The Birth of the Floating Classroom

So, as you might have been following over the years, through the Ragged Uni project I have been trying to find various ways of delivering free computer training in community situations where people have least access. To see the photos of the floating classroom scroll to the bottom. Meantime, I will try and provide some context as to how this has come together. My personal relationship with modern computers is one where I had to salvage computers from what other people discarded and learn to make them work with the minimum of money invested. It is amazing what gets thrown out; not only does the computer industry build in redundancy to the products pushing people to buy a whole new bundle every three years, but also people throw things out because they think the technology has become redundant. Read more

Ragged University and People Know How by Glenn Liddall

Alex Dunedin of Ragged University and I were introduced through a mutual acquaintance who simply said “You both need to talk” because we are both involved in the idea of cultivating community and trying to create opportunities for people where they are most needed. Alex is a gifted listener and ideas person, keen to listen to people, appreciate the time and energy they have invested in their subject, and try and support them to get where they want to be – wherever that is. Read more

People Know How and Ragged University Working Together

On meeting Glenn Liddall of People Know How, I was very pleasantly surprised. We had been introduced because we are both involved in the idea of cultivating community and trying to create opportunities for people where they are most needed. My role in Ragged University is to listen to people, appreciate the time and energy they have invested in their subject, and try and support them get where they want to be – wherever that is.

Glenn has a similar vision, and we met and discussed the possibilities of People Know How and Ragged University working together in partnership. What grabbed me is the humanity that Glenn carries around with him. From the off I got the sense that he understands that life is messy, complex and non-standard; and that helping people starts with listening and forming a conversation. Read more