CREEW'S News
April 2004
- Research News
- Publications
- Conferences
- Professional Development/Service
- Seminar Program
- Postgraduate News
- Centre News
- Meet the CREEW
- Future CREEW's News
Research News
- Frank Wyatt has provided us with a summary article regarding his work in the Defence Community, 'Building a Collaborative Innovation Dynamic', that has direct bearing on the CREEW agenda and is an enhancement of his earlier work with the water Industry.
- Mission Australia, through their chaplain Nicholas Rundle, a member of CREEW, commissioned Peter Willis to work with their local employment and housing group at Smithfield Plains to develop reflective ideas on empowerment drawing from their own experience. They were to present a version of their ideas to the Mission Australia Annual Conference which was held at the Adelaide Yacht club overlooking West Beach and brought together more than a hundred employees.
- The Smithfield Plains job centre which has a rock group called Beat Street as one of its work for the dole schemes, developed ideas about empowerment drawing on their work to find accommodation and employment and to offer related learning opportunities. Susanna Hanic a graduate from UNISAs Vocation Education program, who runs the literacy and adult education programs at the Smithfield Plains centre, was one of the main architects of the final presentation. The presentation included a talk from Peter Willis, but its main impact, in several ways, was slightly ironic rendition of working class man from the Beat Street Band.
- Mission Australia is seeking to develop a working relationship with CREEW to integrate an Action research component into its activities.
Publications
NCVER is about to publish the report Exploring Locality: The impact of context on Indigenous vocational education and training, with Sue Gelade and Tom Stehlik as authors. This ANTA funded research project was conducted in 2001 but production of the final report was delayed. The research team comprised Sue Gelade and Tom Stehlik from CREEW and Martin Nakata and Von Sanderson from the Aboriginal Research Institute, with help from Julian Moore. The field work took place in metropolitan Adelaide, Murray Bridge, Berri, Loxton and the Anangu-Pitjantjatjara lands.
Conferences
- Michele Simons and Tom Stehlik presented 'Getting connected: professional development in online learning and flexible delivery in the VET sector' at the AVETRA 7th Annual Conference in Canberra on 17-19 March. The paper reported on a recently completed study which examined the professional development opportunities available to assist casual and contract Vocational Education and Training (VET) staff to meet the demands of working in a flexible delivery environment.
- Roger Harris chaired a Plenary Panel session of four speakers on "Diversity: meeting the needs of learners" at the AVETRA Conference. One presentation was on learners with disabilities, a second on learners with indigenous backgrounds, a third on literacy learners and a fourth on overseas students. These presentations were followed by a spirited question and answer session from the conference audience.
- Karen Plane won 'Best Paper', from among those who nominated, at the recent AVETRA Conference in Canberra. Her paper was entitled 'Wine and cheese or chalk and cheese? Discovering the 'attitudinal ecology' between VET and small business for capacity building in regional South Australia'.
- Reid, A. Presented the keynote address at the West District Leaders Forum conference at McLaren-on-the-Lake, 8 March, 2004: Rethinking approaches to system-wide change.
- Reid, A. Presented the keynote address at the Outer South District Leaders Conference at Whalers Inn Conference Centre, Encounter Bay, 25 March, 2004: Building professional capacity in research and inquiry.
- Reid, A. Presented the invited opening keynote address at the annual conference of the South Australian Secondary Principals Association, at the Radisson Hotel, Adelaide, 28 March, 2004: Curriculum, leadership, capabilities and democracy: a tangled relationship.
Professional Development/Service
- David Snewin attended the Australian College of Educators (ACE) National Convention held at ANU Canberra recently. Five educators from each state or territory's ACE membership were selected. The Convention, only the second in the 45 years of the College's existence, was to strategically plan how to achieve the College's five major goals. These are to: provide a strong national voice for the profession; promote professional standards of a high order; recognise excellence in professional practice; foster the professional learning of educators; and enhance the status of the profession. As a state Chapter Committee Member of the ACE, Dr Snewin is a part of the team required to implement the strategies identified to achieve these goals in South Australia.
- Alan Reid accepted an invitation to be a member of the Editorial Board of the new international Journal of Citizenship and Teacher Education.
- Roger Harris has refereed, in the past month, two articles by anonymous authors for publication in the International Journal of Training Research and in Studies in Continuing Education; has refereed a paper for the AVETRA Conference; and assessed an EdD thesis for UTS on Diversity and coherence: A study of careers in human resource development.
- Tom Stehlik has been offered a Research Fellowship with the Hawke Research Institute and will take this up from late April until late September. He will be located at Murray House, Magill campus.
Seminar Program
- The CREEW colloquium on Friday 26 March was a very successful event with 23 participants. The colloquium explored CREEW activities with a focus on practice based research. Several researchers briefly described their research which included investigative, evaluative, critical and phenomenological forms and Roger noted relevant characteristics in respect to practice based research. Lively discussion focussed on the relationship between theory and practice and the various meaning of 'theory' to various stakeholders.
- Peter Willis is calling for offerings of seminars for the 2004 CREEW program. There are nine slots available in the coming year and Peter has distributed a chart for members to complete. The usual seminar has two presentations; each is for 40 minutes a 20 minute presentation and 20 minutes discussion - but special seminars may be allocated the full time. Would CREEW members, academics and PhD students, interested in making a presentation please let Peter know within the next week, email Peter.Willis@unisa.edu.au, sending your request for a preferred seminar slot with a title and 100 word abstract by Wednesday 7 April. We would like to have the program worked out for the semester by the beginning of Easter.
Postgraduate News
- Congratulations and best wishes to PhD candidates, Doug Conlan and Andrew Wojecki, who are in the process of submitting their theses for examination.
Centre News
- Dr Basil Hetzel, who is also the Chair of CREEW's Advisory Committee, has just been made one of the 15 new 'Australian Living Treasures', selected by a popular vote organised by The National Trust. Famed primarily for his international work on iodine deficiency, Dr Hetzel has a distinguished record of contributions to Australian life and to academic institutions including, among other positions, Chancellor of the University of South Australia from 1992-1998. Read more about this award here.
- The CREEW web site is currently being redesigned to conform with the new corporate environment. It will basically have the same content as currently, though updated. If anybody has any suggestions about anything they would like to see on the new site, or any photos or images which might be useful, please contact Linda Rainey.
- Helen Raduntz has been appointed Adjunct Research Fellow for a three year term, on an honorary basis attached to CREEW and the School of Education. The appointment allows Helen, who was awarded a doctorate by research in 2001, to continue to pursue her interests in the implications of the marketisation of education with an emphasis on the work of educators and researchers and intellectual property rights from a classical Hegelian/Marxian critical standpoint. Helen is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the UK based eJournal The Journal of Critical Education Policy Studies. Her latest publication is a chapter in a book (in press) edited by Michael Apple, Jane Kenway & Michael Singh entitled Globalising Public Education: Policies, Pedagogy & Politics, Peter Lang USA, and her greatest joy has been to assist Jack Cross in the preparation of his book for publication on the early history of the Northern Territory. She would love to be in contact with anyone interested in her field of research. Her email address is helen.raduntz@unisa.edu.au.
- We are very appreciative of Karen Edwards who worked in CREEW on Fridays during March to cover for Miriam McLean while she was away. Karen kept the cogs moving and was a great person to have around.
Meet the CREEW
Hi! My name is Carmel McCarthy and Im very pleased to have joined the team at CREEW, working as a research associate for 4 days a week (Tuesday to Friday). For the last 3 years I have worked in various capacities at Flinders University including course development officer for the Ambulance Degree and research assistant exploring rural and remote education, and water supply provision to Aboriginal communities. During this time I was also fortunate to have the opportunity to work on various research projects related to learning communities and learning organizations at the Centre for Lifelong Learning and Development. In a previous life I served a 19 year sentence in the field of retail banking with BankSA. Over that time I witnessed significant changes in the banking industry but became increasingly disenchanted as the focus moved to profits rather than customer service. In 1996 I jumped ship and decided to try being a uni student for a change and gained my Health Sciences degree. When Im not working I like to be fairly physically active and will regularly be found at the gym along with my other gym junkie buddies. Apart from that Im a keen walker, love to potter in the garden, read and listen to music and enjoy eating out with friends.
Future CREEW's News
This newsletter reflects the activities and interests of some 80 members of CREEW. Please keep us informed about your activities, sending all contributions to Linda Rainey.