Buller Computers in Homes

Winning Story

2012-01-10T14:26:00.004+13:00

The following story was the winner of our Outstanding Story competition at the graduations in December. It was submitted by one of our Westport students, who has asked to remain annonymous. The student won a Brother printer to complement their new desktop computer.

West Coast CIH wins NCCG media award!

2011-11-30T23:06:00.005+13:00

Our West Coast team won the chocolate fish media prize at the NCCG meeting last week. The prize goes to the region with the most media coverage in the months since the last meeting. The coverage of WestREAP's 30th Birthday really impressed the judges :)

Photos courtesy of National Coordinator, Di Das. Cheryl Jackson, West Coast's CIH Coordinator, in the meeting with other regional coordinators from Poirirua and Dunedin. Barbara Craig reads article from the West Coast Messenger.

A Wonderful Thank You

2011-11-15T11:41:00.000+13:00

The following message was sent in from one of our students:

COMPUTERS IN HOMES!!
Wow, Computers in Homes has been GREAT!

My daughter and I have been writing letters to our family and friends. Rebecca has been writing poems. She is really talented!!! The day I got to bring the computer home was EXCITING because we have never owned a computer before.

We don't have the internet yet, but I'm sure when we do we all will have lots of fun. The course has shown me that there are some really lovely people in the community.

At first I thought that computers were scary and only smart people could use them but Jeannie has taught me so much and that any one can use them with confidence.

THANK YOU COMPUTERS IN HOMES... AND OF COURSE JEANNIE!!

Happy Birthday WestREAP!

2011-11-05T21:49:00.002+13:00

On Friday, the 4th of November Westland Rural Education Activities Programme celebrated 30 years! The day kicked off with a Powhiri and cake cutting. Many special guests attended the different events that were held through out the day

Computers in Homes and Stepping up had display and a computer set up with a slideshow of pictures from the last two years of the course. Since 2003, CiH has supported the delivery of digital literacy, computers and internet to 415 west Coast families.

More Graduations!

2011-11-01T22:36:00.004+13:00

The first Computers in Homes in Karamea has completed and the graduation will take place on Monday, December 5th.

The Ngakawau and Westport graduation will take place on December 6th at the Salvation Army Hall. Students who completed the Stepping UP program are also invited to take part and receive their certificates.

We are excited to welcome National Coordinator, Di Das back to the Coast for the celebrations!

New Copyright Act

2011-09-05T19:25:00.003+12:00

The Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Act 2011 came into force on September 1st. Many former and current students have contacted me about the new ‘3 strikes’ law.

They are targeting people who use P2P (peer-to-peer sharing) software like uTorrent, BitComet, FrostWire, Ares, LimeRunner, Bearshare and Vuze (this is not a complete list) to download copyrighted music, TV or movies. If you have one of these programs on your computer I would advise you to remove it.

The internet account holder is liable regardless if it was the kids or the neighbour that did the illegal downloading! So do take precaution. Talk to your family and friends. Make sure everyone knows the basics of the new law, especially anyone using your computer.

As an alternative, I am currently putting together some information about where you can download media legally. So stay tuned.

For information on this law please visit InternetNZ’s new website here.

You may also want to visit this article on the Stuff website.

Courses in Karamea

2011-09-05T17:08:00.003+12:00

Other than a faulty keyboard and harddrive the Karamea courses have gone off without a hitch. Students have just signed up for Gmail accounts and are getting the hang of email. Word of mouth has spread news of the computer course and there is a lot of interest to get a second course going in early 2012.

Computers in Homes coming to Karamea

2011-08-01T13:26:00.004+12:00

Westreap is happy to announce that Computers in Homes courses will be starting up in Karamea this term. This is the fourth centre in the Buller to take part in the program. The Karamea Community Development Coordinator, Rick Lucas, has been the main driver for bringing the courses to the area.

The courses will be given in the Karamea Area School’s computer lab, and principle, Bradley Roberts has been elected as the tutor. Courses start on Wednesday, August 10th. So far there has been a lot of interest to fill the 8 spots available.

To learn more about the Karamea Community, visit their website here.

Graduations Round 3

2011-07-28T17:28:00.009+12:00

Buller graduations were held on July 26th. Students from the session which ended in May were invited back to celebrate their accomplishments. Although Stepping Uppers do not normally get to attend a graduation party, we decided to include them in our CIH celebrations, and hand out Stepping Up Certificates as well.

Murchison graduations were held at lunch on Tuesday. All but one of the 15 students was in attendance to receive their certificates. The Murchison CIH Most Outstanding Student award was given to Kelly Hocking, who was very dedicated to the course and was always willing to help her peers around her.

The Westport and Ngakawau graduations were combined for an evening event at the Salvation Army Hall. This term Ngakawau had 5 CiH graduates and 6 Stepping UPers, while Westport graduated 9 CiH and 11 Stepping UPers. Since it was the school holidays we had many families in attendance. Our Most outstanding student was Kim Aldridge, from the Westport course, who was very shy to start the course but was very keen to complete it. And in Ngakawau it was Sonia Allen, who it always keen to learn the new technology and her excitement was great to see.

Everyone enjoyed the nibbles and the yummy cake!

Congratulations to the Graduates!!

Flexi Computing for Hokitika

2011-07-14T14:06:00.001+12:00

Westreap's Adult Community Education Coordinator, Cheryl Jackson, is happy to announce that they have paired up with the Tai Poutini Polytech to offer Flexi Computing courses from the Hokitika computer pod. This course is being offered to replace the Computers in Homes courses that will no longer be offered in Hokitika or Greymouth, as the project scales down to 50 students coast wide for each the next 2 years.

Flexi computing is, well just that, its up to the students to decide what direction the course will take, whether it be learning the basics, or building on knowledge students already possess.

The Monday morning course has proven so popular that a second course will also be offered later in the week.

Anyone interested should contact Cheryl Jackson, in Hokitika on 0800 927 327.

Buller CiH Popular

2011-06-28T15:35:00.000+12:00

Computers in Homes courses remain popular as a waiting list of 65 people is being tackled to fill the courses that begin in July. A Computers in Homes and a Stepping Up course will be offered in each of the 3 centres, with room for up to 45 students. It is very nice to see that the program remains very popular after a year and a half of operation in the Buller.

It is unfortunate that the funding for Stepping UP will run out in December, as many Computers in Homes students come back to further what they have learned.

On the up side, we have also had two spin offs from the courses. Computing for Seniors has been offered in Murchison since March and will be starting up in Westport in term 4. Both programs are being run by Buller REAP in the CiH Pods.

Buller Computers in Homes has Outcomes

2011-03-02T23:05:00.006+13:00

Merv Jury, a Computers in Homes student from Ngakawau, is featured in an Outcomes article on the National Computers in Homes website. Merv was awarded for most outstanding story at the graduations in January. View Story

Celebrations in Murchison

2011-02-12T22:54:00.000+13:00

Students also celebrated their Computers in Homes success in Murchison last Wednesday. Family and friends gathered to see the latest 16 graduates receive certificates from the program. Anna Bourke was awarded Outstanding students, and Jo Harper received a new printer for the Best Story submitted.

A total of 30 families in Murchison benefited from the program in 2010.

Westport and Ngakawau Graduations

2011-02-02T22:18:00.007+13:00

Students who completed the last two sessions of 2010 in Westport and Ngakawau, were all smiles as they received their Computers in Homes certificates last Tuesday evening.

36 students from Westport and 17 students from Ngakawau completed the course, to make it a whopping 108 students complete CiH in the Buller in 2010.

Special prizes were given for Oustanding student and Best Story. Donna Bennett took outstanding student for Ngakawau, while Emma Elliot was awarded the prize for Westport.

Many special stories were submitted for the Best Story award. Students showed off their new talents on the computer by composing a story about what computers in homes had done for their family. Merv Jury took the prize for Ngakawau while Donna Hillier from Westport, impressed us with the powerpoint slideshow she put together with her daughters.

Special guests at the graduation included Major, Pat McManus and CiH National Coordinator, Di Das.

Congrats to all the graduates!

Spring Term in Full Swing

2010-10-04T12:57:00.000+13:00

No need to solicite students for this term! Courses are full in Ngakawau, Murchison and Westport. Word of mouth has been the best Marketing tool for us in the Buller. Building relationships with community groups and organisations such as Buller Adult Learning Services, Homebuilders West Coast, and English Second Language Group has been a great asset for the program as well.

NCCG Meeting in Ahipara

2010-09-06T13:00:00.002+12:00

This quarterly NCCG meeting was held by the Far North CIH in Ahipara. A great team building bus trip to Cape Reinga was followed by a productive meeting with all the coordinators. Big thanks to Janine, Louis, Emma and Brett for hosting the team.

Above: NCCG team gather at Cape Reinga

Above: West Coast Coordinator, Cheryl Jackson at the meeting

Buller Computers in Homes in the Media

2010-08-14T07:39:00.003+12:00

Buller Computers in Homes appeared in the Westport News this week. As well an article about the Murchison program appeared in the Nelson Leader.

First CiH graduations in Buller

2010-07-29T06:47:00.007+12:00

The first Computers in Homes graduations were held for Westport, Ngakawau and Murchison this week.

In all there were 22 graduates from Westport, 7 from Ngakawau and 12 from Murchison. Prizes were given to the most outstanding student from each location:
- Wesport: Janice D. Lance
- Ngakawau: Gilbert Hardaker
- Murchison: Nicole Wilkins

Prizes were also given to the student who submitted the most outstanding story:
- Westport: Charmaine Weaver, Honorable mention - Kay Taylor
- Murchison: Sarah Flintoft

A prize was also given to Harley for volunteering with the larger Westport group.

National Coordinator Di Das attended the graduations from Wellington. Special guest Damien O'Connor also attended the Murchison graduation.

Buller Computers in Homes take 2

2010-06-07T20:00:00.001+12:00

New courses are starting in Westport, Ngakwau and Murchison this week.

Course schedules are as follows:
- Westport: Tuesday 10:00 to 12:00 and 12:30 to 2:30
- Murchison: Wednesday 10:30 to 12:30 and 3:00 to 5:00
- Ngakawau: Thursday 12:30 to 2:30 and 6:30 to 8:30

Although the courses are very popular there are still a few spots left, prospective students should contact Jeannie for details.

NCCG Meeting in Wellington

2010-05-28T19:44:00.005+12:00

The Computers in Homes team from around New Zealand met up again this week in Wellington. The itinerary included meetings, professtional development, and a drive out to Poirirua to hear an address from Hon. Bill English. Exciting news from Computers in Homes this week was an allocation of funds in the latest government budget! The team was very excited to hear the news as this is the 10 year anniversary of CiH.
Photos above: CiH and Stepping UP group with National Party MPs Bill English and Heikia Parata.

Photo Below: Jeannie and Cheryl with National Party's Kelvin Davis in Wellington.

New Courses starting in June

2010-05-24T23:57:00.000+12:00

Spread the word! The next Buller Computers in Homes will be starting the week of June 8th.

Course times will be as follows:

- Westport: Tuesday 12:30 to 2:30 and 7:00 to 9:00pm
- Murchison: Wednesday 10:30 to 12:30 and 3:00 to 5:00pm
- Ngakawau: Thursday 12:30 to 2:30 and 6:30 to 8:30pm

We are currently seeking enrolments in the Westport and Ngakawau courses. The courses in Ngakawau are full, but students can reserve a spot for September courses.

Graduation details

2010-05-17T23:55:00.001+12:00

The Westport and Ngakawau graduation will take place on July 27th at the Salvation Army Hall.

The Murchison graduation will be at the Mesy Hall on July 28th.

Students are asked to RSVP to 0800 927 327 before July 20th.

16 Computers find good homes in Westport

2010-05-04T23:46:00.000+12:00

Christmas in May! Smiles were ear to ear as students laid eyes on their new computers.

Ngakawau students take home computers

2010-04-16T23:37:00.000+12:00

Excited students get to take home their computers after 5 weeks of courses. After a practice run of plugging everything together, they were very keen to get them home and test out what they've learned.

Delivery of Student PCs

2010-04-11T23:27:00.001+12:00

We received a delivery of 40 PCs from The Ark this week. Each one needs to be tried and tested before the students get to take them home. We are really lucky to be some of the first Computers in Homes students to receive LCD (flat) screens!

Westport courses get started

2010-03-09T15:37:00.001+13:00

We are pleased to be starting our CiH course in Westport at the Salvation Army Hall this week. There are 10 pod PCs connected with 3 spaces for laptop users. Class is scheduled from 12:30 to 2:30 in the day and 7:00 to 9:00pm in the evening. Our day class is almost full, however we are still looking for more night students. If you are interested please contact our tutor, Jeannie at 021 0228 5539 or our coordinator Cheryl at 0800 927 327.

Trainer attends National Computers in Homes meeting

2010-03-08T16:56:00.002+13:00

On Wednesday, March 3rd, Cheryl and I flew to Hawkes Bay and drove to Wairoa to meet up with the CiH colleagues from across New Zealand. We got to attend the launch of the new Wairoa CIH Community Training Centre, which was very exciting for the local gang. On Friday was the more formal CIH team meeting. This was an excellent opportunity for me to meet with the CIH support network and learn how other programs are running. It was an exciting week, and I am looking forward to using the things I learned in my program in Buller.

Murchison and Ngakawau courses running smooth

2010-03-01T17:36:00.003+13:00

Thanks to the wonderful concept of 'word of mouth' on the coast our courses in Ngakawau and Murchison have filled up with a bunch of keen learners. Each one is looking for their own pathway to learning how to use computers. One of the best parts of computers in homes (besides taking home your own computer eventually), is that courses are kept to basics and students learn what they want to learn. We started with turning the device on and off and then play some games. If learners are keen we do a bit of word processing and they create a poster with what they have learned. Next steps are learning how to keep your computer healthy, how to surf the web, and internet safety.

Classrooms? - Check!

2010-02-25T23:19:00.000+13:00

Our Pod in Murchison all set up and waiting for the first Computers in Homes Students!

Launch in Buller and Visit from the National Committee

2010-02-15T08:39:00.000+13:00

After much preparation through December and January, we have 3 classrooms running and ready to launch. National Coordinator, Di Das and WestReap ACE Coordinator, Cheryl Jackson, came to launch the program with ICT trainer, Jeannie Bryson, from February 10-12th. Murchison courses will be run out of the local Plunket rooms, with 6 computers and space for a couple of laptops. Northern Buller courses will be running out of the brand new Community Centre in Ngakawau, with 4 computers. The third and final class room has been set up in Westport Salvation Army above the community hall, with 10 computers and space for 5 laptop users. The community has embraced the program and we are excited to get going at the end of February.

Getting Started!

2010-01-06T17:43:00.001+13:00

We are currently getting desks and broadband connections set up in Ngakawau and Murchison. We have yet to secure a location in Westport, but hope to have some news on this soon.

Our community launch should be during the first week of February. Please check back soon for more information.

New ICT Facilitator

2009-12-01T09:23:00.000+13:00

Welcome Jeannie Bryson to the Computers in Homes team! Jeannie will be working from home and running 3 training centers in the Buller area under the coordination of Cheryl Jackson, ACE Coordinator, from WestREAP in Hokitika. Her first tasks will be to develop the three training sites in Buller by finding locals, furnishing them with desks and ordering the computers. WestREAP has partnered with Buller REAP to offer the Computers in Homes program in the Buller area.