Our observations

1. Education and training is increasingly using online technologies to deliver information
2. Online technologies are useful as they enable the learner to choose when and what they will learn, but they can isolate the learner
3. Formal training for certificates and diplomas don't always meet the needs of Just In Time learning
4. There has been a shift in focus toward a belief that only formal training is useful

Our beliefs

1. Online technologies are useful tools to enable and extend the access of learners to information but need to leave room for learner choice
2. Just In Time learning has to step outside the strictures of formal learning but is still valuable learning
3. Online technologies enable and expand learning opportunities by encouraging the learner to look outward from the knowledge provided to explore other learning environments
4. That creating a learning community is equally as important as the actual data/information provided

What started it all?

In the middle of 2009 we were looking to find new inspiration for a business venture. We sensed a change in the way the world is doing business and wanted to be a part of it.

The change was partly triggered from our own personal inspirations coming from parallel sources.We wanted to share what we had learned in an easily accessible format.

We were also aware that the way people learned things - often by physically attending a night class - was under-threat through the loss of formal funding. There would be fewer night classes in New Zealand as funding was withdrawn and schools would lose a form of income from those classes.

Finally, individuals themselves were changing the way they accessed information. Work commitments often took them away from home and being able to allocate an evening once a week for ten weeks or more to a learning project was no longer practicable.

From those inspirations eBrainz was borne. We believe eBrainz will offer a learning and earning opportunity for many.

The people behind eBrainz are:

Sarah Marsh and Heather Sylvawood

One of my inspirations came from my mother and father. They were children of the 1st World War, teenagers in the depression and young adults when plunged into the 2nd World War.

My mother - Alice Wood My grandmother refused to let my mother (Alice) continue school until she could matriculate, despite the pleadings of Alice's teachers. Alice consistently scored marks in the 90s in all subjects and matriculation might have allowed her to go to university. Instead she was sent out to work in a factory to earn much needed cash for the family. My mother, however, did not let her brain or spirit die. She joined the WEA in Auckland, New Zealand. The WEA was the Workers' Education Association - a group of people who joined together to share their knowledge gained from reading whatever they could.

My father - Sydney Berg My father was educated by the corner soap box orators of the 1930s. He had an abiding passion for politics and justice and third world development. At sea in the Pamir during World War II, he wrote extensively in his journal. Back on land, like many men at the time, he struggled to find a job other than manual labour. These experiences showed up in his politics. He was in awe of China when 50 years ago it was tantamount to treason. How times change. How the value of knowledge changes?

 

Personal inspirations

These two people taught me to value learning, and also to value being able to stand up for what you believe in. I needed more, though, and I recently found that inspiration. My personal inspiration to set my goals higher, has come from three sources:

1. Maxwell Maltz, M.D., F.I.C.S., a plastic surgeon who wrote the book Creative Living for Today and coined the term Psycho-Cybernetics. Writing in the 1960s, Maxwell Maltz realized that the outward disfigurements he healed affected, and were affected by, the inward self-images of his patients.

His books include:

• Creative Living for Today
• The Magic Power of Self-image Psychology
• Psycho-Cybernetics

2. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne answered an inner craving for a form of spirituality that came from within. The Secret comes in a Video, DVD, book and audio CDs. I have watched, read and regularly listen to all of them. A copy of the Secret audio tapes is permanently housed in our car and we listen to them as we travel long distances for business.

Rhonda Byrne was also seeking answers to her own struggles and they came in the form of a book by Wallace Wattles: The Science of Getting Rich. I have read this too, and it is truly inspiring. The Secret was the culmination of her utter faith that it could come about … and it did.

These inspirational supports include:

• The Secret website The Secret? Click here for a front row seat!
• Wallace Wattles: The Science of Getting Rich (http://www.scienceofgettingrich.net/) - we may be able to join an affiliate program here for this book which is now out of copyright)

3. Asset-Based Thinking by Kathryn D. Cramer, Ph.d, founder of The Cramer Institute; and Hank Wasiak, co-founder of The Concept Farm. This method of changing your thinking builds on what you already do and shifts it a tiny notch so that your attitude toward life's challenges is empowered. One quote that I have on my wall and use regularly to build on is:

Magnify what's BEST; Focus on what's NEXT

No matter how difficult the situation, you look for the best that can come out of it - perhaps something you've learned you can apply to similar challenges - and then focus all your attention on what to do next, instead of wallowing in 'how bad is this?' thinking.

The asset-based thinking books that challenged the way I think and move me into the positive include:

• Change the Way You See Everything
• Change the Way You See Yourself

Sarah Marsh Sarah's Story My inspiraration

Growing up, education for me was all about getting results - wanting to prove that I could be as good as the next kid. I 'succeeded' - I left high school with a string of high grades and graduated from university with an honours degree in physics. I didn't realise it, but my interpretation of childhood events totally controlled the path I was on.

In my first job I was one of a team responsible for health and safety on a nuclear power plant. I began to learn the real value of knowledge, teamwork and understanding. I developed a passion for shared learning that I still have today. I returned to university to complete a post-grad in Education, taught in high schools for several years, and then immigrated to New Zealand.

Inspirational people

Many of us have people who inspire us in life. A well-known example for me is Richard Branson, for his ability to demonstrate a very human side, balanced with a tough, innovative and successful business style. I started my own business in 1998 to focus on developing training resources for organisations. Of course what I discovered was how much I had to learn and how much more there is to success than simply working hard.

My most recent inspiration has come from a series of personal development courses with Landmark Education. There are many I know who have benefited from this education and it has been a great resource that has enhanced my confidence, business and personal life.

Developing the whole person

Technology today provides so many opportunities for expanding our knowledge. I'm a great advocate of being able to 'dip into' learning to suit. It takes time to implement and practice ideas.

At the same time we need fun in our lives, and pursuits that are not work driven. Hence eBrainz – a multi-way opportunity to share knowledge on a wide array of interests!