March 2007                                                          LearnNB/ApprendreNB eNewsletter

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The Canadian Forces, LearnNB & NB Aerospace and Defence Association
Invite You to Attend

Advanced Learning Technologies Symposium
Learning: From the Classroom to Combat

April 3 & 4, 2007
CFB Gagetown

Experience, Discover, Learn:

• Experience first-hand the Canadian Military's transformation of learning and find out what they want from the private sector to go further
• Discover opportunities to transfer concepts & technologies to your area of interest as we explore the breadth of what emerging learning theories and technologies offer
• Learn exciting ways to leverage informal learning and become part of a powerful new network to you grow your learning organization and your vision

This symposium is valuable if you:

• Educate, train, or represent post-secondary, private, research or public education sectors
• Want to exchange concepts & methodologies with world leaders and recognize value in the visions of others and that as a learning leader you add two-way value to this discussion
• Want powerful technologies & methodologies to transform learning

Dates: April 3, 4, 2005

Location: CFB Gagetown
Cost: Full Event & Dinner (April 3): $235
(Single day registration also available)

Click here the list of speakers and agenda.

Please note!  This event is expected to sell out, so we encourage early registration.

REGISTER NOW!

Editorial

Submitted by Kathy Watt

It is a good time to be an educator and a businesswoman. I love nothing better than a good challenge, and my current responsibilities allow me to be part of the opportunity to demonstrate to the rest of the world (yes, the world!) that New Brunswick possesses the talent, the vision, the technology, and thewill to to respond to challenges here at home and indeed, to compete on the world stage.

We are well aware of the unrelenting pressures we face in providing affordable, quality education for our youth. We also face current and future skills shortages across a number of sectors. What we may not be aware of is the incredible energy, commitment, and action underway by many within our province to address this reality. This energy is resulting not only in growth and development of learning services and products for export, but those that have impact upon the current and future education and training of our own people, right here, right now.

LearnNB is comprised of a group of visionary, tenacious leaders in learning. This learning industry association, formed less than three years ago, exists to support the growth and development of a learning industry cluster in New Brunswick. It comprises stakeholders from public education, post-secondary education, private sector, and research agencies. Its members provide traditional educational programs and solutions, along with world-class e-learning solutions. And the world is our marketplace!

LearnNB has a unique, three-fold mission: to promote the export of New Brunswick's experience, knowledge, expertise, products, and services in e-learning and related fields; to facilitate partnerships between the private sector, governments, universities, and non-governmental organizations; and to assist the province and the Atlantic Region through the ongoing development of our human capital, and more effectively export our collective competence in e-learning capacity building.

Here is the best-part it is working! One conversation at a time, organizations large and small, are brokering deals and developing learning solutions that advance LearnNB's mission and contribute to economic growth and development in our province. New Brunswick's learning solutions providers represent an array of successful business models and it is this diversity that bodes well for the future of the industry, and by extension, the citizens of our province.

Adversity forces us to look at things differently, and positions us to respond to challenges in new ways. I have recently been part of conversations that demonstrate a fierce commitment to explore partnerships and creative solutions that will not only create new business for the organizations involved, but that have the potential to address the education and training challenges before us.

New Brunswick has realized that we can leverage our comparatively small population, along with the excellent educational and technical assets to attract business, which in turn, feeds the growth and development of this learning cluster.

I recently had a conversation with the COO of Pulse Learning, which has a learning development shop currently employing over 40 persons in Fredericton. The company, headquartered in Ireland, was established in 1999, and was recognized by Deloitte this past November as the fourth fastest growing technology company in Ireland. Pulse chose New Brunswick as its headquarters for its North American operations, precisely for all of the reasons mentioned above, along with the provinces competitive wage rates and close proximity to American markets.

Now that is encouraging. Stories like these need to be shared to demonstrate what New Brunswick has to offer, so let's get talking!  

Kathy Watt serves as the President of LearnNB. She is the Manager of Business Development at

UNB's College of Extended Learning and may be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Tel: 506-458-7193.

Upcoming Instructional Design Series

Register Now!

"Assessment, Measurement and Evaluation"

May 3 - 4, 2007
CSTD National Symposium
Montreal, Quebec

A Note from the Editor

Recently, I had the chance discuss the future of the Learn NB newsletter with Joanne Marquis-Charron and Kathy Watt. Over the coming months, we'll be making some changes to the layout and features.

But first, we need a name for the newsletter.

Send me your ideas and the winner will receive a fabulous prize - a free one day registration for the Advanced Learning Technologies symposium to be held April 3rd and 4th at CFB Gagetown.

The deadline for submissions is March 26^th.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you,

Marilyn Holland

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Moving Forward on Workplace Learning

The foundation of a skilled and knowledgeable society lies in early childhood development and in our formal systems of education: our primary and secondary schools, our colleges,and our universities. However, the need to invest more in our current workforce has never been greater. The demands of the knowledge economy coupled with the transformational nature of information technology mean frequent changes in skill requirements on the job.  And most of the people who will be in the workforce in 2015 are in it today, so it is becoming more urgent to make the best use of the workers we have now.

To access the full report clickhere.

FREE Promotion...
Promote yourself and your organization's going-ons for free by being seen and heard through the LearnNB newsletter. Are you speaking at an event, coming out with a new product or service, changing jobs or working on an interesting project? Then, tell us all about it! Members can send their news to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , in either official language.

Volunteers Wanted
We are seeking volunteers to be part of our committees including: Outreach, Membership, and Communications. We need our members to help build LearnNB! If you are interested please contact Kathy Watt, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

MedSenses is the brain-child of two nurses with extensive backgrounds in continuing education for nurses offering a full slate of 32 computer-based, interactive learning modules with an extensive course catalogue expansion planned for the next 12 months.

The firm's principals, Trisha Coady and Lynn Casey have a real passion for learning and nursing. MedSenses has evolved out of that passion and a sense that there is a real need for continuing nurse education that is more economical, more engaging and fully accredited. And because it is computer-based and supported online, we can provide services 24/7 anywhere in the world.  To read more about MedSenses clickhere.

Visit our newly updated website...........
www.learnnb.ca

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