Literacy Live Recordings
These recordings of recent Literacy Live events are available for your use. All of them are large files and are usually the audio of the LL event as well as the graphics used in the browser/whiteboard area of the room.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
"But that's not ALLs the story - the results …"
The results of the Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALLS) survey
Hear and see the event Part 1 (large audio files and graphics)
Hear and see the event Part 2 (large audio files and graphics)
This session looked at the results of the Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALLS) survey that was conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in Australia in 2006 and early 2007.
The ABS figures released in late November, 2008, showed that about 7 million adult Australians lacked the literacy skills to cope with the demands of modern life and work. The figures were worse in other domains of the survey including in numeracy and health literacy. The forum will look at the structure and content of the ALLS survey and what range of information is tested and collected. Key results of the survey data will also be presented, including what the differences are across different ages, between men and women, and how Australia performed compared to some other countries.
Presenter: Dave Tout, Centre for Adult Education and numeracy consultant, and a member of the international numeracy team responsible for developing the numeracy component of the survey and a member of the Reference Group for ALLS in Australia.
You can read the ACAL position paper Moving forward: Towards a Literate Australia (Jan 2008) (PDF 120KB).
You can also read the ABS summary of findings at the ABS web site, search on 'adult literacy' or use the code '4228.0'
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
"Everything you wanted to know about mobile learning but were afraid to ask"
Hear and see the event (large audio files and graphics)
Many of us have heard the term mobile learning. But do we really know what it means or can encompass? In this session participants will have the opportunity to understand what mobile learning is all about and to gain some insight into how people are using mobile learning in the educational sector. Caryl will explain some of the issues and give participants strategies to have-a-go at getting going…
In this session Caryl will share some examples of mobile learning activities (with plenty of time for questions and having fun.)
Presenter Caryl Oliver is an active participant in a number of networks such as the mobile learning network, the emerging technologies network and the digital story telling network. Caryl has pioneered the concept of 'digi-lessons' as a means for teachers of any sort to prepare instant talking lessons for playback on any device.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
"Less Teaching and More Learning: Promising Practices in Adult Literacy"
Hear and see the event (large audio files and graphics)
This session presents findings from several studies in adult literacy with a special emphasis on adult English language learners and discuss examples from the field that illustrate what works for teachers and learners and highlight those practices that match up with recent research results. Examples will include activities that engage learners and connect the classroom with language and literacy use in students’ lives. Video and audio will be used to illustrate multi-modal teaching, designed to deepen learning.
Participants will have access to websites that include lesson plans, student projects and a full curriculum for beginners. All participants are encouraged to share their own experience teaching lower level learners.
Presenter Dr Heide Spruck Wrigley is a highly respected literacy practitioner and researcher from the US, well known for her work on English language as well as literacy. Dr Wrigley is Senior Researcher for Language, Literacy and Learning with Literacywork International, a small independent firm conducting research and professional development work in the United States and in Canada.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
"The VALBEC History Project"
Hear and see the event (large audio files and graphics)
VALBEC was established in 1978 as a professional organisation. Its journal Fine Print began publication soon afterwards in 1979. Through their presence, VALBEC and Fine Print have been both a mirror to the adult literacy field, reflecting trends and changes, at the same time as they have helped to shape those trends through professional development activities and the many articles published. Bev Campbell's presentation gives an overview of the VALBEC History Project, through a close analysis of thirty years of Fine Print. Fine Print production falls neatly into two eras: 'The Bootstraps Era' (1979-1993), the establishment phase of the organisation of the field, when VALBEC and the field were almost synonymous, and 'Voices and Versions of the Literacy Story' (1993-to the present), when VALBEC became just one voice among many in the field. Through a VALBEC and Fine Print lens, her presentation explores the struggles and tensions surrounding some of the policy, pedagogical and professional changes in the adult literacy field in Victoria in the last thirty years.
Dr Beverley Campbell has been involved in education for thirty-five years, twenty-five of those in adult literacy education.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Integrating new Literacies into Classroom Practice: How do we engage reluctant learners in reading and writing?
Hear and see the event (large audio files and graphics)
Upper Yarra Community House, funded by a DEST Innovative Literacy Project grant, conducted an action research project which showed that teachers know very little about their students’ home literacy practices and that young people use the new literacies with functional and social ease yet lack critical thinking around these practices. SMS, Games and Website activities were trialled underpinned by a critical literacy perspective. The research team, consisting of both teachers and students has created a web site to both inform and guide teachers to integrate these new literacy practices into the classroom. How can mobile phone texting and playing computer games be used to teach spelling and critical thinking? What activities work and what are the dangers associated with these new literacy practices?
Presenter Kerrin Pryor is based at the Upper Yarra Community House which has been providing innovative education programs to young people who are at risk for many years now. Kerrin has been involved in adult literacy for over twenty years and is passionate about the old adage “start with what they know”.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Aboriginal Literacy: Bridging the Distance to Learning • A Snapshot from Canada
Hear and see the event (large audio and graphics)
The Sioux Hudson Literacy Council is making groundbreaking strides to reach adult Aboriginal learners who reside in remote, isolated communities of Northwestern Ontario, Canada. This literacy organization services learners within the community and surrounding area. The 35 communities, which have a total population of approximately 35,000 people, are often only accessible by plane in the summer months and ice roads during the winter. The Aboriginal community members have not had the privilege of strong, structured educational backgrounds and have not had the opportunity to improve their existing literacy and employability skills. There are currently programs in these communities offered to high school and college students via video- and audio-conferencing. It appears however, that individuals who would benefit the most, the people who need assistance to attain the literacy levels required to achieve success at the high school and college levels are those who have had few educational opportunities.
Over the last three years, the Sioux Hudson Literacy Council has been offering solutions for the literacy learner at a distance. We have created a unique website with direct links to synchronous online classrooms and offers a solution to the growing number of Indigenous learners who have little or no education. (Website:www.siouxhudsonliteracy.com)
Our journey continues and we have discovered many challenges and issues surrounding the obtaining and retaining of both online learners in Northwestern Ontario. This presentation will deliver some research findings, insights and experiences from our progressive work to reach Aboriginal distance learners in the remote, isolate communities of Ontario Canada's North.
Presenter: Michelle Eady is the Distance Projects Coordinator for the Sioux Hudson Literacy Council in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada and a PhD Candidate at the University of Wollongong, NSW. Michelle has six years experience living and working in remote Canadian Aboriginal communities. A qualified teacher, Michelle has been working in the literacy field for nearly 10 years. Most recently, Michelle received the 2007 Council of the Federation of Literacy Award for Innovation in Literacy. Michelle has had the pleasure of speaking many conferences including, the Ontario Native Literacy Coalition AGM in 2004 and 2006, the 2005 Summer Institute at The Centre for Literacy in Montreal, CADE “Innovation in Education” conference 2006, the SABA Summit in Boston 2006 and San Fransisco 2007, and the 2006 IADIS “E Societies” International Conference in Dublin, Ireland. She looks forward to meeting other innovators in the field of literacy, sharing information and learning something new!
2007 and 2006 Session Recordings:
- Tuesday 10 April, 2007: David Warlick gave a compelling overview of the need to redefine literacies for the new information landscape of the twenty-first century. Tune in to David Warlick's recording here. Find out more about David's work, at davidwarlick.com
- Thursday 15 March, 2007: New learning technologies, what are they and how do I use them, in the virtual and face-to-face classroom? Carole's recording here. Carole McCulloch introduced participants to the world of voice technologies and demonstrate the kinds of activities that are possible in these learning environments. (Assisted by Michael Coghlan and Michael Chalk.)
- Thursday, 22 February, 2007, Michael Coghlan presented: Practice in the Virtual Classroom. Michael's recording here. .. in this session, Michael Coghlan introduced participants to the world of virtual classrooms, and demonstrate the kinds of activities that are possible in these learning environments.
- In August '06, Delia Bradshaw shared her perspective on the New Practices projects, "Different Voices, Different Spaces. Find the recording of Delia's session here.
