2011 03 11 COMMEND "Barry Donnelly" LETTER

Letter of Recommendation

• March 11th, 2011
• Ref: BJC017D
• To whom it may concern,
• My name is Barry Donnelly and I am the lead instructor and program coordinator of a Television Production & Digital Media course operated and managed from Northern Ireland by Tyrone Donegal Partnership. Since April 2005 we have been transporting our students from Northern Ireland to Daytona Beach, Florida, in order to receive 8 weeks of on site television training in WDSC TV and to receive professional instruction in Digital Media (Including photography & image manipulation in Photoshop & web design in Dreamweaver). These 8 weeks in Florida make up one third of the entire course.
• The aim of the program and the reason we use Daytona Beach as opposed to anything in the U.K or Ireland is that we endeavour by the way of learning, understanding and encouragement, to help relations between Protestant & Catholic communities, a long standing cause of violent conflict in our country.
• The reason for going to Daytona is to give the students a taste of an environment with that prejudice.
• This course not only gives students the invaluable working knowledge of a live TV station, professional skills in digital media & imaging and highly sought after qualifications; but more importantly, from a social standpoint, it gives the students to work alongside people from a community they would not normally speak to or mix with. It helps the put aside prejudices and myths, leaving as friends rather than misunderstood enemies. We recruit equally on a 50/50 basis from the Protestant and Catholic community so it provides equal footing from the day they start the program.
• I have known Barton James Christner on a professional level since 2007 as one of our digital media tutors. Barton highlights the level of professionalism and dedication we have come to expect from our program, due to his many attributes in relation to our needs.
• Firstly, I will mention Barton’s skill set. He has knowledge of Photoshop that is second to none, being a professional in the digital imaging business himself. Barton has an exceptional flair in photography, with a detailed portfolio of a high standard, and great experience in the act of capturing an excellent picture coupled with a vast experience of the cameras and technology involved. He has also has experience of designing websites, using Dreamweaver coupled with a good understanding and application of the codes involved. Registered Office: Tyrone Donegal Partnership
• Secondly, I will discuss Barton’s skills as a tutor. Barton has always displayed an exceptional talent of engaging the students to a high level, regardless of the subject matter. His diction is excellent, his research and knowledge of the subjects taught is thorough and accurate. Another strong skill in this respect is his ability to help the student understand even the most complex and difficult aspects of the subject matter, by means such as associating the subject matter or process involved with items the student is more familiar with in their own life experience. This may also be due to Barton building a very positive relationship with the students during his class time with them.
• And finally I must mention Barton’s interpersonal skills. As I mentioned earlier, our students come from difficult backgrounds, in relation to the past trouble in Northern Ireland. Barton, helped by a visit in 2008 to Northern Ireland, fully understands the situation of the students and uses not only his superb teaching skills, but also his own personality to help nurture the relationship between our students. By providing insight into the American culture, setting tasks specific to promoting positive creativity between students and encouraging teamwork across the board Barton has been instrumental to the positive outcome of our programs on which he has worked. This has not only been confirmed by monitoring reports from our board of directors but also by the student evaluations carried out in the conclusion of the program.
• I would have no hesitation in recommending Barton to any prospective employer and I would also have no hesitation in using Barton in the future as our lead Digital Media tutor for our Media Program. For any queries do not hesitate to call me on 01144 7904 093166.
• Yours Sincerely,
• Barry Donnelly
• Media Instructor & Coordinator
• Tyrone Donegal Partnership
• Omagh Business Complex
• Gortrush Industrial Estate, Omagh
• County Tyrone, Northern Ireland BT78 5LU
• Tel: 028 8225 0962
• Fax: 028 8224 9454
• E-mail: info@tyronedonegalpartnership.org