User:Wakalena



=My Profile=  Today is: Tuesday, August 27, 2024 UTC Time is:  Server time is: '' 

Why Wakalena?
Many people have asked why I use the sign in name Wakalena. This is my guiding name (as in Girl Guides/Boy Scouts) and was given to me many years ago by a group of Brownies (the youngest age group). It is Aboriginal and means "sunshine". When I asked them why they chose this name they told me that I was always bright and happy, like the sunshine.

Professional Background
Having started my career in retail work, I moved into clerical work, eventually spending five years in the position of Operations Supervisor with NSW Lotto. I then spent five years specialising in childcare administration, before joining the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs as Office Manager for another five years. During this time I successfully studied part-time for a Bachelor of Business and then went on to graduate with a Certificate IV in Business (Small Business Management), therafter running my own bookkeeping business. After that, I joined the Business Enterprise Centre, Northside (BECN) as their training co-ordinator/small business facilitator, responsible not only for assisting new businesses on the very same path I had pursued myself, but also for all aspects of managing a registered training organisation. Since then I have operated my own Vocational Education and Training (VET) consulting business.

At BECN my job was very varied. Some of the projects I worked on include -

•	a teacher, and then coordinator, of the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme - a government program to assist people on benefit to start up their own small business. In this role I helped over 350 small/micro businesses to start;

•	one of the Small Business Advisor/Facilitators for the NSW Government Business Advisory Program;

•	managed the Women in Business Mentor Program.

As a consultant in Vocational Education and Training I have provided VET training and consulting services for Registered Training Organisations (RTO’s), including initial and internal audit, RTO Management, content development and other advisory services.

Education
My formal education has included


 * Certificate IV in Training and Assessment from Learning Lab Pty. Ltd.
 * Certificate IV in Business (Small Business Management) from Business Enterprise Centre, Northside
 * Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology, Sydney
 * Advanced Management Certificate from North Sydney Technical College
 * Diploma in Music Education at NSW State Conservatorium of Music
 * Bachelor of Arts at the University of NSW

I am currently undertaking the Diploma of Training and Assessment at Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE. In addition to the above, I have gained a thorough knowledge of the Australian VET environment by being involved in both face to face and online networks.

I am a current member of the Australian Institute of Training and Development and have undertaken extensive Professional Development.

Professional
My main professional area of interest is the use of technology to assist learning.

Personal
I have three major areas of interest -

Travelling (especially overseas) - I really like to experience this planet's diverse cultures, listen to music and the music of speech from many different places and see what's out there! I have a secret aim to at least visit every continent (if not every country) before I die (however, money is the constraining factor). Locally, I have been to many parts of my own country, Australia, as well as New Zealand and Fiji. In Asia I have been to Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Macau, Thailand, and Indonesia. In Europe I have been to England, Scotland, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. LOTS of places still to experience!

Girl Guides - I have been involved in the Guides on and off since I was 7 years old, Represented Australia at the Fiji Golden Jubilee Celebrations and visited Guides in Europe, Asia and the Pacific. As a youth member I was a Brownie, Guide, Ranger, Snr Ranger. As a leader I have been a Ranger Guide Leader, a District Leader, and Division Public Relations Advisor.

Choral Singing - I have been singing in Choirs since I was at school and got hooked on BIG singing events when we sang Vivaldi's Gloria at the Sydney Town Hall (in my early high school days). I am pretty much a musical mercinary - I'll sing anything. For a while I worked at Sydney Philhamonia Choirs and was involved in the 2000 strong choir (Watch and listen) at the opening of the Olympic Games in 2000. Since 1995 have been involved in SGLC - a community Choir that has done some pretty amazing stuff - singing at Super big, big and small events, singing in Australia and overseas (I got to sing in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam) and some professional stuff - providing the choir for Mythologia, the Sydney Dance Company production for the Olympic Arts Festival, which was later repeated for the Brisbane Festival.

My Projects
/All the wiki editing tools that I have used/

My Learning Contract Project Discussion - Adult Educator Textbook

Adult_Education A page to bring together all the free information and resources that I can find on Adult Education

Facilitating Adult Learning: A Textbook for Educators of Adults This is the start of something BIG! An open source textbook on Adult Learning.

/My sandbox/
Click here to go to my sandbox page.

/My Reflection Page/
Click here to go to my Reflection Page

Feedback & Notes from my WikiNeighbours
I have added some ideas to the first section...but would like to hear from you...should I just briefly outline what I think each section should include and then you and I can divide up the actual writing. A textbook is a major effort. I have some colleagues all with doctorates in adult education and related fields who might want to join us, --Joyce McKnight 21:54, 28 November 2009 (UTC)

Sandy I would like to work with you on the Adult Learning Textbook. Would that be OK. Joyce McKnight --Joyce McKnight 18:44, 28 November 2009 (UTC)

--Phil Bartle 23:00, 22 November 2009 (UTC) 
 * [[Image:PB-nLiz01.jpg|60px|left]]  Very nice to meet you in the class. It is a very warm and fuzzy community.  (♥)  If there is any way I can help you, please let me know. Come visit my user page.