/ ACTA Teleconference Agenda
Thursday October 18th 2007
7pm – 8pm ( Eastern Standard Time)
Agenda item / Actions arising / Who
1. / Welcome
Attendance:
ACT:Misty Adoniou,
NSW:Robert Jackson, Connie Mudge
SA:Rosie Antenucci, Margaret Cargill, Alison Cheetham, Kate Cadman
WA:Aileen Hawkes, Khalin Driver
QLD: Laraine Goldman
NTColleen Combe
Apologies: : Judith Mee (NSW)
Minutes from July 26th::Colleen updated the names of Conference key note speakers / Moved – Aileen
Second - Misty
2. / Business Arising and President’s report
2.1 / ACTA’s involvement in Literacy Associations’ response and planning for a potential national curriculum, ACTA response (Wiki)– update (Robert Jackson)
  • Robert found it difficult to use with a Mac - Put up a couple of things: a response to the national education framework – Councillors were to add or change (all are tracked) – – not many have tried it as yet
  • Wikis items
-teacher credentials,
-citizenship (was worked on by Misty and Sophia) –was useful for the media release
  • Misty – everyone should have a go – should we open it up to a broader membership? Aileen – recommended that the WIKI remained closed for a while longer to allow Councillors to play round with it.
/
  1. ACTA Councillors to go in to have a play. Misty to send out another reminder
  1. A reminder and instructions to be sent out to councillors re how to play around with the wiki
/ ACTA Councillors
Misty
2.2 / ACTA’s input into Federal Summer School initiative (Robert Jackson)
  • a tender was won to write a summer school training language and literacy package for teachers (including Pauline Gibbons, Pauline Jones, Len Unsworth, Beverly Derewianka, Judith Riverland, Jan Turnbull)
  • Robert encouraged by the names of the writing groups – target highly qualified and skilled teachers – some positive aspects to the process
  • Sue Bremner is the NSW ATESOL rep for the writing group for a TESOL aware focus
NB: Not much take-up from teachers to date – some bad press (in Qld) re lack of teacher response /
  1. Robert to send around Sue’s notes, agenda and information to ACTA
/ Robert
2.3 / ACTA position statement – teacher credentials (Wiki) – update (Misty Adoniou)
  • This is another wiki
/
  1. Councillors to check this out and ‘play’ with this
/ ACTA
2.4 / Citizenship Bill –information sheet sent to Senators, media release (Misty Adoniou)
  • this was followed up
  • Sophia sent out a letter – with a few responses – someuseful PR
  • Wiki an excellent opportunity as preparations/background to media releasesMedia release also – (no responses from the media for this) –
  • Aileen queried as to should it go in the President’s name – was discussed in Sydney – ie that statements should go out with the elected President’s name and should be representative for all associations

2.5 / Meeting with Australian Education International re funding (Misty Adoniou)
  • Interested in two lots of funding – to support ACTA attendance in NY and to support the Alice Springs Conference
  • Will get some more info soon

2.6 / Standards - involvement with Teaching Australia initiatives (Rosie Antenucci & Laraine Goldman)
  • ACTA was invited to send someone along – was in Qld – so QLD Councillors went along
  • Conference – large and lavish – 200-300 people –
  • Findings and papers are on the Teaching Australia website
  • Short workshops (20 mins) and very large – not as effective
/
  1. Laraine to email the web site to al
/ Laraine
  • Speakers very interesting – re Leadership in the future
  • 3 strands – tension between the different views re leadership
-Open Book scenarios (Principals and other leaders)
-Principals Group (Leading Australian Schools Program)
-Leaders of teacher Professional Associations
  • Final discussion points and recommendations – re what Teaching Australia should do next (to be put up on the web site) – Leadership in Education

2.6 / Standards report (Rosie)
  • Standards workshop for Teaching Australia - two invitations (Rosie)
-ACTA to be part of the working group, and
-Someone from Teaching Australia to talk to ACTA re work with standards and how we want to engage with these
  • Rosie has done a lot of this work re standards
-ACTA’s materials well recognized and admired by TA
What can we now do nationally with these standards? (Misty) and how do we want to engage with the standards with TA? /
  1. Misty to send out a reminder for each association re that we have standards and make it an item for workshopping at the next ACTA workshop.
  2. Rosie to send out a brief paper on this
/ Misty
Rosie
2.7 / Letter to Stephen Smith (Misty Adoniou)
  • A letter of introduction – no response as yet

2.8 / Need for a new refugee response paper, media release in light of DIAC’s proposal to reduce African refugee intake (Rosie/Misty)
  • Action to start up another wiki page – to address what is being put out in the media and response to Kevin Andrews
  • Qld – Anna Bligh ‘s response – Qatesol to write to her in support – very
  • ACTA needs to focus on this – and remind the government what is actually needed by these groups (a pedagogical response, ie what are the actual needs of these learners) – rather that just commenting on the racist nature of Andrews comments
  • Khalin – WA launched the African Australian refugee project report- Waiting in Line – it has taken the government 3 – 4 years to recognize the needs of these refugees – Sudanese community has rallied and responded to this)
/
  1. Action to start up another wiki page – to address what is being put out in the media and ACTA to write a response
/ Misty and
ACTA Councillors to respond
3. / Finance
3.1 / Progress finance report (Rosie)
  • $17000
  • An email to be sent out re numbers (as at the end of the association year)for capitation notices
  • $15000 paid to APAPDC for Tales out of School – Let Rosie know if associations need additional books for sale – use it as an attraction for new membership.
/
  1. Capitation notices to be sent this month
  2. Councillors/State & Territory organizations to encourage the distribution of this book as much as possible
/ Rosie
State/Territory responses to be as quick as possible.
4. / 2008 National Conference update (Rosie Antenucci)
  • Keynotes organized across the 3 days and Program working well
  • Kate Cadman asked what we do about proceedings. – ie We have the commitment of papers from the key notes but a marketing person is required – what is the scope of the thing we want to bring out?– Journal online? – a special edition from the conference? – decisions to be made -
  • Connie – proceedings from TESOL Canada – proceedings were put online without a paper version
  • Do we want a TIC (refereed journal) or not? Do we want to get teachers’ papers in an international forum (requires a high level of PD)
  • Discussion re Tales Out of School -
/
  1. Write down a discussion paper re options for Councillors to respond to, re How ACTA should use/develop the Conference proceedings.
/ Margaret/TIC
5. / Reports from focus groups
5.1 / Journal (TESOL in Context)
  • Margaret – interest in the editor position – a teleconference next week – ACTA Councillors will be notified - EOI – for the committee – keen for nominations form anyone across Aust (2 /11) – new people will be supported – nominations are needed – form each state and territory
  • NB – Prospect publication is on the way out (cuts in funding with NCELTR) which leaves a big hole in the National ESL world – should TIC be more entrepreneurial and be set up differently – eg like Tales out of school
  • There is a survey out – re rating of educational journals
/
  1. EOI Committee Nominations by 2 /11
  2. Margaret TIC rating on education journal survey

Tales out of School as a selling point for new membership (Rosie)
  • Teachers appreciated this but not a selling point re increasing membership (ACT)
  • WA – liked the idea – not a membership selling point
  • Rosie has all the left over copies of Tales if ATESOL organizations want more
  • Margaret – need a marketing person and someone to keep the web site up to date – not designed to sell
  • Sophia will be doing a web site course – which should help
8.00pm
5.2 / Professional Development
  • NT Video - on track – should be finished by April – some sections need to be completed - with a focus on 2 areas – Indigenous ESL and then aspects of first languages

5.4 / National/International links.
  • ACTA is involved with National Education Forum (Misty) – next meeting in 2 week ends time
  • New Zealand and ACTA links – a proposal from NZ (Rosie) – sister work – Misty to send this on email
  • TESOL International – proposal to present to the Affiliate Leaders Workshop (Misty) – invitation to go to NY
  • NZ interested in sister work

6. / ACTA Councillors’ meeting – should we have a face-to-face meeting in January?
  • Have we got money to go face-to face?
  • Decision made to leave this meeting until the conference in July – when we all get together there – dedicate an extra day after the actual conference for this workshop
  • Rosie – request that Misty talk to the SA Conference Committee – at some stage – and use ACTA funds for this
/
  1. Could all ACTA Councillors distribute the conference flyers – as much as possible and target good practice teachers to present as far as possible
/ ACTA Councillors
7. / AOB
Next Teleconference with AGM in February

Meeting closed 8.16 (EST)

Colleen Combe, ACTA Secretary18/10/071