Session details

Subject to change without notice

Day 1 Thursday 18th July 2013

Block A 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. - Choose 1

A1 Formative assessment

Susan Bates, Department of Training and Workforce Development and Audrey McAlindon, LabTech Training

This is a participatory workshop. Presenters will provide a step by step demonstration of an effective formative assessment process, and provide rationale, advice and benefits of each stage of the assessment process. This workshop will provide a depth of information about maximising literacy teaching and learning within a strength-based assessment process.

Susan Bates has worked in the adult literacy field for over 30 years in teaching, policy, professional development and curriculum development in both in Australia and the UK. Her experience includes the development of formative assessment processes that were implemented across WA under the Special Intervention Program (precursor to the LLNP). She is particularly interested in teaching approaches that acknowledge and redress the impact of previous negative learning experiences.

Audrey McAlindon has extensive experience in adult literacy in Scotland, in community, workplace and Further Education (TAFE) sectors and in curriculum and professional development. Since moving to Australia a year ago, she has been delivering CAVSS in a workplace setting, and been active in WAALC and ACAL. She brings specialist knowledge of the Social Practices approach to adult literacies, and of collaborative teaching practices that empower literacies learners.

A2 E-mpowering with “E's”

Jo Hart, C.Y. O'Connor Institute

An interactive workshop in which you will have the opportunity to 'dip your toe in the e-water' with a look at some engaging online tools that can be used in student reading/writing activities for learning/practise and/or generating evidence of competence. These can be used (Internet access necessary) whether you teach face-to-face or online. During the session you will have the opportunity to:

find out about some engaging, easy to learn
develop at least one small activity/resource using one (or more) of the tools, that you could use with your own students.

Using e-tools for reading and writing activities can be the first step in empowering students to develop digital literacies and take control of their own digital identity.

Jo Hart has been teaching CGEA across all levels and all streams for about 10 years, 7 of which have been at CY O'Connor Institute in the Wheatbelt. Most recently (for 4 years to the end of 2012) delivering CGEA I/II/III entirely online to regional/remote students, using virtual classroom, LMS and a variety of Web2.0 tools and strategies. Delivering via online/e-learning, particularly using Web2.0 strategies and tools, to reach isolated (for whatever reason) and/or disengaged learners is her passion! In 2012 she managed/facilitated a very successful National Vocational E-Learning Strategy project. This involved an intensive start-up for online CGEA and the use of blogging as a strategy for literacy development. Currently she is on 6 months secondment to WestOne working on online course development.

A3 Using the CGEA to empower students

Cheryl Wiltshire, Department of Training and Workforce Development and Carmel Jennings, Centrecare Employment and Training

Do you feel constrained by the CGEA, especially with all the paperwork demands created by the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF), your organisational rules and funding guidelines? This workshop will share ways CGEA teachers have achieved supportive environments that empower students to take control of their own learning. Cheryl and Carmel will explore the development of the CGEA and identify the features that allow teachers to adopt effective adult literacy practices that help students to become confident literacy learners with the skills to face future literacy learning challenges.

Cheryl Wiltshire and Carmel Jennings have a long history with the Certificates in General Education for Adults (CGEA). Cheryl was regional moderator for the CGEA when it was first used in the Kimberley in 1994, while Carmel was working in Special Intervention Programs in Perth. Both have taught the course, managed teachers and students using it, trained teachers to improve the quality of delivery, and assisted with curriculum review of the CGEA over the past 20 years.

A4 Doing the Groundwork for Agribusiness

Dr Sharon Ross C.Y. O'Connor Institute

Managing your own farm in the Wheatbelt region of WA is no easy task. The changing industry and market demands are making farmers to realise that literacy and numeracy and the use of information technology must be dealt with head on. So when a group of young adult learners decided to do the agribusiness course at our Institute Sharon Ross realised that it was a good time to make sure that literacy and numeracy was addressed in their vocational training. Using the Australian Core Skills Framework as the benchmark for the development of a diagnostic assessment tool, learners' core skill needs were identified, and targeted support provided to enable learners achieve proficient levels of literacy and numeracy. This was more than an academic exercise amidst the increasing political rhetoric around Foundation Skills. Through this interactive workshop I will provide a big picture snapshot of the national agenda for LLN, an overview of the ACSF with engaging 'taster' activities on how it can be used. 'Doing the Groundwork' is an interactive workshop that will show you how the ACSF can be used to describe an individual's performance in the five core skills at any point in time. You will learn how to map the ACSF to units of competency, determine the ACSF levels for a qualification, identify a learner's areas of strength and need with some accuracy, and target LLN support to areas of need. Doing the 'groundwork' in literacy and numeracy is critical, as farm operations change generationally to levels of higher complexity. This underscores the need to empower future farm leaders equipped with the skills and ability required to professionally manage a farm business.

Dr Sharon Ross has worked in the field of adult literacy for over 10 years teaching the CGEA, NOW and GATE programs. A passionate advocate of social capital outcomes for disadvantaged learners she dedicated 4 years of doctoral research in this area. In her role as Principal Lecturer at C. Y. O'Connor Institute she has provided input into key national and state initiatives relating to Foundation Skills, Core Skills for Work and the Australian Core Skills Framework. Developing LLN skills has to occur across the whole of an individual's life. In the agricultural sector this is essential as the nature of farming continues to change significantly requiring greater proficiency in literacy and numeracy. For learners to achieve vocational outcomes the LLN demands of their training program must be addressed.

Day 1 Thursday 18th July 2013

Block B 1:50 – 2.45 pm - Choose 1

B1 Poster and Resources Session

Various displays in the area outside the library and Lecture theatre (continued as B2 and during afternoon tea)

WAALC's display will seek your input into our planning processes. Stop by to pick up some postcards to promote WAALC to your colleagues or to share an idea about some initiative you might like us to contribute to. This is also a chance to nominate yourself or someone else for the committee before the AGM that starts at 4.20pm. Or perhaps you have a question about a membership issue. If you miss this chance, email info@waalc.org.au

Annie from The Language Centre Bookshop will once again provide us with the chance to sample some of her wide range of language and literacy focused resources. And you can see a larger selection of available resources at the shop, located close to the conference venue at Unit 4/201 Carr Place, Leederville. Telephone: 08 9328 8965.

Other resources will be on display for you to assess at your leisure and early birds might even score a few freebies. You can also enter a competition to win a full set of the Tracks to Two-Way learning resources.

Some displays will be available throughout the conference but most are available during Session C1 and C2 only. However, if you are tied up with other sessions during this time, make sure you get there during the afternoon tea break.

B2 Katitjin Djookian - Learning Through Yarning

Bethany Kinsela and Sue Brennan, Central Institute of Technology, and Scott Griffith, Optimus

This workshop will take a peep into two programmes for Aboriginal people. Katitjin Djookian 'Sisters Learning' integrates a cornerstone of the Aboriginal culture - yarning, with another key learning strategy, learning through doing - in this case yarning! It demonstrates the use of multi-generational learning and showcases the outcomes of the learning. The second project used hip hop music to promote the appropriate use of the '000' number in Meekatharra. The project involved young Aboriginal people working with St John Ambulance volunteers and Scott Griffiths, from Optimus, to produce a 5 minute video on the appropriate use of the '000' number. Outcomes of this project have lead to a 68% decrease in the inappropriate use of the '000' number and an increase in the number of Aboriginal volunteers for the St John Ambulance Service. Both projects embedded literacy and numeracy learning into a project based approach to delivery.

Bethany Kinsela is a Lecturer within Central Institute of Technology's Aboriginal Programme's area. She is passionate about making learning real for Aboriginal women. As an Aboriginal woman herself, she integrates aspects of the Aboriginal culture to create a safe, secure and fun learning environment for students.

Sue Brennan, Central Institute of Technology, will present on behalf of Scott Griffith, Optimus, a practising hip hop artist who has moved into the training environment and uses music to engage students in the learning process. Scott works primarily with Aboriginal students and develops programmes which address real issues within the community, embedding the literacy and numeracy components in the project outcomes.

B3 Is the ACSF the universal solution?

Margaret McHugh, Department of Training and Workforce Development

The ACSF is used as a measuring and reporting tool in Commonwealth-funded literacy programs. In recent years, the Commonwealth Government has been promoting the ACSF as a communication tool that will assist in making literacy and numeracy more visible in VET sector products. The Commonwealth Government is committed to educational policies that focus on measurement of literacy and numeracy as a means of monitoring system performance. In Western Australia there has never been a requirement to report program outcomes against the ACSF, and Western Australia has used other means of stimulating the VET sector to deliver literacy and numeracy tuition as an explicit component of vocational teaching and learning. This workshop will give participants an opportunity to discuss the role of national assessment frameworks in the effort to promote the kind of teaching and learning activities that will assist vocational students develop their literacy and numeracy skills.

Margaret McHugh has worked in policy and curriculum development for adult literacy since 1991. During the early 90s, she was a member of the national stakeholder committee that advised on the development of the National Reporting System as part of the implementation of the National Collaborative English Language and Literacy Strategy (NCAELLS). She is also a member of the ACAL and WAALC Executives.

B4 Q&A with the keynote speaker

Bob Boughton, University of New England

Take this chance to discuss the application of Bob's ideas to the Western Australian context. After the keynote in the morning, you will be keen to hear more about what would make a difference here.

Bob Boughton originally came into adult education through working in community development roles in Aboriginal communities in NSW and Central Australia in the 1970s and 1980s. He has taught in adult literacy and basic education courses in Aboriginal community-controlled colleges, and more recently has taught undergraduate and postgraduate adult education students at the University of New England in rural NSW, where he is an Associate Professor. He was on the evaluation team of the Timor-Leste national literacy campaign from 2006-2009, and is now evaluating the Australian campaign pilots in NSW.

B5 What's in a Number?

Phil Hart, freelance computer consultant and educator

The Adult Literacy and Numeracy Network (ALaN) has started an exciting new project aimed at helping people who are less than fully comfortable with their own numeracy skills to become more confident when they are helping adult learners with their own numeracy. It is built around webinars, blogs, exploration of various aspects of numeracy, and with opportunities for people to practice their new-found skills in a supportive environment with their peers. The first part of the presentation will describe this in more detail. In the remainder of the presentation, you will be invited to share your own questions about both numeracy content and numeracy delivery with everybody else, and we will see what answers we can come up with between us.

Phil Hart taught both CGEA literacy and numeracy from Introductory to Cert III for a number of years at C.Y. O'Connor Institute. His memories from when he was six years old include learning about ones, tens and hundreds, and playing with a red-and-white ruler that measured half-inches. While working for a zinc smelter in England, he used his knowledge of statistics, graph theory and vector-matrix algebra to help save his employers over $10,000,000 per year. He is a member of the Australian Mathematical Society.

Day 1 Thursday 18th July 2013

Block C 2:55 – 3:50 p.m. - Choose 1

C1 Poster and Resources Session

Various displays in the area outside the library and Lecture theatre (continued from B1)

C2 Apps are apt in CGEA

Christina Penn and William Griffiths, Great Southern Institute of Technology

This presentation offers an opportunity to discuss the experiences two lecturers have had in using iPads in delivering and assessing various units in the CGEA as part of the Building Online Learning Skills (BOLS) project. The session will explore the advantages, successes and the obstacles they faced in using iPads as a relatively new and exciting piece of technology with their CGEA students. The iPads were used to present lessons, as a learning tool for students and to assess and gather evidence.

William Griffiths is a lecturer at the Great Southern Institute of Technology in Albany. He is the numeracy lecturer for adults and teenagers in the CGEA as well as providing literacy and numeracy support for students in other courses at the institute. Over the past year he has been one of the lecturers involved in the Building Online Learning Skills (BOLS) project which involved exploring the educational possibilities of using iPads in the classroom. He has been a CGEA lecturer for 9 years and was previously a high schoolteacher for 19 years. He also managed a tuition business for 5 years in Albany.

Christina Penn works as a CGEA lecturer at the Great Southern Institute of Technology in Albany. She delivers core units, core skills in literacy and electives at certificate levels 1, 2 and 3. Recently her involvement in the Building Online Learning Skills project provided a great opportunity to explore how iPads can be used to enhance delivery and assessment in CGEA classes.

C3 BYO networking and meetings

Arrange your own

Ever wished there was time and space at a conference to follow up on that great idea you just had? Well this is your chance. You will need to Bring Your Own everything: any other people you need to talk to, your own technology and your own purpose for being there.

And if 55 minutes is more than you need, don't forget that sessions C1, C4 and C5 are fairly informal and you could join in (or leave) part way through.

C4 Q&A with the keynote speaker

Dr Bob Boughton, University of New England

Take this chance to discuss the application of Bob's ideas to the Western Australian context. After the keynote in the morning, you will be keen to hear more about what would make a difference here.

C5 What's in a Number? Planning session

Various

The group of practitioners involved in the early sessions of What's in a Number have agreed to meet at the conference and plan the content of their webinars and other activities over the next few months. This is your chance to participate in planning your own professional learning focused on mathematics and numeracy. You don't need to already be a member of the group to drop by.

Day 2 Friday 19th July 2013

Block D 10:35 a.m. -12.35 p.m. - Choose 1

D1 Why we need powerful Two-Way communication

Coral Brockman, Department of Education and Margaret McHugh, Department of Training and Workforce Development

In this session participants will hear Aboriginal stories about negotiating in a white fellah world. The stories are hilarious and tragic. What the stories illustrate is the need for us to bridge the gap in the way Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal people understand one another. Participants will have a chance to view the materials in the Tracks to Two-Way Learning package and learn what part they might take in helping to make communication more effective.

Coral Brockman is an Elder in her extended Budimia/Willinyu family group in the Mid West of Western Australia. She is a qualified teacher with experience from early childhood through to TAFE, and in a range of contexts from remote areas to urban/rural schools. In the past two years, she has delivered Professional Learning to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal educators throughout the state. She has made a significant contribution towards ensuring people develop a deeper understanding of Aboriginal English and Two-Way Bidialectal education. Coral was involved in the development of the Teaching Aboriginal Languages Resource package for the Department of Education and Training. With this background and her ongoing involvement with the ABC Two-Way Literacy and Learning Project she has continued to have significant influence on educator's attitudes and the pedagogical practices employed in the TAFE and public school sectors across Western Australia. In the past Coral has been a member of the Western Australian Aboriginal Education Consultative Group and has been involved with the implementations of the Gordon Report's recommendation regarding the Strong Family's Project.

Margaret McHugh joined the ABC of Two-Way Literacy and Learning Project team in 2004 working collaboratively across the Department of Education and the Department of Training. From 2005 – 2011 Margaret worked on a project with Glenys Collard and others to publish 10 stories written by Aboriginal people in Aboriginal English. Margaret is now working to establish a new qualification – the Certificate III in Two-Way Aboriginal Liaison – which draws on the work of the ABC of Two-Way Literacy and Learning Project to make it available as a training product in the VET sector.

D2 Understanding and Developing Spelling Skills

Janet McHardy, LabTech Training

Learners often talk to us about wanting to improve their spelling as a key objective fo joining an adult literacy class. The Australian Core Skills Framework lists spelling as a performance feature of Indicator .06 (The mechanics of writing) in the core skill of 'Writing'. Informed by research and extensive practical experience, this workshop examines ways we can assess spelling skills, and better understand and describe the skills learners have mastered. Then, informed by this information, our teaching can focus on specific skill needs of the learner at that time. Practical examples of ways we can do this will be shared in an interactive way.

Janet McHardy has worked in the adult literacy sector in New Zealand and Australia for over 15 years. She is currently a doctoral student at University of Western Australia (UWA) researching single-word reading in adult readers. In addition, Janet works part-time as a member of the Skills Development Team at LabTech Training, a WA based RTO. A key role in this work is workplace literacy teaching but Janet has worked in a wide range of contexts. Her interest in spelling skill development is underpinned by the high importance learners place on developing this skill but also from connections with spelling skill to her current research focus on word reading.

D3 Reading for pleasure: More than a distant possibility?

Karen Slikas Barber, Central Institute of Technology

Much has been researched and written about the importance of extensive reading in the development of fluency in English as another language. Yet it is not often an activity of choice by students as a means to improve language learning. My multi-level (elementary-intermediate) AMEP CSWE II/III term three and four students reported a lack of accessible reading material, an inability to choose books at the right level and a lack of interest in reading as the reasons for this. Reviewing the books available to them and reflecting on the reading activities being done in the classroom, this should have come as no surprise. With this in mind, extensive reading became an integral part of our classroom learning in term four 2012, and a summer extensive reading program was offered to give students an opportunity to develop a reading for pleasure habit. Classroom-based action research conducted on the term four classroom, the summer reading program and the subsequent term revealed that given explicit instruction on extensive reading and interesting books to read at the right level for easy reading, students enjoy reading and some continue to enjoy reading when there is no classroom imperative to do so. In this workshop, the research-based extensive reading approach will be outlined and guidelines, strategies and activities to encourage a reading for pleasure habit will be shared.

Karen Slikas Barber is a lecturer in the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) at Central Institute of Technology in Perth, Western Australia. She has taught all levels of the Certificates in Spoken and Written English (CSWE) and at present is teaching a multilevel CSWE class in a community setting. Karen's areas of interest include developing specialist ESL courses and adult literacy and she has published articles, texts and readers in these areas. She also set up a language school in Wuhan, China and worked in marketing, public education and railroad engineering. She has a Master of Education in TESOL and a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering.

D4 Teaching Pronunciation - Some Essentials

Geoff Pearson, Agenda Communication

This hands-on workshop looks at the sometimes vexed issue of teaching English pronunciation to English as a Second Language Learners (ESL) learners, and considers, through practical activities, such questions as: How important is focussing at length on aural discrimination before moving to oral (re)production? What value is there in knowing about the pronunciation profile of a learner's first language (L1)? What affects an ESL learner's ability to pronounce initial, medial and final sounds? and What is the most common yet least acknowledged sound in spoken English, and why is it so important?

Geoff Pearson has been an ESL teacher for the last 32 years. A linguist himself, he taught in the UK, France, and Greece before moving to Australia in the 1980s where he has focussed primarily on teaching in workplace language and literacy programs in Western Australia. Geoff is also author of several national workplace-focussed LL&N research and training resource development projects. Director of his own RTO, he also regularly presents a wide range of language, literacy and communication skills Professional Development workshops of relevance to VET Sector and Industry trainers and teachers.

D5 Building Strength with Numeracy: A new resource, new activities and approaches for '; getting started';' with adult numeracy learners

Beth Marr, Consultant for Vocational Education, Training and Adult Numeracy

As teachers of adults you are commonly told that you should use the learners' existing knowledge as the starting point for new learning ('start where the learner is at' or 'begin with what the learners know'). But when you are aware that initial testing will provoke anxiety in new adult numeracy learners, it can be problematic to determine their existing knowledge. This interactive, hands-on workshop will look at a selection of non-threatening learning and teaching activities that can be used as part of this informal assessment process as well as a starting point for introducing new knowledge and skills.

Many of the workshop activities will be drawn from a new Australian resource for adult numeracy teachers, Building Strength with Numeracy, published by VALBEC (Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education Council). Other resources will also be introduced and some yet unpublished activities previewed and discussed.

Beth Marr has extensive experience in adult numeracy teaching, curriculum development, resource production and professional development. During her time teaching in TAFE and University (VET teacher training) she worked with teams of teachers to produce a collection of adult numeracy resources, including: Mathematics: A new beginning; Strength in Numbers; Breaking the Maths Barrier and Numeracy on the Line. She has conducted interactive profession development workshops for teachers all over Australia and internationally. Her numeracy education work has recently included leading a team of workplace numeracy trainers in East Timor, teaching CGEA to Timorese army officers in Darwin and writing curriculum and resources for Timor's newly developing vocational education system. In 2012-13 Beth worked with VALBEC (The Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education Council) to create a new collection of adult numeracy teaching activities: Building Strength with Numeracy, which is currently available on line.

Day 2 Friday 19th July 2013

Block E 1:35 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. - Choose 1

E1 Exploring the social practices approach to adult literacy teaching and learning

Audrey McAlindon, LabTech Training and Susan Bates, Department of Training and Workforce Development

This participatory workshop will outline and discuss the social practices approach to adult literacy, with comparisons to the approaches that have been implemented in Australia over the last ten years. It will explore the differences in terms of practical aspects of teaching literacy and numeracy to adults.

Audrey McAlindon has extensive experience in adult literacy in Scotland, in community, workplace and Further Education (TAFE) sectors and in curriculum and professional development. Since moving to Australia a year ago, she has been delivering CAVSS in a workplace setting, and been active in WAALC and ACAL. She brings specialist knowledge of the Social Practices approach to adult literacies, and of collaborative teaching practices that empower literacies learners.

Susan Bates has worked in the adult literacy field for over 30 years in teaching, policy, professional development and curriculum development in both in Australia and the UK. Her experience includes the development of formative assessment processes that were implemented across WA under the Special Intervention Program (precursor to the LLNP). She is particularly interested in teaching approaches that acknowledge and redress the impact of previous negative learning experiences.

E2 E-Learning and Adult ESL Literacy

Rania Soliman, Central Institute of Technology

With most of us leading busy lives constantly on the go and heavily reliant on computers, laptops, smartphones and mobile devices and tablets, there is no question that the world of teaching and learning needs to keep up. The fast-paced spread of technology should be embraced and utilised to its full advantages. But how can we incorporate this technology into the Adult ESL world? This workshop will look at current E-learning theories (and briefly m-learning) related to Adult ESL learners and how we as educators can implement web 2.0 tools into our learning programs. The use of social media can be a powerful and innovative way to motivate and engage learners. Workshop participants need to be open minded and ready to explore the endless possibilities of the World Wide Web.

Rania Soliman is a Lecturer in the Adult Migrant English Program at Central Institute of Technology who has taught ESL for over 15 years both locally in Australia and overseas. Her main interest lies in the use of E-learning and M-learning principles and how these can be applied in the ESL context for adult learners.

E3 What can WAALC do for me?

Cheryl Wiltshire, Western Australian Adult Literacy Council (WAALC)

For some of us, the appropriate answer to this question is the famous quote from JFK: '... ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country?' A professional association is a way to contribute as a volunteer to the advancement of a specific field of work: in this case, adult literacy and numeracy teaching. Working with WAALC is a way of combining our efforts to create synergies and thus achieve far more than each of us could manage separately. However, as with all forms of volunteering, often the benefits to the volunteer are unexpectedly rich. Cheryl will draw on Beverley Campbell's book, Reading the Fine Print: A history of the Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education Council (VALBEC) 1978-2008, on her personal experiences with VALBEC, the Australian Council for Adult Literacy (ACAL) and the Western Australian Adult Literacy Council (WAALC). Her proposition is that the more we are willing to contribute, the more we benefit from new skills, expanded networks and, in Beverley¹s words, 'a sense of personal professional identity'. If you have an interest in volunteering, come along and explore ways you could contribute to creating stronger adult literacy and numeracy services for those who desire them.

Cheryl Wiltshire joined the Western Australian Adult Literacy Council (WAALC) when she was still completing her Bachelor of Education. Trips from Derby to WAALC conferences in Perth, along with an occasional excursion to ACAL and VALBEC conferences, became an important part of her learning journey, that compensated for the lack of accessible adult literacy focused teaching units at universities of the time. In between, WAALC newsletters and journals such as Fine Print, Good Practice and Literacy Link provided crucial links to the latest ideas and issues. Twenty years later, she regularly contributes to conferences and newsletters herself and so is well placed to describe the benefits that a professional association can offer at different stages of your career.

E4 Reparation Through Reading

Jane Jones, State Library of Western Australia, and Helena Zielinska, Department of Corrective Services

Better Beginnings is a program that aims to encourage parents to read to their young children. It is a program that has been extended to students in Western Australian prison education centres. Students learn how to read to children in the prison education program and go on to apply these skills during family visits, better preparing their children for school. The WA state library supports the program through the provision of reading packs, teacher resources and professional development support. In a collaborative partnership, resources are being developed, mapped to the EGE (Cert 1 in Entry to General Education), drawing on the expertise of early childhood research and adult learning principles, utilising a range of age appropriate strategies and activities. This workshop is aimed towards adult education specialists and will share methodologies, resource ideas and underpinning research.

Jane Jones joined the State Library of WA's Better Beginnings Family Literacy Program in 2011. She coordinates the development of adult literacy initiatives and supports the established family literacy programs. In other positions at the State Library she coordinated, developed and delivered programs to support the literacy, information and learning needs of library staff and the wider community.

Helena Zielinska has been working as the Adult Basic Education Coordinator for the Department of Corrective Services for over a decade. Her range of experience includes phonics, ABC Two- Way learning, curriculum and quality assurance measures such as moderation.

E5 Learning the 'tricks of the trade': 'In the head' calculation techniques for adult numeracy learners

Beth Marr, Consultant for Vocational Education, Training and Adult Numeracy

'In the head' or informal 'back-of-envelope' techniques for calculation are commonly used unconsciously by adults in the home and in workplaces, and can be even more important than formal calculation techniques. They add to our ability to estimate for planning our spending. They help us check that results from calculators or spreadsheets make sense: 'are in the right ballpark'.

Many numeracy adults have developed their own strategies to replace skills they are not confident with. Validating existing informal techniques and learning new strategies can be an important boost to numeracy learners' confidence, giving them the joy of learning a new 'trick' that they can share with friends and family.

In this interactive, hands-on workshop, Beth will briefly discuss some of the issues related to 'in the head' calculations and introduce some activities from the In the head calculations section of the new adult numeracy resource, 'Building Strength with Numeracy', recently released for download on the VALBEC website.

Beth Marr has extensive experience in adult numeracy teaching, curriculum development, resource production and professional development. During her time teaching in TAFE and University (VET teacher training) she worked with teams of teachers to produce a collection of adult numeracy resources, including: Mathematics: A new beginning; Strength in Numbers; Breaking the Maths Barrier and Numeracy on the Line. She has conducted interactive profession development workshops for teachers all over Australia and internationally. Her numeracy education work has recently included leading a team of workplace numeracy trainers in East Timor, teaching CGEA to Timorese army officers in Darwin and writing curriculum and resources for Timor's newly developing vocational education system. In 2012-13 Beth worked with VALBEC (the Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education Council) to create a new collection of adult numeracy teaching activities: Building Strength with Numeracy, which is currently available on line.