The 2019 Australasian Parliamentary Educators Conference was held in
Hobart on 20-22 November.
The three day conference was filled with opportunities to learn and share ideas in this exciting education field. The 2019 theme was Parliamentary Education – What is best practice?
PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
APEC Hobart 2019 Conference Programme
Conference Opening Ceremony
After a Welcome to Country from Auntie Brenda Hodge the Hon. Sue Hickey, Speaker of the House of Assembly addresses delegates from across Australasia at the opening of APEC 2019.
Delegates from the Australasian Parliamentary Educators Conference 2019.
Day 1: How do students learn? What key concepts do students need to learn?
Session 1: Keynote – Dr Rachael Grieve, University of Tasmania
Dr Grieve gave a fantastic presentation on neuro-typical brain development and learning capacities, especially in school aged children.
Session 2: Key outcomes in parliamentary education – a Member’s perspective
Delegates were given an insight into what current sitting Members see as the most important content in parliamentary education. This included what myths need to be defused, how the role of Members is uderstood by the public, how the media represents the work of parliaments and how much Members like having students in the building.
Session 3: Education office presentation
PEO – Parliament of Australia – New PEO learning activities and new PEO website.
The PEO had delegates on their feet demonstrating some practical ways to engage students with the intricacies of Federation.
They also outlined the reworking of the PEO website. www.peo.gov.au
Session 4: Tour of Parliament of Tasmania
A tour gave delegates insights into some of the historical features and unique characteristics of Tasmania’s Parliament.
Session 5: Question time in the Legislative Council
Delegates were able to view Tasmania’s upper house in action when the Legislative Council welcomed delegates for question time.
Session 6: Education office presentations
Parliament of Victoria – Evolution and tours
Victoria spoke to the changing nature of the roles and responsibilities of tour guides in the Victorian Parliament and how they will continue to grow and evolve going forward.
Parliament of New South Wales – Working with House department staff to create in-depth senior secondary school seminars
NSW spoke on the development of resources and programs focussing on their Parliament’s committee system with a particular aim to deepening the understanding of Legal Studies teachers and students.
Day 2: How to teach parliamentary education.
Session 7: Dealing with diversity in education
Aaron Roberts from the Smith Family spoke about the importance of connection and being authentic with young people.
Kate Taylor and Lucy Hunt shared their knowledge of working with people with Autism.
A panel of five guest experts, each with a focus on a different area of vulnerability spoke to challenges and strengths faced by the communities they represent. They also offered some practical advice on how to overcome or take advantage of these.
Autism Consultants – Tasmanian Dept of Education presentation. PDF; also a related TEDx Talk by Dr Jac den Houting, “Why everything you know about autism is wrong” can be viewed here.
Gifted Association of Tasmania presentation. PDF
The Smith Family
DPP – Vulnerable Witness Support Program
Session 8: Tasmanian Electoral Commission
An in-depth session from the Electoral Commisioner Andrew Hawkey and the TEC team on the intricacies of Tasmania’s legendary Hare-Clarke electoral system that featured vote counting, Robson rotations and animated chickens. One for the numbers nerds!
The TEC shared a number of their animated resources with the delegates. They can viewed online at the TEC website here.
Session 9: Education office presentation
Parliament of Victoria – Parliament Prize
An overview of how Victoria’s Parliament Prize program has changed and grown over the last few years. What are the successes and challenges when one of your programs has ten times the entries than you had planned for?
You can view the winners of this year’s Parliament Prize here.
Session 10: Tour of the Supreme Court of Tasmania.
Delegates were invited to come inside and learn about Australia’s longest running Supreme Court.
Session 11: Education office presentations
Parliament of Western Australia – taking Parliament to the people
How do you do outreach in a state larger than most nations? You need lots planning, lots of energy and you enlist the help of Macey!
Museum of Australian Democracy – Student voice and agency in a democracy
Deborah Sulway spoke to the numerous ways MoAD seeks to strengthen student agency.
Day 3: How will we assess student learning and teacher performance?
Session 12: Professional standards and professional learning for teachers
The panel discussed how to best design professional development for teachers to ensure quality teacher training. Delegates were given an overview of the professional standards teachers need to acheive both in terms of content knowledge and delivery mode.
Jo Cullen from the ACT Parliament spoke to the process of becoming an accredited provider of PD for teachers.
Professional Learning Institute – Jill Burrill PDF
Department of Education – David Boon
ACT Parliament – Jo Cullen PDF
Session 13: Education office presentation
Parliament of South Australia – Using social sedia to educate – SA’s learnings on ‘best practice’ so far.
South Australia delved into their social media presence presenting the hits and misses of 12 months of Facebook posts. The behind the scenes work of social media was highlighted. In particular outlining the work that goes into monitoring comments and community input coming through social media channels.
Session 14: Education office presentations – overseas jurisdictions
Solomons Islands Parliament
Alex Seama from the Solomon Islands had the delegates enthralled with their array of programs including a nationally televised Youth Parliament, a regular radio program and an ‘Amazing Race’ style program. Solomon Islands also shared tales of providing outreach to remote island communities.
Parliament of the Republic of Fiji
Vatimosi Delailovu from Fiji spoke to the importance of their long term community engagement straegy for the parliamentary education program and how it had underpinned the growth and success of their work to date. Fiji also shared tales of outreach to remote islands and what happens when your program (and your accommodation) is beset by cyclone conditions.
Session 15: Drama workshop
Making Democracy Dramatic!
Andrew Casey of React Drama School wrapped up the conference with an energetic, entertaining and enlightening session demostrating a range of icebreakers and drama techniques that delegates could use when running workshops – especially for adult groups.
Feedback and Evaluation
Throughout the conference feedback was collected on a number of the sessions and mood meters were employed to gauge the state of mind of delegates.
A post conference Questionnaire was also distributed to delegates to collect information to share with future confrence hosts. PDF
Blank versions of some of the feedback mechanisms are supplied below for reference.
Session feedback – quick questionnaire PDF
Session feedback – Two stars and a wish PDF
Samples of mood meter images: Mood meter PDF; LEGO face mood meter PDF; LEGO faces and mood meter images PDF
APEC 2020?
APEC 2020 will be hosted by the the Parliament of Australia’s Parliamentary Eduction Office.
We look forward to seeing you in Canberra for APEC 2020.
Dates and details to be confirmed.
List of previous APEC Hosts PDF
Jurisdiction Reports
Bougainville
Fiji
Museum of Australian Deomocracy
New Zealand
Parliamentary Education Office (Parliament of Australia)
Queensland
Samoa
Solomon Islands
INFORMATION FOR DELEGATES
APEC Hobart 2019 Conference Programme