CREEW'S News
July 2006
Hello everybody
CREEW members continue to work through the mid-term break, scattered far and wide, getting on with life - presenting, writing and producing.
Publications
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Lisa Davies writes: 'I have recently written a research report in which I describe my continuing research investigations into organisational learning about depression in the workplace, for the Australian Journal of Adult Learning. As education about recognising depression and stress as real and manageable can enable increased participation in mutually understood and agreed processes for interventions or prevention, it would seem important for people with personnel responsibilities, managers and employees and employers in general to be able to recognise the various forms of depression in their employees. However, it appears that this is not always the case. The people in this research were undereducated about the impact of depression in the workplace, and unfamiliar with sources of relevant information which could assist both them and their employees. I explored the pedagogical practices and organisational learning which emerged as inherent in their organisational ethos. What transpired was a persistent and underlying disquiet about the impact that depression may have on a persons 'performance' i.e. work productivity, reflecting a prevailing business concern of economic stability which was interwoven with an anxiety about the 'legal' side of 'dealing' with people with depression. The intrinsic goal of these organisations was their continued survival through the labour and productivity potential of employees. In their pursuit of this, many of the managers in these organisations articulated concerns about supporting the 'weaker' (sic) links, the people with 'problems' (people who were depressed) in their organisations. Most justified this by explaining that while their organisation had a duty of care to people, they also had competing business interests; few perceived that assisting staff who were depressed may in fact, ironically, assist that bottom line in terms of increasing morale or workplace satisfaction through prevention or hastened recovery and return to increased levels of economic productivity.
When asked about what they perceived their colleagues beliefs about depression to be, many articulated variations of the notion that most of their employees were 'too private' or 'too introverted' to either delve into other peoples emotional states or problems or to discuss their own 'problems' in the workplace. That depression was not something that was talked about in these workplaces was consistent across organisations. I am currently exploring the notion that the pervasive, tacit and mutually supported notions of avoidance of discussion about depression in the workplace may reflect some components of the learning associated with engagement with a particular Community of Practice which perpetrates a discourse of silence'. -
Lisa also writes 'I have also written a review of 'A coffee, a chat and a gentle transformation; a manual for trainers/facilitators in non-formal learning', by Cheryl Lewis-Fitzgerald, 2005 for Australian Journal of Adult Learning. Lewis-Fitzgeralds manual was funded under the ALA-ANTA Innovation Research Grant 2005 and is based on research which she undertook for her Masters of Education. It is described as having been developed for qualified trainers and assessors who are involved in non-formal learning associated with 'community capacity building in action [which] contributes to our social capital' (p.49). The accompanying CD ROM contains additional material and is described as having further relevance for people who are not formally qualified to Certificate IV level. This spiral bound set of instructions is not a text which explores the ethical dilemmas which underscore many adult education philosophies or what I regard as any philosophical concerns associated with education being utilised to encourage people who are disengaged from learning how to relearn solely in order to enter the workforce in order to support socially constructed economic goals. It does however, provide some useful information and guidelines and ties some interesting notions about transformative learning and lifelong learning to the Government focus of making people work ready.'
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An article on the recent AVETRA 'Paper of the year' presented to Roger Harris and Linda Rainey has appeared in Campus Review with the catchy title 'Not so crazy, after all', vol.16, no.22, 7 June, p.15.
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Reid, A (2006) 'Values and Australian schools: towards an inclusive and respectful society', Policy Review Paper, New Matilda, June.
Conferences and presentations
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Roger Harris gave the invited keynote address to the Training Sector Forum at the Hilton Hotel on 1 June titled 'Making connections? Building RTO capability for the future'. The Forum was attended by 300 participants.
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On 6 June Alan Reid gave the invited keynote address on senior secondary reform to a conference of Principals and Curriculum Coordinators of Northern Territory schools, in Darwin.
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On 7 June Alan Reid gave an invited seminar to staff of the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) on capabilities and the curriculum, in Brisbane.
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On June 8 Alan Reid presented the opening keynote address to the annual conference of the Independent Schools Association of Queensland, in Brisbane.
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On June 28, 29, and 30 Alan Reid presented a series of seminars to senior staff of the New Zealand Ministry of Education on approaches to system-wide change in public education, in Wellington, New Zealand.
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CREEW members are encouraged to present a refereed paper at the Adult Learning Australia (ALA) Conference, 'Social Capital: Learning for living', in Melbourne, 23-25 November 2006.The deadline for submission of proposals Friday 4th August 2006.
Awards
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Jeannie Daniels has been awarded the Cathy Candler Bursary for $3,000 by Australian Federation of University Women- SA branch for full time women research students, which she accepted in person at a ceremony on Tuesday June 20 2006. Well done, Jeannie!
Professional Practice
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Elaine Butler, as a sitting member of Security4Women - one of four National Secretariats that report to Federal Office for - attended a combined National Secretariats Meeting in Melbourne 3 5 June. A key focus of this meeting was the collation and prioritising of consultation results about major issues impacting on women in Australia in 2006. This will be used to set the agenda for action over the next year, in areas such as womens health, childcare, work-related issues, and issues related to transport, along with existing programs, policy initiatives and portfolio concerns.
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Steve Keirl was the 2006 invited Guest Editor of the latest edition (Vol 11.2) of Design and Technology Education: An International Journal - one of only three international research journals for the field. The edition included a full refereed paper by Steve: Design and Technology Education: Whose design, whose education, and why?'
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On Saturday 27th May Steve delivered a half-day professional development workshop Design and Technology at play with creativity, thinking and values for 30 primary and secondary school teachers. The session was delivered for the World Education Forum (SA) at the Education Development Centre.
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Alan Reid writes: The first Mawson Lakes issues-based forum was held on Wednesday. About a dozen of us participated in a lively and informal discussion, led by Michael ODonoghue, about the proposed Australian Certificate of Education. It was agreed that the next forum will look at the A-E report card, imposed by the Federal Government on the States. In particular we want to look at how this policy has been translated in South Australia and the various issues that it raises. The next forum held on Thursday August 3, 1.00pm - 2.00pm, in Room G3.06.Put it in your diaries. You are warmly invited to attend. Bring your lunch.
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Helen Raduntz has sent a report regarding Professor Dave Hill's visit in mid June.
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