Presenter: Co-convened by Ros Bauer (ALA) and Jo Medlin (ACAL)
When: Wednesday 6th October @ 1pm AEDT
Duration: 1 hr
Cost: Free
Adult Learning Australia’s national conversation continues, bringing together leading adult education organisations to explore their submissions into the Australian federal government’s inquiry into adult literacy and its importance.
Welcome
Judith McKay, Executive Board Member, Adult Learning Australia
Judith is based in Darwin and is engaged as a contractor to develop the capacity of local disability and aged care service providers to operate effectively and expand their work forces. In 2019 Judith was awarded at the Australian Training Awards as recipient of the National Achievement Award in recognition of her outstanding leadership and contribution to the Australian VET Sector for up to 25 years. Throughout her extensive career in VET, Judith has actively sought to promote and deliver awareness of key underpinning LLN skills in education and learning programs by working closely with employers and VET trainers in the design and delivery of targeted programs.
Co-conveners
Ros Bauer – Board Member – Adult Learning Australia
Ros Bauer has extensive experience in adult education as a language literacy numeracy practitioner. She was the winner of the 2013 Australian Training Awards Excellence in Adult Language Literacy and Numeracy Practice and a recipient of an Executive Fellowship through the Australian Endeavour Awards that included a professional learning experience in Scandinavia. Ros has worked as part of the NT LLN Network Group and an educational consultant to the Warlpiri Youth Development Aboriginal Corporation. She is currently Head of Department – Career Pathways, Aboriginal Languages & Employability Skills at TAFE NSW.
Jo Medlin – President Australian Council of Adult Literacy
Jo Medlin is an adult literacy and numeracy (LN) advocate. Currently her advocacy work centres on her role as President of the Australian Council for Adult Literacy (ACAL). This includes being the ACAL representative on the DESE Foundation Skills Advisory Committee, The Reading Writing Hotline, The Education IRC, and a judge for the Australian Training Awards (LLN category). Jo works as a consultant, specialising in resource development, PD and teaching. This year she also worked with SBS on the documentary Lost for Words where she co-taught adult LN learners and devised an intensive nine-week student-centred learning program.
Panelists
Dr Keiko Yasukawa – NSW Adult Literacy and Numeracy Council
Dr Keiko Yasukawa is a lecturer and researcher in the School of International Studies and Education at UTS. Her work focusses on adult education, literacy and numeracy.
Keiko has a strong interest and commitment to educating research-informed teachers who have both theoretical resources and practical expertise to exercise professional judgement and agency in their workplaces and support their learners. Engagement in the professional fields of adult education is an important part of Keiko’s work.
Keiko has held leadership positions in the NSW Adult Literacy and Numeracy Council since 2009. Through her involvement in these organisations she has undertaken a range of policy advocacy and professional development work in partnership with practitioners.
Elizabeth Gunn – Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education Council (VALBEC)
Elizabeth Gunn is an educator, writer and advocate of post-secondary literacy, language and numeracy education. She’s interested in multimodality, digitisation, and helping students manage learning in complex environments.
Wendy Kennedy – Northern Territory Stakeholder Group
Wendy Kennedy has more than four decades in the delivery, design and management of English Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) programs in the Northern Territory. She is recognised for her experience in the design and delivery of accredited and non-accredited, socio-culturally appropriate, place-based contextualised LLN programs.
The first years of Wendy’s career were committed to teaching LLN to Aboriginal people in Western Arnhem land, where she lived and worked. She taught LLN to children and adults and developed strong links with individuals, families and the community, which still exist today. As a lead member of the Consultative Group on adult Aboriginal LLN, and through successive research interviews, Wendy has demonstrated a deep understanding of the history of LLN practice, policy and programs in the Northern Territory, nationally and internationally.