Staff Newsletter November 2012 November 2012 | Page 12

A year ago, Paignton Zoo’s Head of Education, Lisa Stroud, joined the Board of Governors here at the College. Lisa knows Devon well, having grown up on the Somerset Levels, and spent many outings around the Devonshire coast, on Dartmoor and visiting Exeter and Plymouth.

For 20 years, Lisa has worked in the field of environmental education. Awarded a BSc in Biology & Psychology from the University of Liverpool and MPhil (studying orang-utans!) from the University of Manchester, she subsequently undertook teacher training in Secondary Science and FE delivery and embarked upon her career when she established the education programme for the Orangutan Foundation, during which time she also led trips to Borneo.

Lisa has since worked as a freelance speaker and writer on environmental issues, co-ordinated Chester’s successful efforts to become the first Fairtrade City in Britain and headed up the national Education and Youth Volunteering sections at Global Action Plan, focusing on sustainability. Immediately before taking up the post of Head of Education at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park, Lisa managed the Environmental & Renewable Technologies Hub (EaRTH) at Bicton College, having returned to the West Country two years earlier. Lisa is now settled in Chudleigh, with her husband, Marc, and three year old son, Stanley (named after her Grandfather, who inspired Lisa’s passion for the environment from an early age).

One of the key drivers throughout Lisa’s work has been to involve young people at all levels of project design and delivery, increasing their employability, leadership skills and confidence. As such, a large proportion of her work has involved facilitating links between young people and their local businesses, community groups and schools.

Hello! My name’s Rikki and I am the new Learning Technologies Co-ordinator. I am here to help support you with all your technology needs, whether you are a member of staff who requires some help with interactive whiteboards or a student who is trying to edit a video. As part of my role I will be promoting the use of technologies throughout the whole of the College.

Do you think your course would benefit from the use of iPads?

Next time you arrange a trip would you like to make a video diary to upload on to Moodle?

We will also be looking for new 'Tech Buddies' to get involved with the sharing of technology knowledge. If you have any skills that you think others would benefit from, then sign up to the Moodle course and share your skills, or, if you know a learner who would benefit from some extra responsibility and skills, then suggest them to me and I will get them involved.

These are just a few of the services I will help to promote. If you have any ideas or would like any further information please contact me [email protected] - or by phone on 01803 540641.

Rikki Passmore

Lisa Stroud

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