Adults ONLY conference 2008
Workshop Outlines
Creating community through public speaking Dr Rob McCormack
A hands-on crash course in
which you will be explicitly taught a number of text patterns that, when put
together, create a short speech of praise in which the higher values drawing us
together as a community are invoked. The session is designed to give literacy
practitioners an insight into how the 2300 year tradition of classical rhetoric
taught language and literacy skills to such pupils as Cicero, Shakespeare,
Milton and Churchilll; and to remind us that language
education is much older than modern literacy education.
2.5 hours (one or two sessions)
Time and Money: a new dual-enrolment
course to improve the teaching and learning options for students in VET
qualifications
A
new course—Underpinning Skills for Industry Qualifications (USIQ)—has been
accredited to be used as a dual enrolment for people undertaking VET
qualifications who may need extra time or extra teaching. The new course can be used as a co-enrolment
with qualifications at any AQF level and in any situation where there is
evidence that the students are working under a disadvantage of one kind or
another. The course enables RTOs to have up to 250
additional teaching hours in any 6 month period. Students can be re-enrolled in the course and
there is no additional assessment.
This
workshop will introduce participants to the structure of the course, its Business
Rules and the opportunities to access funding from one of the Department’s
resource allocation arrangements. There
will be opportunities to practice designing programs for groups of students
with different needs and to identify any further resource development needs.
1.5 hours
Assessing the new CGEA: how does it stack up as an adult
literacy course?
The
latest version of the Certificates in General Education for Adults (CGEA) has
now been in use for just over six months. The re-accredited CGEA courses
contain some major changes. In the nature of all significant change, some
aspects of these are likely to be for the good, others for the worse.
This
workshop is a de-brief for users to share their
experiences of the implementation and how it has impacted on students and
teachers. Participants will also be
offered an opportunity to generate solutions to outstanding issues. The workshop will include an update on
resource development projects in progress.
1.5 hours
Inclusion through Knowledge: Understanding the Impact of Learning Disabilities on Adult Literacy Jennifer Amy
Adults with literacy issues, including specific learning disabilities, are often keen to develop an understanding of their rights and responsibilities as learners. To provide inroads to empowerment, this workshop will address these issues by providing updated information regarding specific literacy and processing difficulties, modes of learning, options for remediation and localised pathways for continued schooling and employment. As well, there will be a presentation of effective, reliable strategies and resources that can be used to open up adult literacy learning, which are based on the internationally renowned Orton-Gillingham Program and the Wilson Reading System, which have been designed for use with adult literacy learners.
1.5 hours
Human Capital and Social Inclusion: Mutually Exclusive
Terms?
This presentation will examine the concept of Human Capital as a policy
construct and as a set of embedded practices impacting on the funding and delivery
of educational services to adults. Human
Capital is a strand of neo-classical economic theory that has been and
continues to be a pervading and powerful influence on policy settings for
education in all OECD nations including
1.5 hours
Giving adult learners control: the new MYLO Literacy and learning Skills Program Keith Burridge and Mally Hilton
MYLO, Maximise
Your Learning Opportunities, is a new computer and text teaching program for
older learners with general or specific literacy skill problems, written and
produced in
MYLO offers:
· self-paced learning using sight and sound
· interactive computer teaching with text version and extra text only modules
· separate skill modules in small progressive steps – basic to advanced level
· flexible teaching options – computer and/or text
· ease of use with minimal preparation
· unique edit facility – computer content
· full instructions, lesson plans, test and record facilities (computer and text)
Come and try this brand new program hands-on in the computer lab and see
whether it is suitable as a component of your program for adults.
1.5 hours
Literacy - Keys to the future Harriet Wakelam
You support literacy learning – you hear talk of
technology but you’re not a geek - you teach. What does the future mean for teaching and
technology, what will your job look like, what will the future hold, what
skills will be valued – how do you go about getting involved? Do you have to try and learn technology
too? This presentation takes a light
hearted view beneath the bonnet of the technology juggernaut and takes some of
the mystique out of getting involved in new technologies. It looks at the implications for giving adult
learners the tools to utlilise the Internet.
You won’t learn how to write html, but you will learn how to select
technologies that complement your teaching style.
1.5 hours
Puzzles as an aid to literacy learning Claire Anderson and Heather McKay
Puzzles are often used in
adult classrooms as an icebreaker or a fill in.
In this hands-on session, two teachers from very different locations
will share how they have developed puzzles as a key tool in their CGEA
programs. Claire will demonstrate the possibilities of using 3D puzzles, and
other puzzles such as simple jigsaw puzzles and tangrams as an adjunct to
literacy learning. Heather will show you
how she customises a range of puzzles to the events of the week using readily
available online tools. The puzzles she
uses provide routine and structure and thus allow her more time to meet
learning needs one-to-one; they offer pleasurable ways to practice important
skills; and allow collaborative interaction between very different
students. Student attendance has
improved and they are achieving outcomes against the CGEA framework.An
introduction to this way of learning will be followed by time to experiment
with the different types of puzzles.
1.5 hours
Reasonable adjustment: A practical guide to reasonable adjustment in assessment of candidates with disability in VET Helen Errington
This workshop will introduce a new publication: Reasonable adjustment: A practical guide to reasonable adjustment in assessment of candidates with disability in VET. The Guide is focussed upon people with disability as defined under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA). The DDA requires Registered Training Organisations to customise their services—including making reasonable adjustment to the provision of assessment services—to facilitate the successful participation of people with disability in education, training and employment.
The Guide clarifies the concept of ‘reasonable adjustment’ and will assist assessors to design assessments that are both reliable and valid but that also respond creatively to the challenge of assessing a candidate who has some limitations arising from a recognised disability.
The workshop will inform you of the legislative
requirements underpinning reasonable adjustment in assessment for people with
disability in VET, engage you in practical exercises that demonstrate
alternative assessment and provide you with an opportunity to have your
questions answered. The workshop will be
informative practical, and entertaining.
1.5 hours
Newspapers: An adult text to teach literacy Lynne Cahill and Sharon
Wilson
Discover effective reading
and writing strategies in this hands-on session.
Using the newspaper as the text provides the learner with the motivation to read and understand about the world around them while developing life skills.
In this session participants will experience activities using a variety of teaching strategies such as Co-operative Reading Roles, Higher Order Thinking Skills and Habits of Mind to develop and assess literacy skills.
Newspapers in
Education (NIE) is recognised as a world
leader in its field and was the winner of the prestigious World Association
Young Reader program in 2005. NIE has also
been recognised for the development of its curriculum resource materials and
has won Australian and American awards for its programs for the past five
consecutive years.
1.5 hours
Burdiya Yorgas (Noongar for “Boss Women”) Dianne Henderson, Corinne Glorie and Karen Toigo
Burdiya Yorgas – “Boss Women” in Noongar language means “Empower the Women: Empower the community”.
A multi-facetted presentation which reflects the true nature of the learning experience and the community-based, consultative context within which it operates. It offers practical tips from both Noongar and Watjila (white) perspectives, for effective consultation with Aboriginal community to develop positive working partnerships.
Working together with a strong local Aboriginal corporation to develop client-focussed training to empower Aboriginal women and their families in a multi-generational group this program offers a highly successful example of
· listening to the community needs
· developing working partnership with local Aboriginal corporation
· a vocationally-directed training program which engages them and moves them forward, at their own pace
· Ongoing consultation with client group: catering for their needs
· Literacy & numeracy needs met through practical hands-on projects with surprising results
· Course conducted in ‘their territory’; at the local Burdiya Aboriginal corporation centre.
1.5 hours
Supporting Adult Literacy in TAFE Vocational courses Denise Shearer
As
the literacy requirements of workplaces and training delivery increase, the
literacy and study needs of vocational students need to be better supported.
This workshop will explore possible strategies available to provide literacy
and English language support and look at one approach being trialled.
1.5 hours
An Idiot’s Guide to Rhetoric: a quick overview of ancient rhetoric Dr Rob McCormack
This session is a
show-and-tell session giving a quick overview of the curriculum concepts and
practices used by classical rhetoric to teach language and literacy. These
ancient concepts and practices are still very relevant to adult literacy and
adult basic education, and in fact underpin much of our contemporary ways of
teaching.
For many ALBE practitioners,
meeting classical rhetoric is like discovering a long-lost branch of the family.
1.5 hours
Having fun with numeracy and maths Dave Tout
This hands-on workshop will
enable participants to experience a range of maths activities suitable for
classroom use with literacy and numeracy students. The activities focus on the
development of core maths skills through approaches such as whole and small
group work and the use of hands-on materials. The maths content will focus on
areas such as number, measurement, statistics and data and location and
direction and the activities will illustrate alternative approaches to the
traditional worksheet or textbook approach for teaching numeracy and maths.
1.5 hours
Entry to General Education –curriculum for adults
learning English literacy
Cheryl Wiltshire and Helena Zielinska
Do you have students who are just beginning to acquire
literacy and numeracy skills? You will be interested in the Entry to General
Education that is designed to replace the Introduction to General Education
(IGE) course. The re-accreditation is informed by lessons learnt though
extensive use of the IGE with
The course contains a new set of electives that reflect
the sorts of options that are popular in the prison education centres such as
driver education, Food Cents and money matters. Additionally the core units have been
entirely re-written to enable students to progress more easily.
40 mins
Art-based literacy learning: what makes it work? Helena Zielinska and Rosemary Walley
Adults are often keen to sign up for courses that
allow them to express and develop their artistic talents. Educators on the
other hand often see literacy skills development as a more important goal of
adult education, especially if the adults concerned have little previous
education. The Story-telling through Art initiative allows for both
perspectives: Indigenous adults focused on artistic expression develop their
literacy skills in a way that recognises and builds on their language and
cultural competencies. It is an approach that works with both Indigenous and
Non- Indigenous groups. It is in keeping with the new CGEA, modelling how
different text types (eg poetry, song writing and short stories) can be
incorporated into the teaching to reach agreed outcomes. This presentation
focuses on what makes such a program successful and some of the pitfalls to
avoid.
40 mins
Why teach percentage first? Stephanie Mitchell
In the late 90’s the National Council of Research commissioned a study to investigate how students learn and to ask what the implications of the findings are. The council agreed on 3 principles of learning and by applying these principles Dr Joan Moss studied how students learn rational numbers (fractions, decimal and percent). Dr Moss is convinced that current teaching methods usually build on the wrong ‘prior understandings’ when they introduce fractions straight after teaching whole numbers and begin with the fraction circle. As almost every teaching package I have seen has introduced fractions with either the pie or the chart I read on with interest. This workshop describes Dr Joan Moss’s findings and discusses the implications for teaching rational numbers.
40 minutes
Presenter information
Claire Anderson has been working in
the literacy field since 1991, when she took a position with Adult Literacy
Services, combining the roles of Adult Literacy Officer and librarian. Claire’s
workplaces have included adult and juvenile corrective institutions, TAFEs and community settings. Claire currently works for
Central West TAFE in Carnarvon.
Corinne Glorie has been working with Aboriginal people and supporting indigenous
communities as a consultant and program manager for 15 years in the health,
arts and TAFE sectors. Corinne wrote The Young Adolescent Parent Program (YAP)
which won the DAO Strong Spirit Strong Mind Awards in 2007 for the Innovative
and Culturally Secure Aboriginal Alcohol and other Drug Program category. The
suicide prevention program Corinne implemented was called LINKZ and was a
finalist in the WA Community Service Awards in 2003. This program was
implemented in 12 regional areas and aimed at Noongar Aboriginal youth. Corinne
is currently lecturing and coordinating the Burdiya Yorgas and Workabout courses.
Dave Tout is widely
recognised as one of
Denise Shearer is a qualified
teacher and ESL trainer with over 25 years experience in schools, colleges and
universities; research and project developments within access and equity
programs supporting women, NESB and socially disadvantaged groups to overcome
educational and vocational barriers. Currently working as an
ESL lecturer within Health & Lifestyle Programs,
Dianne Henderson has been working with
Indigenous Australians for over twenty years in a range of Education and
Training contexts. Coming originally
from a professional background as a Drama and Music Specialist teacher, Dianne
began working with Indigenous people in the
Harriet Wakelam
is Educational Technology Manager at West Coast
TAFE. She has a background in multimedia
production and project management and now represents educational interests on
the board of the Australian Web Industry Association. Harriet is passionate about the capacity of
technology to bring about change and improved communication. Current projects include i-connect,
an initiative looking at social networking and other tools to better connect
West Coast TAFE to it’s students, stakeholders and clients. She has also established a ‘just in time’
professional development learning space where staff and external experts mentor
each other to improve their technology skills at their own pace.
Heather McKay has taught literacy and numeracy to prisoners
since 1990. She currently teaches CGEA
and IGE classes.
Helen Errington currently works in the VET Access Branch of the Department of
Education and Training. She is
responsible for ensuring that department policies and programs are inclusive of
people with disability and has recently been managing projects focussing on
issues of transition, high support needs of students with disability in TAFE
and the publication on reasonable adjustment in assessment for candidates with
disability in VET.
Prior to moving to the
Department she spent 13 years as a Conciliation Officer with the State Equal
Opportunity Commission resolving complaints of discrimination on the grounds
covered by the ACT. She has a Social
Work degree, a Diploma in Fine Arts and is co-founder of the WA Disability
Collective, a non-funded civil society group committed to issues of social
justice and human rights.
Helena Zielinska has been working with the Department of Corrective Services for eight
years and is currently the Adult Basic Education Coordinator in the Education and Vocational Training
Unit. Prior to working within a correctional
environment she worked in special education, primary and high school education
facilities.
Jennifer Amy is the Director of
the Therapeutic Learning Centre, which provides assessment, program design and
individualised tutoring for students with specific learning and processing
disabilities. She is currently enrolled
in the Doctorate of Education Program at
Karen Toigo is a Noongar woman from Kojonup in the South West of Western
Australia. After twenty six years
raising her family of five children, Karen decided to change her life
direction. After being told by a career
advisor that her only employment option was as a dish-washer, Karen opted for a
university education instead. She
graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Graduate Diploma in Primary Education and
has been working as a lecturer at Challenger TAFE for the past five years. Karen is now completing a Masters in
Education at
Keith Burridge is a teacher at
Lynne Cahill began her career as
an Early Childhood teacher. After studying several post graduate degrees, she
taught all primary levels and then experienced teaching in a middle school
where she combined a year seven home class with teaching lower secondary
science, Science and Environment (S&E) and upper school Physical education.
Mally Hilton is a retired
Education Support teacher. She has extensive teaching experience teaching
literacy skills to students of all ages and has a special interest in students
who have failed to learn essential literacy skills.
Margaret McHugh has served on the ACAL national
Executive for four years and has been national president since 2005. She lives and works in
Dr Robin McCormack works in adult basic education and academic
language and learning. He champions the relevance of classical rhetoric for
today and has designed two foundation study units, based on rhetoric, for
Indigenous adults in higher education at Bachelor Institute in the NT.
Rosemary Walley has been working with
the Department of Corrective Services for five years as the Indigenous
Education Coordinator. In this role she co-ordinates and administers VET
programs, provides guidance to staff on appropriate resources and teaching
methods for Indigenous students, has involved herself in a range of on site
prison pilot projects.
Sharon Wilson brings her wealth of
teaching knowledge and expertise to Newspapers in Education. She is experienced
in both primary and secondary areas and has specialised in the SAER program.
Before joining the NIE team she was education officer at the WA Maritime
Museum.
Stephanie Mitchell has dabbled in all
aspects of adult literacy and numeracy, from teaching in the workplace, the
employment programmes and TAFE. These days she favours adult numeracy over
adult literacy. She has developed
curriculum and loves to do any kind of research related to adults and learning
and employment. Recently she has been
learning about elearning and reviewing online
resources and learning spaces. It was
while working in this area at WestOne she came across
the argument to teach percent before decimals and fractions and wanted to share
this idea with practitioners.
Other possible presenters
CET teacher using a camera to
create literacy materials
Coral Brockman and Glenys
Collard What we can learn from Fairy tales