NSWALNC Conference 2025 - "Building Adult Literacy & Numeracy Futures" - Proposals for workshops and papers due by 6 September

 This year’s conference will be held on Friday, December 12th, 2025 at the TAFE NSW Eora Campus.  

The 2025 conference theme looks forward into the future of Adult Literacy and Numeracy education:  

With generative AI and the digital landscape so prominent in our lives, what will adult literacy and numeracy education look like in the future?

This year's conference asks participants to consider this issue, reflect on current educational practices and explore how we can create future provision for individuals, communities and the sector. Some ideas for proposals and workshops could include teaching and learning with AI technology, building teacher capacities, and opportunities for new partnerships in community and industry.  

The NSWALNC is calling for proposals for workshops and presentations.  

Do you have some good ideas or research to share? Do you know any colleagues with great ideas or research? 

Presenters can receive a discount on the conference registration.  Please email nswalnc@gmail.com for the "Call for Proposals" template,

Reading Circle - Teaching Digital Literacy - 5.30pm Thursday 28 August 2025

It has been a while since NSWALNC members have come together in person. Therefore, we are restarting the NSWALNC Reading Circle. Join us for cheese and crackers and discuss the ideas related to LLND teaching.  

The next Reading Circle will be: 

Date: Thursday 28th August 2025 

Time: 5:30pm – 7pm 

Venue: TAFE NSW Ultimo 

Topic: Teaching Digital Literacy.  

Read and think about the digital literacy article we will send to you and catch up with your fellow LLND colleagues in an informal setting.  

Book your spot: https://www.trybooking.com/DEFFA

NSWALNC AGM 2025 - 3.30 Thursday 12 June 2025

The NSWALNC will hold the Annual General Meeting online on 3.30-4.30 pm Thursday 12 June. The 2025-26 Executive will be elected at the AGM. The meeting will be held on Zoom - - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88040460063

.All members are welcome to attend. 

Erik Jacobson shares podcasts and teaching handouts

Not only did Erik Jacobson present a fantastic plenary at the 2024 NSWALNC Annual Conference, he graciously followed up with resources and shared many of his podcasts with us: 

§        Podcasts

•          Here is one on popular education and restorative urbanism. 
•               Here is one on developing data literacy in adult education programs.  
•               Here is one on WE LEARN - an organization focused on women's literacy.  
•          Here is one on rethinking adult education. 
•          Here is one on adult literacy and social justice. 
•          Here is one on health literacy and communicative justice

Teaching Handouts

•         Combating Wage Theft
•         Pandemic Experience/Recovery for All
  
•         Graphic Novel Text Sets and Social Justice
  
•         Comprehensive Immigration Reform
  
•         Let's Drive NJ
  

NSWALNC Annual General Meeting

The NSWALNC will hold the Annual General Meeting online on 6.00 pm Thursday 20 June. The 2024-25 Executive will be elected at the AGM. The meeting will be held on Zoom.

All members are welcome to attend. 

Please register at: https://www.trybooking.com/CRYXM 

EARLY BIRD Registration Open Now for 2023 Conference

Register Now - NSWALNC in-person Annual Conference Teaching adult literacy and numeracy: more than skills, Friday 8 December 2023

EARLY BIRD CLOSES 22 September

 

Literacy and numeracy are lifelong and life-wide resources for engaging in social practices in the home, community and work. In recent decades, government policies in many countries in the Anglosphere have narrowed the focus of adult literacy and numeracy programs to employability skills training, and a competency-based training (CBT) model with tightly defined outcomes within accredited training. This reduces both the scope of programs and teachers’ and students’ agency to tailor the programs according to the students’ needs, interests and aspirations. From research and our experiences, we know that many adults want more than ‘basic skills’ when they attend adult literacy and numeracy classes. Often their needs and goals include reducing a sense of social alienation, building self-confidence and esteem to participate in learning and in the community, learning about contemporary economic, civic and social issues and exploring new purpose and goals in life.

 

The conference will feature two keynote speakers: 

 

Dr Uta Papen (Lancaster University)

“More than skills– was it just a dream? What role does the concept of adult literacy as social practice play in adult literacy policy and practice today?”

 

Dr Katrina Thorpe (University of Technology Sydney)

Learning from Country: place-literacies for connecting, truth-telling and healing.

 

Date: Friday 8 December

Venue: Aerial Function Centre, University of Technology Sydney

Register: https://www.trybooking.com/CKDOA

CALL for WORKSHOP and PAPER PROPOSALS FOR NSWALNC Conference 2023

         Teaching adult literacy and numeracy: more than skills, 

In-person Conference, Friday 8 December 

 

Do you have some good practical ideas or research to share?

The NSW Adult Literacy and Numeracy Council invites submissions of abstracts for consideration for inclusion in the 2023 conference programme. 

 

Abstracts are invited for presentations and workshops on topics related to our Conference theme of “Teaching adult literacy and numeracy: more than skills”. This conference is a forum for exploring spaces and approaches to expand the scope of literacy and numeracy programs to enable students to gain personally meaningful educational outcomes through program participation. Invitations are extended for workshops and research presentations that deepen our collective understanding of what we can do to deliver more than instrumental skills to adult learners.

 

·       Presentation sessions will be 40 minutes.

·       Presenters may choose to organise a group of related papers as a themed session.

·       Notification of decision on submitted abstracts will be sent by 15 September, 2023.

·       Presenters can register for the Conference at the discounted Presenter’s rate

 

Abstracts should be submitted by email nswalnc@gmail.com by Friday 1 September 2023