February 2018
In this issue
1. From the Co-Presidents
2. 2018 ACAL Conference • call for papers
3. Planning for 2018
4. Dr Keiko Yasukawa receives life membership of ACAL
5. Upcoming IRC meeting
6. Membership Drive
7. Eddie the Wootube teacher wants Australians to understand more than just maths
8. 2018 WAALC Conference
9. 2018-2020 Action Plan for 26TEN Tasmania
10. Disability sector struggling with IT
11. 2017 ACAL Symposium - final report
1. From the Co-Presidents
Welcome to ACAL in 2018. This update comes to you from Hardware Lane in Melbourne after a productive meeting with the ACAL committee to plan our 2018 activities.
Hosting the 41st annual ACAL conference in September 2018, Melbourne is definitely an eclectic and vibrant city. The venue, The Melbourne Conference and Exhibition Centre, overlooks the Yarra River, and is a short stroll from iconic café laneways, cultural centres and shopping precincts. We met with members of the conference committee who are well progressed with their organisation of the conference. The call for papers is out, the date is set and Melbourne awaits!
At our annual face-to-face meeting (4th Feb 2018), the committee prepared a working plan for 2018 and you can expect up-to-date information, professional development opportunities, and pro-active advocacy. The themes driving the working plan include advocacy for both practitioners and for learners, an increased presence in adult literacy and numeracy discourse, and closer contact with politicians and the media. We will be looking at LN funding, Indigenous provision, qualification requirements, evidence-based practice, the discourse around literacy, and the dissemination of research findings. No doubt the list will grow as issues are raised and needs arise. As a volunteer organisation, ACAL is driven by the passion of its members: Thank you to Andrea, Ann, Caralyn, Cheryl, Debra, Don, Lorraine, Rhonda and Vicki for spending your weekend travelling and taking part in the meeting.
Meeting our fellow committee members in person was an inspiring way to start the year. We hope you are all able to harness and maintain that initial enthusiasm that precedes Term 1 and we look forward to engaging with you throughout the year.
Happy teaching,
Jo and Daniella.
2. 2018 ACAL Conference • call for papers
September 12-14, 2018 • Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
How can we recognise the sound pedagogical practices within these diverse learning communities? How can we respond to the changing needs of these diverse communities? How do we continue to build the professional capabilities of LLN practitioners? You are invited to
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Illuminate methodologies within practice
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Sift out the method within the espoused theory or research results
- Share knowledge and experience
Four strands
Where Are We?
What Are We?
What We Do
The New
3. Planning for 2018
Each committee member has decided to follow an issue throughout the year and we will be sharing information about these through the webpage and Facebook each month. This month Jo is focussing on the Graduate Diploma in Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice, and particularly its vet fee help status. With a reduction of courses available for obtaining formal qualifications in adult literacy, accessible pathways to expanding knowledge become more critical.
4. Dr Keiko Yasukawa receives life membership of ACAL
In December 2017, the considerable contribution to ACAL and to adult literacy and numeracy in Australia by Dr Keiko Yasukawa was recognized by the presentation of life membership with the Australian Council for Adult Literacy (ACAL).
Through her work with the NSW Adult Literacy and Numeracy Council over two decades and with the executive of ACAL for much of that time, Dr Yasukawa has had significant and valuable input into the adult education sector in Australia. Her contribution to ACAL has involved considerable periods as a State Representative, Secretary, and most recently as Vice President.
Always thoughtful and well informed, Dr Yasukawa presented positive ideas in representing both her NSW constituents and ACAL in other forums. The Council has valued in particular her insightful and well-articulated responses to the range of government policies which affect our field, and for the instigation and coordination of the ACAL/NCVER literature review project and the Stories of Resilience project.
5. Upcoming IRC meeting
Co-President Daniella Mayer is a current member of the Education Industry Reference Council and provides a strong representation for ACAL and therefore adult literacy. Industry Reference Committees (IRCs) are the formal channel for considering industry skills requirements in the development and review of training packages. The IRC is made up of people with close links to industry. They are leaders in their own sectors from big business to small enterprise and peak bodies to unions, who understand the skills needs of their sector, industry or occupation. IRCs advise the AISC about the skills needs of their industry sector and ensure training packages meet the needs and concerns of employers, employees, training providers, and people seeking training qualifications. As our representative, Daniella is currently involved in providing input into the upcoming TAE training package review and the ongoing FSK review.
If you wish to share any thoughts about either of these training packages, then please send it on to info@acal.edu.au or get in touch through our facebook account.
6. Membership Drive
This year we are launching a membership drive as part of our desire to have an increased presence and influence on adult literacy issues. Please encourage your colleagues and network contacts to join ACAL in 2018.
7. Eddie the Wootube teacher wants Australians to understand more than just maths
Eddie Woo, mathematics teacher and Youtube personality delivered the 2018 Australia Day Address.
Eddie Woo is a household name to tens of thousands of students across Australia. His enthusiasm for mathematics has helped kids all around the country learn and understand the subject through video tutorials on his YouTube channel — Wootube.
8. 2018 WAALC Conference
The 2018 WAALC conference will bring together enthusiastic and experienced teachers to share their best and most creative ideas to help adults grow their literacy and numeracy skills.
The presentations will focus on practical ideas for teaching that have been tried and tested in classrooms, and less formal settings, and proven to be successful and enjoyed by learners. Presenters may choose to focus on any aspect of teaching: writing, pronunciation, reading, maths, engagement in learning etc.
9. 2018-2020 Action Plan for 26TEN Tasmania
Tasmania’s strategy for adult literacy and numeracy 2016-2025
The plan outlines how 26TEN, Tasmania’s adult literacy and numeracy strategy, will work with members and others in the 26TEN Network to make it easier for Tasmanian adults to get the numeracy and literacy skills they need. It will now be easier to take action in a way that suits supporters, and that will make a real difference for all Tasmanians. It will also be easier to share stories of challenges and successes that will inspire others to act.
10. Disability sector struggling with IT
A major survey released recently shows more than half of respondents in the disability sector report that their IT systems don't work well for their staff and management.
The survey of 385 not-for-profit organisations identified a significant under-investment in IT, with many organisations using systems that aren't working well enough to provide efficient services.
The report Digital Technology for The Not-For-Profit Sector in 2018, released by Australian and New Zealand not-for-profit technology leaders Connecting Up, TechSoup New Zealand and Infoxchange, shows not-for-profits struggling to maintain their overall productivity and provide the holistic services depended upon by millions.
11. 2017 ACAL Symposium - final report
The final report of 'Action For Change: Aboriginal Adult English Language Literacy And Numeracy'- the pre-conference associated with the 2017 ACAL Conference is now available.
The report contains program, presentations and related documents.