Hands up… Hands on…

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Program details available

See details of sessions and speakers

Alola Foundation

Alola logoACAL acknowledges the work done by the Alola Foundation in Timor-Leste. Alola Foundation was founded in 2001 by Ms Kirsty Sword Gusmão with a commitment to improve the lives of women and children in Timor-Leste. Alola was originally created to raise awareness of the widespread sexual violence against women and girls in Timor-Leste during the militia attacks in 1999. Since then Alola opened opportunities for women and their families through a wide variety of programs that assist and support women and children of Timor-Leste.

The mission for Alola is Feto Forte Nasaun Forte - Strong Women, Strong Nation. ACAL is pleased to welcome HE. Kirsty Sword Gusmão, Chairwoman of the Alola Foundation as a keynote speaker.

rock art with hands

The Australian Council of Adult Literacy (ACAL) invites you to join us for our 33rd annual conference.

This will be our first visit to Darwin, a stunning, vibrant city on the doorstep of Asia and the Pacific. Whether you teach adult literacy and numeracy, train teachers, or develop policies and products that support good practice in the field, this year's event is not to be missed. We are especially interested in hearing from colleagues working in the field in countries that border Australia and from others who have an interest in the ways that adults elect to build their literacy and numeracy skills.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Geri Pancini
ACAL President

Pre-Conference Forum

'At the front line: context, pedagogy and practice'.

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Keynote speakers

We are privileged to be able to welcome a trio of highly regarded speakers in the field of adult education -

HE. Kirsty Sword Gusmão, Chairwoman of the Alola Foundation and Goodwill Ambassador for Education, Timor- Leste

Professor Joe Lo Bianco, Chair of Language and Literacy Education and Associate Dean (Global Engagement). The University of Melbourne

Bill Atweh, Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at the Science and Mathematics Education Centre at Curtin University of Technology

 

aerial view of DarwinConference Theme

Hands up… Hands on… will focus on how we can make a difference through our work in adult literacy and numeracy.

Hands up… reminds us that adult learning is most successful when the learner has ownership and control of the learning.  Adults embark on a learning journey driven by their own needs and aspirations and our role in the adult literacy and numeracy field is to nurture these. Hands up… also relates to the need for vigilance to ensure that adult literacy and numeracy is just as much about building communities and expanding social inclusion as it is about building a skilled workforce.

Hands on… encourages a special focus on practical, creative solutions to complex problems arising from a wide variety of social contexts in which learning can take place. The various sites of adult literacy and numeracy learning now and in the future present many opportunities for people to learn and realise their personal, community and employment aspirations. This conference offers you an opportunity to share ideas about creative and transformative practice.

The venue at Charles Darwin University, Casuarina Campus, offers us a fully equipped computer laboratory so some presenters this year will be able to offer hands on sessions showing how modern technologies have extended learning opportunities.

Presenters are encouraged to think of other ways to demonstrate the Hands on… theme.

There are three sub-themes:

  • Literacy and numeracy for everyday living
    • Good practice in both formal and informal contexts whether delivered by paid or unpaid workers with families, seniors, in workplaces, corrections or other sites of learning
  • Literacy and numeracy for building strong communities
    • Aboriginal adult learning contexts, including bilingual and bidialectal strategies
    • Family Literacy and cross agency approaches
    • Diversity in programs and approaches including countries that border Australia
  • Reclaiming quality learning and teaching
    • Pedagogies and practices in adult literacy & numeracy
    • Approaches to deal with diversity in learning styles and needs
    • Good practice using technology to build adult literacy and numeracy
    • Policies and programs to meet the professional learning needs of practitioners
    • Promoting practitioner research in adult literacy and numeracy
    • Other areas of good practice, resources and programs.

Keynote speakers and individual sessions will allow you to explore the differences and commonalities of the multiple spaces and places where adult literacy and numeracy learning occurs formally and informally: corrections, community, health, media, TAFE Institutes, enterprise, universities, families, community organisations, across agencies. The Northern Territory location will support a strong focus on issues important in Aboriginal adult learning contexts, including bilingual and bidialectal strategies. The proximity of the venue to Asia is a chance to make new contacts and learn about alternative practice.


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