Category Archives: Blog Post
Oct
Virtual training for virtual facilitation!
The next Technology of Participation virtual conversation ‘boot camp’ starts on January 10th 2014. For more information and an early bird discount code see the brochure here.
Oct
Virtual inclusion or digital disenfranchisement session minutes
#ofu13 #facweek #virtualinclusion. Notes from today’s session are available here: https://ofu2013.hackpad.com/Digital-democracy-or-a-new-source-of-disenfranchisement-lDBNcoCpJdf. Many thanks to all who participated. Please feel free to add to the notes!
Oct
Virtual conversation on “digital democracy or a new source of disenfranchisement?”
25th October 2013 at 4pm BST 3pm UTC 8am Pacfic via Adobe Connect, and from now on twitter #ofu13 & #virtualinclusion.
Digital democracy or a new source of disenfranchisement?
Session Host: Orla Cronin
Given these new ways of enabling individual’s voices to be heard, how can we ensure that we are not inadvertently perpetuating power imbalances? How do we ensure that “digital poverty” and technological illiteracy do not compound existing imbalances e.g. between voices in the global North and those in the South, between those who are literate and those who are not, those who Anglophone and those who may speak 5 or 6 languages, of which English is a long way down the list.
From small examples, such as which time zone dictates the meeting, and whether participants are welcomed with a good morning or a good afternoon, to major barriers such as bandwidth limitations in rural Africa, every decision we make has implications for who is heard and who is silenced.
Participants in this reflective and solution oriented session will share specific stories of where virtual conversations mitigated or amplified structural power imbalances of various kinds, and use these to generate practical suggestions for maximising inclusion in virtual activities.
Register at Eventbrite. http://virtualinclusion.eventbrite.com/
This session will run via Adobe Connect. You will need to run the diagnostic here: http://admin.adobeconnect.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm and accept download of any small apps requested. In particularly, you will need to accept the most recent version of Adobe Flash. Adobe Connect runs on XP, Mac, IOS and Android platforms. You will need a dedicated headset, an internet connection, and a ‘clean computer’ which has been restarted, and does not have any applications running in the background, particularly email, online backup software or software updates. Skype will be used as an emergency backup – please connect with orlacronin.
The adobe connect link is http://top.adobeconnect.com/virtualinclusion/
PLEASE TRY TO ENTER HALF AN HOUR BEFOREHAND TO CHECK YOUR COMPUTER SETUP. Once you are onboard, you can then either chat or do something else until the meeting starts.
The session will also run asynchronously via twitter from now on @croninorla twitter account with hashtags #ofu13 and #virtualinclusion.
Contact orla@orlacronin.com with questions
Oct
Online Facilitation Unconference 2013
Looking forward to taking part in the Online Facilitation Unconference 2013 – #ofu13 @ofu2013 this week – an event of the International Association of Facilitators International Facilitation Week
Oct
Group Facilitation Methods training, Manchester, 4-5/12/2013
Places still available on the Group Facilitation Methods training course in Manchester on 4th & 5th December 2013. Suitable for new and experienced facilitators, this course teaches you to use Focused Conversation and Consensus Workshop methods.
More information and book available here – please mention my name when you book.
Aug
Us Girls wins National Lottery Award for Best Sport Project 2013
We’d like to extend our congratulations to Us Girls, a project to which we provided M&E consultancy, which has won the National Lottery Award for Best Sport Project 2013.
The award was presented by Olympic legend and double medal winning cyclist, Victoria Pendleton CBE . To read more about it click here. The BBC will show some footage of Us Girls during the National Lottery Awards Show on BBC 1 on 11 September at 10.30pm
Jul
Spirit of Fairbridge
This week, for a change, I had a glorious opportunity to assist with delivery of an intervention, as a volunteer watchleader on Spirit of Fairbridge, the Prince’s Trust 92’ sail training schooner. The Fairbridge programme works with young people aged 13-25, helping them to develop the motivation, self confidence and skills they need to change their lives. It was a real privilege to blast down the Irish Sea, working alongside such talented professionals and motivated and valiant young people.
Jul
Final evaluation of TimeBank’s Shoulder to Shoulder project
Despite the best efforts of a disruptive mouse, I presented the final evaluation of TimeBank’s Shoulder to Shoulder project in the Houses of Parliament today. The evaluation demonstrated that the project does create tangible change in the lives of ex service men and women. The team have lots of ideas underway for the next generation of this successful mentoring model. The final report is available here – without mouseprints!
Jun
Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society
Orla Cronin has been a chartered psychologist (C. Psychol) for over a decade. She has now been granted the title Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, an award which acknowledges experience, competence and reputation in the field of psychology. This award is based on her work as a research psychologist in both the private sector, and, in recent years, in the area of monitoring, evaluation, research and learning in charities and NGOs, acknowledging her work in theoretical and applied research, method development, teaching, and knowledge brokering.
May
Group facilitation methods training
There are still places available on ICA:UK’s Group Facilitation Methods (Technology of Participation approach) training course in London on June 12-13. Further information and enrolment is through register through the website www.ica-uk.org.uk or call 0161 232 8444. Please mention Orla Cronin Research when booking.