So here we are, midway through another year,the promise of spring just weeks away now. I’mwriting this column having

day residential course in Queenstown, run bythe Institute of Directors,focusing on the skills and

knowledge required to be a company director.

Much of the talk, especially involving matters about directors’legal obligations, centred around new Health and Safetylegislation that’s soon to be introduced in New Zealand. Itwas a given that any current or aspiring director should havea good knowledge of the new requirements.

Likewise, you can enhance your own career options if you can demonstrate an understanding of health and safety in the workplace. In this edition we look at how the newlegislation may impact on employers and employees and explore the H & S study options available through SIT2LRN.

spending the best part of 2015 at SIT’s Invercargill campus as recipients of a New Zealand India Sports Scholarship (NZISS).

Country Calendar – New Zealand’s longest running television

set to feature in an episode to be screened sometime during the next few months.

managed to carve out her career, going from teaching inInvercargill to working in tropical island paradises.

As you work towards your own personal study goals, don’tforget to check out our latest app offerings and study tips for ideas to enhance your learning experience.

Until next time, I’ll leave you with the words of American

“In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the

world that no longer exists.”

Best Wishes

Karen

About SIT

The Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) is one of 18 government polytechnics and institutes of technology offering tertiary education throughout New Zealand. SIT programmes are accredited and approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority up to postgraduate level.

SIT has a proud history of vocational education and training. For over 40 years we have been providing students with quality education across a range of subject areas and at a variety of levels including postgraduate study. This variety enables you to enter your training at the level that suits you and to progress as you are ready. Many of our programmes link to higher level qualifications at SIT and other institutions in New Zealand and throughout the world. We are constantly developing these relationships to ensure that our graduates have maximum mobility.

The Zero Fee Scheme

Our Zero Fee Scheme means we pay your tuition fees, so all you have to pay for are the direct material costs for your course. This applies for all of our degree programmes and most of our diplomas and certificates, including distance learning programmes. Many of our graduates are able to start their careers debt-free! This is not an exaggeration – on any given degree, our students save between $10,000 and $19,000 on tuition fees.

Locations

Our main campus is in Invercargill, and we have smaller campuses in Christchurch, Queenstown and Gore.

Karen Arnold Editor

Contact DetailsFreepost SIT2LRN : Private Bag 90114 133 Tay Street Invercargill 9840

Free Call : 0800 SIT2LRN (within New Zealand) Telephone : 03 211 2699 ext 3320 Free Facsimile : 03 211 2698 Email : info@sit.ac.nz Website : www.sit.ac.nz Free Text : 2LRN (2576)

Editorial

Please email these to

situation@sit.ac.nz !

Feature Article

4 Nungshi and Tashi Malik k

- Graduate Diploma in Sport and Exercise students

6 Suzy Wells - Teacher Aiding in Cook Islands

7 Paul Harrison - New OSH facilitator

8 Country Calendar - Jeanine McDonald

- SIT2LRN Basic Animal Care Facilitator

10 Yogesh Sharma

- Graduate Diploma in Sport and Exercise student

Online Review

11 Study Apps

Contents

8

10

6

Editor: Karen Arnold

Managing Editor: Jackie Flutey

Production Manager: Teri McClelland

Art Editor: Elana Bai

12 Kate Lindsay

- Post Graduate Diploma in Business Enterprise Graduate Student

Tips for Online/Distance Students

14 Tips for Online/Distance Students

4

12

8

Cover picture:

Nungshi and Tashi Malik at SIT Oweek

Feature Article:Nungshi and Tashi Malik

SITUATION July 2015SITUATUATIONION July 20154

Nungshi & Tashi

Teach of the world’s seven continents, including Mt Everest. And in April, they took time off from their study at Southern Institute of Technology (SIT)

in Invercargill, to complete the Explorers Grand Slam by successfully reaching the North Pole. They had already conquered the South Pole in an earlier expedition.

Graduate Diploma in Sport and Exercise Students

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SITUATION July 2015SITUATUATIONION July 2015 5

They’ve been hailed by media across the globe, each achievement documented online and in print.But for 24-year-olds Nungshi and Tashi Malik, of India, there’s more to life than just climbing. “Both of us have been those ‘school changers’ because our father was in the army. But we think that’s made us adaptable to situations, which is quite necessarywhen you’re climbing extreme altitudes.”Achieving together is part of life for the women. Both have Bachelors in Journalism, attended the ‘Conflict Transformation Across Cultures’ workshops in US and in Nepal, and the South Asia Peace workshop in Sri Lanka.And now they’re in Invercargill studying together. TheMalik twins were each awarded a New Zealand IndiaSports Scholarship (NZISS) to study the GraduateDiploma in Sport and Exercise at SIT. Funded by the New Zealand Government, the scholarships cover all their tuition fees, plus a contribution to their livingcosts. SIT secured the highest number of awardeeswith three of the 10 scholarships on offer.In typical Nungshi and Tashi tradition they haveembraced the opportunity: “What better than to learnthe science behind what we so regularly do, to knowand understand our own body, health and longevity, then to pass the knowledge, skills and learning for the good of society.”

Feature Article

They’re sharing their story with over 75,000 facebookfans, giving a glimpse into campus life and sharing images of Southland as they explore the region.To celebrate the successful completion of their studies at SIT by the year end, the ‘Everest-Twins’are making plans to conquer New Zealand’s highest peak, Aoraki/Mt Cook in December. “At a seeminglybenign altitude of nearly 13000 ft, the combinationof heavy glaciation, tremendous vertical scale and unpredictable weather makes Mt Cook a really toughclimb. So far over 200 climbers (including five ‘sevensummiteers’) have perished in their attempt to standon top of this ‘land and sky’ mountain as ‘Aoraki’ means in local Maori language. “This is the sort of peak that the twins find worth achallenge.In the meantime, the twins are enjoying achievements of a more tame nature. In June they were guestspeakers at the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame third anniversary celebrations, where they managed tosnap a selfie with Prime Minister John Key. Dayslater they were accepted into the Royal Geographical Society, London, as Fellows.And they encourage everyone to get outside: “Nature is ‘real estate’ equally and freely available to all. Yetwhy so many feel so poor at owning little? Evena bare rock under an overcast sky offers magicalbeauty, so go outdoors & relish the bounty of nature.You are rich.”

Graduate Diploma in

SPORT AND EXERCISE INVERCARGILL CAMPUS

This programme aims to develop a broad theoretical knowledge in the fields of sport andexercise and an holistic understanding of sport and exercise and its importance to the community. Students will develop a range of practical expertise in the sport and exercise industry by developing a close working relationship with various organisations.Click here for more information on this programme.

0800 4 0 FEES (3337) | info@sit.ac.nz

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SITUATION July 20156

SUZY

Such is life on Niue, population about 1500, a far cryfrom hometown Invercargill. So how does a primary-trained school teacher from Southland find herself in charge of a high school on a tropical island coral atoll?

After a successful teaching career in Invercargill, including eight years as literacy leader for Years 7 to 10 at SouthlandBoys’ High School, Suzy took up a role as Head of English atNiue High School, in 2012. She came home for a bit but was soon winging her way back across the Pacific in 2013 to take up the role of acting principal, a position that was supposedto last seven months but stretched to 18.

During that time, Suzy embraced island life, smitten with her173 Year 7 to 13 students and the lifestyle she enjoyed.

“I love the culture and the dancing and the singing. I loved thefact that Sundays were a complete day of rest and nothing was open.”

Home to 14 villages, Niue is a self-governing state in freeassociation with New Zealand, meaning all its citizens are New Zealanders.

About 80 per cent of the working population are employed by government agencies while the remaining 20 per cent work for the private sector, says Suzy.

The island has its own radio station and the one channel TV comes on at 6pm. There’s free wi-fi and Niue has a great

WELLS

hospital. Serviced by two flights a week, it is a great destinationfor fishing, snorkelling, diving and mountainbiking.

Suzy came home at the end of 2014 for family reasons but her connection with the South Pacific didn’t end.

SIT2LRN Head of Faculty Teri McClelland needed someone on the ground in the Cook Islands to help local students begintheir study towards a Certificate in Introduction to TeacherAiding. So in April, Suzy was once again winging her wayacross the Pacific.

“Compared to Niue, Rarotonga just seemed so busy.” Shespent two weeks helping 13 teacher aides, who with the support of the Cook Islands Ministry of Education, hadenrolled for the course. There were intensive workshops every day. Straight away she identified barriers that wouldaffect their learning.

“Most didn’t have computer capabilities and internetconnection was another problem.” The content was alsoNew Zealand-focused, so parts had to be tweaked to give itcontext to the students. Suzy now facilitates the course while working as a relieving RTLB (Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour), in Invercargill. But her future is likely to be in warmer climes. “I’d like to work round the Pacific for five to 10 years.” Sounds idyllic.

SUZY WELLSdoor was blocked by a rather large pig. Then there was the afternoon she found herself riding on the back of a truck hanging on for dear life to a pallet of new computers, destined for her school.

Teacher Aiding in the Cook Islands

SITUATION July 2015 7

His career started in merchant banking in San Francisco but for SIT2LRN facilitator Paul Harrison, life took a turn and he found a passion for workplacehealth and safety.

It started at the former Department of Labour where he worked as an employment relations health and safety adviser relating to small to medium enterprises (SME), specialising in the hospitality and transport industries.

From there he went onto work for ACC as aprogramme manager ina role created to look ata national strategy for how ACC would engage with SMEs in terms of injury prevention in the workplace.

A career highlight came when Paul was seconded to an independent taskforce for eight months,post the Pike River tragedy.

“We had to review workplace health and safety in NewZealand and come up with recommendations.” The final conclusion was that the system had a number of critical weaknesses and needed major, systemic changes to savelives.

A further secondment saw him working on the NewZealand Injury Prevention Strategy before he took up a newprogramme manager role relating to injury prevention in the agriculture sector. In February, he became a specialist in

SIT2LRN New OSH Facilitator

road safety, responsible for ACC’s Fleet Safety programme. Amonth later he joined SIT2LRN as a facilitator for the Diplomain Health and Safety, a course he completed himself, in 2014.

He delivers Unit Standard 5617, his first intake comprising 30 students. “The paper teaches them to facilitate hazard management; how to identify, review and manage hazards in the workplace.”

The course is ideal for people working either externally or internally in the workplace. “It’s goodfor health and safety inspectors, or for an employee who wants tospecialise in workplace health andsafety. There’s also a mix of peoplefrom large and small businesses.”

They come from a variety of sectors,too, including manufacturing,farming, construction and forestry. “Itmeans I’m learning too. For instance, one student made reference to therisk of working with treated timber.”

In his spare time, Titahi Bay-based Paul enjoys the outdoors and is a

member of the Mana Island Conservation Trust. But healthand safety is his passion and he hopes one day that hecan contribute to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which is devoted to promoting social justice andinternationally recognized human and labour rights.

In the meantime, he’s enjoying his SIT2LRN facilitating experience. “I enjoy coming home from work to actually talk and engage with people, about health and safety.”

PAULHARRISON

“It’s good for health and safety inspectors, or for an employee who wants to specialise in workplace health and safety. There’s also a mix of people from large and small businesses.”

SITUATION July 2015

COUNTRY CALENDARJeanine McDonald

SITUATION July 20158888888888888888888888888888888888

It’s been beaming into our homes for almost 50 years, the longest running television programme in New Zealand. And in a few months’ time, SIT2LRN Basic

episode, during which she and her husband Stan share their love for Appaloosa horses, farming life and the great Southland outdoors.

SITUATION July 2015 9

Jeanine says she was first approached justbefore Christmas, after scouts from the programme had seen her Appaloosa facebook page. “I told them about our horses and our

life and said we are really a bit boring. I didn’t thinkthere would be enough for an episode.”That phone call was followed by an afternoon visit which sealed the interest, with filming for the 22-minute segment taking place for six days over Easter.The first day featured Jeanine teaching SIT vet nursing students how to handle horses and goats, while day two saw the three-man crew followingStan, their son and Stan’s brother fishing on the Waiau River. “They caught a trout and smoked it on the riverbank.”The third day was spent back on the farm, with Stanfeaturing again working with his bees and treatingthe hives for the verroa bee-mite, while Jeanineshowcased her Appaloosa and horse handling skills.The weather was kind for the overnight pack saddle trek from Mavora, where they rode alongside the Maraora River up to the backcountry Bush Creek hut. “There is so much great riding country up thereand it’s a perfect training ground for young horses.“I always knew it was a great area but the crew saidas far as the scenery went, it was up there with thebest in the world and they were impressed with themany places we took them.”With the final day of filming spent at the Birchwood Hunt, Jeanine says her horses got their fair share of time in front of the camera. “We were told it wasgoing to be a hard programme to edit because there was so much good film they could use.”Jeanine says the whole experience was awesome.”Welearned a lot about white boards and reflecting sunfrom your face and about fluffy microphones whichthe horses were allowed to sniff and check out that they were not food or frightening. We also learned a lot about ourselves from answering the questionswe were asked.”She hopes the programme will show how versatile and friendly-natured Appaloosa horses are and inspirepeople to follow their own dreams. The episode will screen on TV One, in mid-September.“We don’t get to see it until it’s on TV, so it’s a bitscary and we nervously await it coming out later inthe Country Calendar season.”

“I always knew it was a great area but the crew said as far as the scenery went, it was up there with the best in the world and they were impressed with the many places we took them.”

SITUATION July 201510

YOGESH SHARMA

Yogesh Sharma took his first trip overseas in February,travelling from his home city Delhi, population 25 million, to Invercargill, population about 52,000.

But the smiling 28-year-old seems to be embracing the temporary move, from the crowded, urban lifestyle. ”The city is so silent and clean.”

Yogesh is one of three Indians awarded a New Zealand IndiaSports Scholarship (NZISS) to study the Graduate Diploma in Sport and Exercise at the Southern Institute of Technology(SIT) in Invercargill in 2015.

A qualified physiotherapist, he’s left behind his wife Nidhiand one-year-old son Karmanye, to pursue his dream. “I justwant to embrace new knowledge.”

Having arrived in February, Yogesh quickly got himself involved with the local community by joining the Appleby cricket club.

Not only is cricket India’s favourite game – Yogesh says it’s like a religion to many– it’s a sport very dear to his heart. He wasa local physician/trainer for the Canadiannational cricket team while it was in Indiafor some Cricket World Cup warm-up games and he’s assisted the Rajasthan Royals (Indian Premier League) team on various occasions.

He also runs a cricket academy for juniorsunder 14, which includes places for up to a dozen under-privileged children whodon’t have to pay. “I’ve always wanted to help people in some way. I’ve also donevoluntary work with geriatric patients,treating the likes of knee pain and muscle weakness.”

The scholarship has also brought some golden moments for Yogesh, the biggest being when it was presented to him by

former Black Caps captain Stephen Fleming, in Delhi. He metIndian cricket great Sourav Ganguly in Auckland. Oh, and Prime Minister John Key.

Now the right-arm off-spinner is focused on his studies atSIT, which he is enjoying. “The study pattern is different to home. It’s more practical. And the 24-hour access to the library means, if I don’t want to be home on my own, I can come down and study anytime. The lecturers are also really good and we have an awesome gym with the best and latest equipment and technology.”

And while he’s experiencing his first real winter, Yogesh islooking forward to exploring the south, including a trip to Queenstown.

Graduate Diploma in Sport and Exercise Student

“The study pattern is different to home. It’s more practical. And the 24-hour access to the library means, if I don’t want to be home on my own, I can come down and study anytime. The lecturers are also really good and we have an awesome gym with the best and latest equipment and technology.”

Yogesh Sharma accepting his New Zealand India Sports Scholarship (NZISS) award

SITUATION July 2015 11

Study APPs

CARROT is a to-do list with a personality and is more like a game. Accomplish your tasks and CARROT rewards you. Slack off and upset CARROT at your peril.

iOS: Cost US$2.99https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/carrot-todo-list-personality/id591840203?mt=8

This app makes video creation easy for everyone. Everything you need (including music, titles and more) is in one simple app that runs on your iPhone.

Once you’ve got the idea, Directr takes you step by step and scene by scene. It prompts you with questions, examples and shows you exactly how to make your video happen.

https://business.directr.co/features

The Android app will text, email, Facebook message, or tweet the contacts you select, when your phone is about to run out of battery life. That way they’ll know you may be offline until you get to a charger.

LAST MESSAGEhttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=it.fatbrain.lastmessage

Instant coaching for any goal. Learn from thousands of users following similar goals. Coach.me makes it easy to track, analyse, and celebrate progress.

https://www.coach.me Android and IOS

RescueTime helps you understand your daily habits so that you can focus and be more productive. It tracks time spent on applications and websites, giving you an accurate picture of your day.

https://www.rescuetime.com/

SITUATION July 201512

Post Graduate Diploma in Business Enterprise Student

Kate

As a secondary school teacher one of Kate Lindsay’s greatest challenges was motivating students for classes after lunch.

“I found they would be wrecked in the afternoon.One day it seemed they were shattered and I feltthat way as well. So I said ‘let’s meditate’.”It’s a form of relaxation she swears by and she found the results with her students were instantaneous. Not only did they complete the rest of the lessonmore focused, they insisted they do it at the start of every one of her afternoon classes. “It was amazing.Productivity and creativity improved no end.”Fast forward to 2015 and Kate, who lives in Dunedin, now has a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Enterprise which she completed last year through SIT2LRN. What’s more, she’s actually teaching a programme she designed to help teenage girls.

“I started to research depression and suicide rates. I thought ‘what if you could catch students early?’”She then tapped into her own knowledge of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), whichpromotes the acceptance of things out of your personal control, while committing to action that will improve your quality of life.Mixing meditation and a variety of mental exercises,Kate developed an 8-week values-based programme“MyDirection” which is designed to help studentsalleviate stress and anxiety. She tried her theory on a pilot group, including 12 school girls at ColumbaCollege, where she was relief teaching while shestudied fulltime with SIT2LRN. The results wereimmediate. Testing at the beginning of the fourthweek of the programme, the eighth week and four months later showed continuous improvement in the students’ work and wellbeing.

She credits

SIT2LRN with

making her

dream possible.

“I loved SIT2LRN.

The facilitators

were fabulous.”

SITUATION July 2015

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Impressed by the data, Columba Collegepast-principal Elizabeth Wilson decidedshe wanted all her students to learnthe techniques, employing Kate to teachEnglish and deliver the programme.“So now I’m teaching it to all Year 7, 9,10, 12, 13 students.”She credits SIT2LRN with making her dream possible. “I loved SIT2LRN. Thefacilitators were fabulous.”But the effort was all hers, although sheenjoyed great family support. And as ameticulous planner, Kate has a tip for students: “Put your year planner on thewall and mark all the assignment due dates and a note three days prior. Then you can see when assignments are due close together.”

“Put your year planner on the wall and mark all the assignment due dates and a note three days prior. Then you can see when assignments are due close together.”

Postgraduate Diploma in BUSINESS ENTERPRISE INVERCARGILL CAMPUS OR VIA SIT2LRN

This programme is designed to meet the needs of graduates who wish to start their own business as well as those who want to learn about entrepreneurship, innovation and businessenterprise management in an existing business. Students in the programme will not only be focused on creating new business ventures, but will also have a willingness and commitment to learn about new enterprise creation and development from theoretical and research based perspectives.

0800 4 0 FEES (3337) | info@sit.ac.nz

Click here for more information on this programme.

Click here to see more on Kate’s experience with SIT2LRN.

SITUATION July 201514

1Understand the e-learning difference

Distance education suits self-starters and people who really want to learn. E-learning isn’t easier than classroom learning - it has the flexibility to fit in with your life, but this means motivation and discipline has to come from you. If you’re excited about study and the improvements it will make to your career, you should enjoy e-learning study success.

Effectiveveveonline learningnl

Gone are the days of traditional classroom study. Online

popular amongst students for both convenience and accessibility. As the educational sector moves towards a digital age of online teaching and collaboration, acquiring

So how can you succeed in this new learning environment?

2

Set realistic study goals

Distance education allows you to work at a pace that suits you best. However, it can be tempting to put off study in favour of social or family time, so it’s important to set real deadlines and stick to them.

3

Get into a study routine

The key difference between face to face and online learning is the level of independence. Students have the luxury of learning at a time convenient to them without having to attend any regularly scheduled sessions. However, this could pose a threat, as procrastination could lead to students lagging behind.

Plan your week. Set time aside for the things you normally do:

» Work» Socialising» Relaxing» Other commitments (eg sport)Now you can see when to allocate time to study. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Make sure you schedule study at times that work for you. Allow time for healthy snacks and breaks; both help keep your concentration and motivation levels up.

Likewise, seek assistance in your daily life from your employer, colleagues, friends and family. Let them know what you are doing so that they understand your need to be more flexible - they may even be able to help. Almost every challenge we face is easier if we tell others about it.

SITUATION July 2015 15

4

Accept help from others

For online learning, the majority of the interaction occurs through online threaded discussion forums, which allow students to communicate with their facilitator and fellow students. Students should avoid interacting only with the same students throughout the course as they miss out on effective learning strategies or ideas developed/used by other students.

Some students may be hesitant to contact the facilitator but are encouraged to if they are facing difficulties. Students need to realise at an early stage that asking questions is of utmost importance to online learning. Misinterpretation of the course content could cause a threat to successful completion of the course. Asking questions allows the facilitator and other students to elaborate more on the topic of discussion, which allows students to have a better understanding of the subject matter. In an online learning environment, the facilitator and other students are there to support you.

5

Use the online tools available

Online tools are usually integrated into an online course and include such things as blogs, podcasts, discussion forums, e-mails, chat sessions, etc. Taking advantage of any or all of these support services will ensure that you have a positive learning experience.

6

Reward yourself for online study success

Online study is challenging. It requires self-motivation and self-belief. Success also relies on your ability to know when you’ve done a good job. Don’t forget to reward yourself when you achieve something such as complete an online test or exam.

Keep motivated, keep engaged and enjoy the online learning experience.

https://www.sit.ac.nz/free