – whether it’s the tiny tot at the nativity play or for their grown-up children’s endeavours.

This time it was the other way around. The audience was full of children and grand-children seeing their parents and grand-parents as they had never seen them before. Did they know their grandmother could swing a saxophone? Had they ever seen their father play keyboards with such style? And who knew that granddad was such a mean drummer?

It was very moving to watch the faces of the audience as they experienced a whole new side to their older family members. There was genuine appreciation and some amazement on their faces as the orchestra grew in confidence, responding to the encouragement of the audience. This time it was the proud children and grandchildren who were crowding the aisles to film and photograph the occasion.

From art exhibitions to poetry readings, dance performances to theatrical productions and everything in between, Bealtaine offers older people the chance to celebrate their creativity whether as professional artists showing their latest work, are re-igniting a forgotten talent or first timers bringing to light a long held ambition.

The Bealtaine Festival shows us that it’s never too late to be seen in a new light, to open a new door, or, as the theme from this year’s festival said ‘to have dreams and speak them without fear.’

Roll on Bealtaine 2011!

Watch the video of the Blow the Dust Orchestra performance in the National Concert Hall

Learning Age Conference - P.J. Gallagher

2010-06-23T17:13:00.000+01:00

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.

This post is cross-posted from P.J.'s own blog, pj and his ideas

Bridging the gap in more ways than one, Nicola Donnelly,CARDI

2010-06-17T11:39:00.000+01:00

During the summer, while our older learners and younger students are enjoying their holidays, we are delighted to host a series of guest blog posts. The first of these is written by Nicola Donnelly, Communications Officer for CARDI (Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland).

Bridging the gap in more ways than one

We are living in what the World Health Organisation have called the “age of ageing” where longer life spans and low birth rates mean that most developed countries are experiencing significant population shifts so that the proportion of older people is growing. Those born in the post-war baby boom are now entering retirement so the older generation is becoming an increasingly large and important population segment.

The role of the internet in society is also growing and increasingly there are concerns about how the generations communicate across age boundaries and the importance of understanding how older people access and use new communications is ever more relevant.

It is also argued that digital technologies offer a wealth of benefits specifically for older people in terms of combating social isolation, accessing services and information, accessing health and social services and as a means of delivering assisted living services in order to allow people stay in their own homes and communities in later life.

A recent study by the Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal & Economic Public Policy Studies, a non-profit think-tank in Washington, even indicated that spending time online also cuts the incidence of depression among US senior citizens by at least 20 percent: ‘Increased Internet access and use by senior citizens enables them to connect with sources of social support when face-to-face interaction becomes more difficult,’ said study co-author Sherry G. Ford, a professor at the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, Alabama.

Yet, despite the potential benefits usage may offer and the rapid proliferation of digital technologies there is international evidence of the continued existence of an age related digital divide. According to a recent survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project (www.pewinternet.org) 92 percent of Americans ages 18-29 are online. The rate falls modestly to 87 percent for those ages 30-49, and somewhat more steeply to 79 percent to those ages 50-64. But for those 65 and older the rate falls dramatically, to 42 percent. Recently, the UK digital inclusion campaign Race Online 2012 estimated that 10 million people in the UK had never been online and that 6.4 million of these were older people (www.raceonline.org).

In Ireland, a report last year by the Work Research Centre (WRC) and Age Action Ireland found that although older people were enthusiastic users of mobile phones, finding them beneficial for communication with friends and family and adding to their sense of security and safety, usage of the internet ‘only reached a minority of those aged 65-plus’.

Considering how the Internet is becoming a fundamental tool in everyday life for shopping, banking, booking travel and holidays, finding information and accessing government services, and a forum for creative self expression it is important that older people are not excluded or disadvantaged.

Projects such as DCU’s Intergenerational Learning Project tackle this issue in an innovative and creative way. By bringing together younger students with older learners the project is not only building up basic online skills, showing how useful the internet can be and encouraging ongoing online participation but it is also facilitating a dual exchange of knowledge and skills between generations. There is no doubt that skills training has a vital role in tacking the issue of digital exclusion but by also the bridging the generational gap this project opens up many other avenues of opportunity beneficial to younger and older participants.

The Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI) is a not for profit organisation developed by leaders from the ageing field across Ireland (North and South) with support from The Atlantic Philanthropies. CARDI focuses on promoting research cooperation across sectors and disciplines and influencing the direction of research on ageing and older people. CARDI's website www.cardi.ie provides access to an extensive library of ageing research and policy reports, research contacts, funding opportunities, key events and the latest news on ageing research and older people.

A Trans-generational Experience - Joan McGrane

2010-06-10T07:39:00.001+01:00

Last week the digitisation of the Irish 1901 census was completed and went ‘live’ last Thursday. This event was excitedly anticipated by all genealogists, professional and amateur alike and follows on from the digitisation of the 1911 census last year. The latter event prompted my foray into the fascinating world of genealogy and in the time honoured detective traditions of Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher I attempted to track down my ancestors. These antecedents heretofore had been the stuff of family legends and anecdotes, and with each fact unearthed I began to put flesh on the bones of my relatives (if you will pardon the pun). With the help of the 1911 census on the Internet, I was able to stand in St. Kevin’s church in Harrington St. Dublin where both my grandparents and great-grandparents were married in 1915 and 1890 respectively. I was lucky enough to have known my grandparents, but this allowed me to have a sense of connection to a generation even further back. I was also able to stand outside the homes of two other great-grandfathers in Dublin, one being a cottage, the other a Georgian building. It was remarkable to me that these buildings, despite not being the mansions of the gentry, had survived and that I could see and experience where they had lived. A fact that struck me while doing my research was how near all my Dublin ancestors lived to one another within the city, but then this could be explained by the location of available employment and to the limited public transport options unlike the endless opportunities of our modern world.

The importance of the digitisation of the 1901 census became evident to me as I trawled red-eyed through the reels of micro-film in the library in Pearse St. Dublin in my attempts to trace my elusive ancestors. In doing this one needed an address, and using the addresses gleaned from the 1911 census in most cases proved fruitless as most people at that time moved from one rented accommodation to another at the drop of a hat. Now, by knowing a few facts and typing in a name it is possible to trace an ancestor living anywhere in Ireland at a point in time in 1901 and 1911. Like putting a jigsaw together, any gaps between these two documents could be possibly explained by emigration, which then points to an exploration of ships manifests which can be checked out online, but may require a fee. Speaking of which, I have found out that my greatgrandfather (the one married in Harrington St. in 1890) was in fact born in New York and had emigrated to Ireland sometime between his birth around 1862 and this date. This must have been unusual at the time, as most of the traffic was going in the opposite direction. I am at a loss as to how to pursue that particular line of enquiry; however one helpful person told me he may have come through Britain, so at least that is a starting point.

Through my experience I have found so far, that I am by majority a Dub, with a little bit of Meath, Tipperary and American thrown in, and God knows what other exotic connection I will unearth (there is a family legend that there is a bit of French too which could explain my Francophile tendencies). It is evident that we are all made up of a mixture of peoples to each form a truly unique individual, and that our genes in most cases will be passed on to future generations. Each generation leaves its mark (from tales of my grandmother who died before I knew her, I recognise a few traits of hers in myself) and the digitisation of the 1901 and 1911 census provides the opportunity to acknowledge the reality of our ancestors’ lives, and allows us to participate in a transgenerational experience, as their worlds unfolds and open up to us.

Fighting stereotypes - Trudy Corrigan

2010-05-31T16:41:00.001+01:00

It is anticipated by the year 2026, that the Irish population over sixty five years of age will have increased by 50% while the younger population will fluctuate with percentage rates slightly lower than current birth rates today. The Irish Central Statistics Office current research titled “Regional Population Projections 2011-2026”, states that “the number of old persons (65 and over) will almost double in every region over the life-time of the projections..the very old population (those aged 80 and over) is projected to more than double by 2026, with the largest increase in the Mid-East (+ 170 %)” . (Regional Population Projections 2011-2026: p4) These are major increases in this population over the history of contemporary Ireland since the beginning of the 20th Century. Factors that have contributed to greater longevity are a health care system that has helped to eradicate some previous diseases such as TB. Increased healthier living and working conditions for people as well as a varied and healthy lifestyle have all contributed to people living longer, today and in the future. Current research in the field of gerontology and ageing is now very much focused on the need to stimulate mental thinking and cultivate a cognitive-active mind.

People such as Seamus Heaney, Nelson Mandela , Seamus Deane, Mary Robinson, remind us of the role that people contribute in the continuum of a lifetime regardless of their age. This does not cease just because they have reached a particular age in their sixties or seventies or at a later stage in their life. Many of our DCU students have already come to understand this notion of the vibrance, the creativity and enthusiasm of older people through meeting with them during their time as part of the Intergenerational Learning Project. The older students have also reflected on the enthusiasm, the energy, the generosity, the knowledge, the skills, the fun of meeting with our younger students. Sometimes stereotyping experienced by older people can also be experienced by younger students The research undertaken with the project has investigated and comprehensively researched the benefits of negating stereotyping and ageism between generations through Intergenerational Learning so as to foster friendships and create a learning environment at third level that is beneficial for all. This has the potential to benefit society at large.

Memories of a childhood in Dublin, by Peter Brannigan

2010-05-27T11:45:00.000+01:00

The year is 1949 and I was nine years old. I lived in a shared tenement house in Dublin City. I have ten brothers and sisters, and if you also include my parents, it makes a grand total of thirteen people, living in one room of the house.

My father had a steady but badly paid job in the stationery office, and was the only source of income at that time. We were poor, to say the least, More often than not, we had to rely on the “penny dinners” from the local convent. This involved bringing a large enamel jug, also used for milk, to the back of the local convent where for a few pennies, you would get a jug full of stew. My mother would add a few Oxo cubes and hot water to make it stretch to feed the family.

Having said that, we were no worse off than many families on our street, There was no electricity, at least not like we know now. The street lights were gas lit lamps, and homes were lit by gas, and heating and cooking was by means of range type fires.

There’s an old saying “Love is the food of life” and as a family we had it in abundance. We all got on very well together, very little of the sibling rivalry or bickering that you would imagine as part and parcel of life in a large family. We had to get on well, in order to survive living in such close quarters.

With so many families living on our street, there are many memories to recall. For instance, the family next door, the Bradys were also a large family, much like ourselves, except for Mr Brady, who, unlike our father was one of many who did not have a steady job. He occasionally got a day’s casual work down on the docks, but when this work failed to materialise, which was frequently, he and some of his children would collect the orange boxes from Moore Street, break them down and sell them as firewood, or collect empty tin cans and sell them to the local blacksmith who would turn them into tin mugs.

On Christmas Eve in 1949, to everyone’s amazement and amusement, we found Mr Brady chasing a swan with a broken wing up and down our street. After exhausting himself he eventually caught the swan, and told us that, rather then release him back into the wild where he would have enemies and no chance of survival with an injury, he decided it would be more humane to put the creature out of its misery.

The Bradys ate well that Christmas.

More than one discussion on aging - Cathy Fowley

2010-05-25T17:58:00.000+01:00

Yesterday, some members of our group were in the audience of Frontline; the show followed a Prime Time special on old age and Alzheimers, which attracted many comments online, both on their blog and on Twitter; the documentary which preceded the show was also critiqued from an ethical point of view: some of those points highlighted here are the lack of informed consent on the part of the patients, and the absence of dignity afforded to them.

The reaction in the studio showed the raw anguish of daily life with Alzheimers, compounded by the lack of support from the health service and their inefficiency. The online reaction was very similar, on Twitter with the hashtag #rtefl. Age Action reported that this was no news to them

Towards the end of the show, an attempt was made to end on a more positive note with Senator Feargal Quinn talking about the increasing number of older people, and the need to integrate or re-integrate them in society. This strand of the discussion did not develop however, as the audience’s anger and anguish needed to be expressed.

There are two discussions there, and whereas both are necessary, they do not belong in the same space. One is about old age and illness, the shortcomings of the public health service, about the need for compassion and proper training of care professionals and it is also about the terrible reality of life with a loved one who suffers from dementia.

There is another discussion, though, about health, the benefits of aging, the opportunities that come with it, the celebration of experience and wisdom. Several organisations, groups and associations have taken up that discussion, with for example in Ireland Age and Opportunity, Age Action, Older and Bolder, Cardi and many more. This discussion is about creative and vibrant older men and women, with a thirst for learning, writing, creating. It is about opening social and work spaces, valuing their contribution and helping them to participate in digital spaces which are the poorer without them.

Tricia’s story as told by her brother Brendan

2010-05-21T10:11:00.001+01:00

Tricia is one of our DCU student volunteers, who joined the Intergenerational project in September. Her photos illustrate the reports on our conference, and her brother Brendan shot the film of Sylvia Meehan's speech. Tricia herself came back to college after a long time away from school, and this is how Brendan tells her story.

WHEN my sister Trish told me about her intention to go to college to get a degree I was delighted for her. Then she told me that it wasn't as easy as just signing on, there were lots of hurdles before that. So when the day came that she was accepted I said "Sure that's like winning the Lotto".

I always thought that growing up with four brothers and one sister in the times that were in it, we hadn't a good chance of going to third level. I am not complaining and nor would my siblings, it's just that's the way things were in those days. I, being the eldest and first out of the nest, wanted to be either a chef or to continue on at school and maybe do music, but my father was in the printing trade and wanted me to follow him into it. That was considered a good job at the time, and the money would come in very handy. I had to be sponsored by three firms before I could do the Printers' Exam. I was in second year in O'Connell's School at this time. Well I passed the exam and so was destined to serve seven years apprenticeship. Anyway we all grew up and left home and did fairly well for ourselves one way or another. None of us went to third level although I have one brother who did the Leaving Certificate! So Trish was going back to college! Well our parents would have been happy and proud.

When she first mentioned it she asked if I thought it was a good idea. Her family were behind her but she was unsure and was asking herself was she mad, so together we went through all the pros and cons. She had her family now and they obviously come first in all things, but her husband was encouraging and as her children were now teenagers they were starting to fledge the nest. So what was stopping her? Well the fact that she hadn't studied in a long time, the discipline needed to keep to timetables and lectures while still maintaining a wife and mother's role, and who would walk the dog? There was also the worry that she would not fit in with the way of university life.

In the end she decided to go for it, and she doesn't do things by halves. She studies hard and has worked out a study plan (which wasn't invented when I was going to school!) and also joined in with the Intergenerational Learning Project. The idea of this project is to help older people to understand the new technology, computers, the Internet and such, but she says she has learned more herself about fun, communication and what life is about as these people have gone through so much and share their knowledge and experiences. She talks about people she met and the way they interact with each other. She said it's hard to know who is teaching who! She even got me interested in learning again. So when I suggested she do a little video about the class, she thought why not. I had looked at this kind of stuff on YouTube and knew a little about it. I can't say I helped her much except to put the idea into her head. The rest she sorted out herself. When she had it done she showed it to me and asked my opinion, well I thought it was brilliant, not only for the way she did it but the content. She got the emotion and feeling of the Intergenerational Project spot on. I was sure that the class would like it and maybe keep a copy as a reminder of their time in the college.

Now when we hear the words Skype, Twitter, Blog and Facebook, we know what they are talking about. It's a good tool to have, it is almost a necessity to be able to use a computer nowadays. You can look up any subject and see what its all about; there is Wikipedia, Google Earth and YouTube; you can book theatre tickets, holidays, check our bank balances and so many other things. In teaching, you also learn. It's the give and take part of the course that appeals to most, you always have something to learn but sometimes forget that you have something to pass on.

Some of my brothers have addressed the new technology as it is called but others didn't catch up and in that they are not alone. I believe it is not easy for most people to keep abreast of this world and that they can be left out and seem ostracised, but there should be no need. There are enough people willing to give of their time and effort to fill in the gap. I am proud of my sister and I know my parents would be equally proud. I hope you like what I've written as I am now thinking of taking up a Creative Writing course!

Edtech10, Athlone, Jane Hart

2010-05-20T17:29:00.000+01:00

This is a live blogging post, as I am taking note while listening to the keynote speech at the EdTech conference in Athlone. Jane Hart is talking about new ways of learning.

5 categories for learning
- formal structured learning (being taught or trained in a formal situation)
- personal directed learning (finding things out for yourself/by yourself)
- group directed learning (working with a team to solve pbs)
- introorganisational learning (everybody working and learning together)
- serendipitous learning (acquiring knowledge without realising ) - social media as a means of erendipitous learning.

Social learning successful when peopel change the way they approach learning. New toolset + new skillset + new mindset

1. Formal learning with Twitter

tool for conference - see Jane's blog post

tool for synchronous learning - see Thursday afternoons on Twitter, #lrnchat .

jane created the 140 university, where she tweets texts and supporting resource every week on interesting subjects - showing what can be taught in 140 characters.

live streams over Twitter (see a school in Devon with a small holding with a #pigcam.) on Twitcam, paired with a live chat.(now archived)

Formal contexts: several models:
- added on
- embedded
- collaborative - content cocreated by learners.

New tools happening, involving students.

Moving from creating content to co-creating - User generated content is acceptable and valuable (student generated content)
Needed: design skills and facilitation skills. Move from passive to active and participative learning.

Personal directed learning: finding out things for yourself is a very important part of learning.
Everything I do (online) is learning and working
Teaching is not the only way to learn. We must create learner autonomy. See Dan Pink, Drive
Individuals can solve their own learning needs, must help them moving towards autonomy, and some skills may need to be learnt (learning skills)

- Grou p directed learning
people together solving their own problems (learning pbs, business)
Group tweet - private way of using tweets
brainstorming and mindmapping tools. Helping groups address their learning needs. People need to learn collaborative skills

- Intraorganisation learning.
How the whole organisation can learn from one another. Use of private tools. (Yama)

You can't manage informal learning. - emergence of collaboration platforms ( see elgg - free opensource collaboration platform) Needs to be downloaded and put on a server. Private secure wall. Often being used alongside Moodle, for social or collaborative activities.

Disruptive innovation needs new mindsets. See Jane's website

Share IT conference May 2010 - Workshop on Health and Wellbeing

2010-05-18T08:37:00.001+01:00

Report on Health and Wellbeing Workshop

(Reporters – Tricia Tormey – Ann-Marie Corcoran - Student volunteers)

The hour long workshop facilitated by Project tutors Joan Flood and Joan McGrane was an informal event, with participants from various areas as well as Project learners and DCU student volunteers. The discussion was framed around the themes of: Learning and the Brain, Learning and Wellbeing and Holistic Learning.

The session opened with Helena Ahern inviting the participants to take a few moments to meditate on a positive learning experience and to hold it in their minds as they listened to the speakers.

Learning and the Brain –Dr. Kate Irving – Lecturer School of Nursing DCU, Dr. Andy Cochrane – Lecturer Maynooth University

This segment explored the effects of learning on the cognitive domain. What are these effects– is it possible to improve brain function?

Dr. Andy Cochrane opened with an exploration of some myths to do with the brain:

1. You cannot change your brain – it can in fact regenerate.

2. You lose brains cells everyday – new brains cell are created and connections made. However some tissue is lost in the prefrontal cortex so it is important to keep the brain active with problem-solving skills to create new connections e.g. change your habits – try brushing your teeth with the other hand.

3. Memory decline in inevitable – we can adapt and learn new strategies to reinforce our brains, by paying more attention to things and learning new techniques.

Dr. Kate Irving then spoke of evidence about cognitive wellbeing and physical exercise. Brain cells make up 2% of the body weight but use 25% of sugar and oxygen it absorbs therefore it requires a healthy heart to pump blood to the brain. Exercise can spark new growth in an important part of the brain, reducing stress and lessening damage to the hippocampus. Engaging in exercise for 20/30mins, three times a week raises the heart beats which produces a chemical to help make the brain cells stronger.

Learning and Wellbeing –Ruane Kennedy - Senior Counsellor, DCU Counselling and Personal Development Service, Helena Ahern – Head of DCU Counselling and Personal Development Service, Eimear Ni Cheartaigh – student volunteer.

This segment explored the effects of learning on the affective domain. What are the affects on physical and mental wellbeing? What are the effects on issues such as self-esteem, confidence and personal development?

Ruane Kennedy pointed out that stress and anxiety do not help the learning process, and having a relaxed state of mind aids brain efficacy. He described learning as a ‘u’ shaped curve, with experience of a low after it has started then finishing on an upward sweep, and this is particularly true of learning after a long-term absence. A study in the UK of depression connected with giving up full time work, found that life long learning was linked to a decrease in depression. Going back to learning, for example being able to problem-solve, using different types of language all broaden ones social network thereby increasing confidence which in turn increases learning.

Eimear Ni Cheartaigh spoke of her experience of Neuropathic Pain Disorder as a result of being burnt in a fire which caused nerve damage and constant chronic pain. It meant her readapting to a new life and relearning how to deal with the pain, as it affected her emotional wellbeing . This resulted in having to defer modules in her studies, the loss of her identity on losing her job and loss of social interaction. However, a pain management program meant she learned the skills to manage her pain and pace herself which changed her attitude towards it. Through the Project she became more connected to DCU again, and came to the realisation that learning can improve wellbeing.

Holistic Learning –Briege Casey – Lecturer School of Nursing DCU, Peig McManus – project learner, speciality Stress management, Kay O’Rourke – project learner, speciality Yoga.

This segment looked at complimentary approaches to learning. These included an art and narrative-based approach, stress management and yoga.

Briege Casey spoke of learning as being complex and multi-dimensional and about her interests in art and narrative. Life experiences shape our attitude to learning and as individuals we construct our own stories about our relationships with others. This involves learning about ourselves and where we are going so we can make meaning out of our life experiences and share them with others. We learn in all sorts of ways and learning combines the creative forces of mind, body, memory, experience and spirit.

Peig McManus spoke of holistic health and coping with stress and the importance of knowing yourself. Everyone is unique and some stress is good as it can challenge you. What can happen when stress is triggered – a feeling of being overwhelmed and increased emotional levels, getting anxious and sweating. To bring your mind and body together she suggested a technique of breathing into your shoes to ground yourself. The gentle Chinese technique of Tai Chi also promotes mental health as it forces you to live in the present moment, as the past is gone and we do not know about the future. The Alexander technique helps change the posture due to stress, breaking bad habits of a lifetime.

Kay O’Rourke spoke of being physically fit for an active mind and the role of yoga in this. Beliefs about oneself and regrets of the past ‘can’ or ‘cannot’ influence who we are and how we act. Wherever we are at this present moment is how it is supposed to be and it is important to try and promote positive feelings about oneself.

The discussion that followed came up with the following conclusions:

You have to respect your limitations.

What are your life priorities? Sometimes only made obvious by experiencing some life trauma.

Take some time off, though sometimes not easy to do.

People always in a rush – importance of listening.

Valuing older peoples’ opinions more.

Life is for living – you cannot stop giving and sharing experience and stories.

PACE – Plan, Act, Change and Empower.

You can miss the present moment by regretting and living in the past or thinking of the future.

Take physical exercise – Tai Chi or Yoga.

Share IT conference - Sylvia Meehan

2010-05-17T09:03:00.000+01:00

Opening the showcase: P.J. Gallagher's speech

2010-05-12T10:29:00.000+01:00

A Chinese Proverb says: Every journey begins with a single step. Today we have arrived at a defining moment on that journey. Back in February 2008 I was one of about fifty people who assembled at the Helix to be brought across to the Business School. This was to be the start of an

Unique educational journey here in the DCU. This was a new challenge to most of us.

I think back on 2008 and the intervening journey since.

Over the two years the modules have been expanded. From the initial ones (Information Technology and Media) were added creative writing and science. This Intergenerational Learning Project is a shared experience between the DCU students and older learners. What impressed me from the start was the idea of the older learner bringing the experiences of life and all that it entails into a third level education centre. The DCU students brought youth energy, enthusiasm and an eagerness to facilitate which has proved very positive and successful. There was also a breaking down of any barriers that may have existed on any level. A cultural exchange of views which have enriched everyone.

The first semester saw me doing the media module, I found it opened my views and perception of the media in general and its position in society. A thing I remember very well is the main news headlines; also its many sub headings. As I worked with Age Action Ireland,and had the experience of being in a radio studio. the radio module appealed to me. We were asked to submit a short piece for radio. I came across a speech that Mother Teresa of Calcutta gave to the UN in New York shortly before her death. It was dealing with world poverty. My favourite line was and I quote,

“The greatest poverty in the world is the poverty of spirit.” And we know how true that statement is. I presented a portion of that speech and received great feedback. This encouraged me to pursue radio further and recently did an eight week course in Near 90 FM. I shadowed a magazine programme on the station two weeks ago and more to follow.

I have two new friends,Mr Blogger and Miss Twitter, not forgetting Facebook. They have brought a ray of sunshine into my life, which in turn is what friendship is all about.

At this stage I compliment and say thanks to everybody connected with the project, the DCU students and tutors on a very professional approach and tact, we all have been impressed. A great atmosphere of learning and laughter, friendship and camaraderie has made this project a very successful journey. And now I mention those who for one reason or other had to drop out. They may not be here in person but in spirit they are enriching and complimenting the module so far.

And finally ladies and gentlemen about the future. There is scope to expand the module menu even more. A great start has been made, today is the icing on the cake. The spirit is moving here in DCU as far as Intergenerational Learning is concerned. I must say it was a great personal experience. Education is a wonderful gift to be enjoyed and cherished at any age. Let the journey continue- Share it, It works both ways.