The Role of Libraries in Adult Literacy Kerrin Pryor

Presentation at the National Year of ReadingSeminar

Wednesday, 8th June 2011Wheeler Centre

MorrisonsMt.Evelyn

Building supportive links for low level literacy students between CGEA and VET courses within

our organisation.

Morrisons, Mt.Evelyn

Google Maps

Rural fringe of Melbourne. Shire of Yarra Ranges Population 10,000 surrounding area. 41 km from Melbourne central 5 km from Lilydale, rail links to city.

Bureau of Statistics,

Wikipedia,

Demographics

Pre-accredited Courses Living skills Literacy, Numeracy and Technology.

Pre-accredited Courses

Accredited Courses; Certificate I-III CGEA Certificate III & Diploma Children’s Services Certificate II -Diploma Nail’s, Hair and Beauty Certificate III Aged Care & Home and

Community Care Certificate II Community Services Certificate II Automotive Certificate I-II Information Technology Certificate IV Massage Certificate IV Education Support Certificate IV Disability Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. VCAL

Accredited courses.

Aged care, Children’s services, Disabilities, Ed. Support, CERT.IV, Short courses, Station St, Mt.Evelyn

Morrisons Hair & Beauty Training SalonYork Rd, Mt.Evelyn

Morrisons Child careOld Hereford Rd. Mt.Evelyn

Morrisons Main ReceptionOld Hereford Rd. Mt.Evelyn

Men’s ShedOld Hereford Rd. Mt.Evelyn

Morrisons Training Centre Beauty and Wellbeing centre (Lilydale)

Youth ShedWray Cres. Mt.Evelyn

Morrisons Café on the ParkWray Cres. Mt.Evelyn

The circle of Trust.

VETStudent

VET Tutor

VET Coordina

tor

CGEA/Literacy

Tutor

CGEA Coordina

tor

Libraries can be scary places

Alan’s storyAlan’s story

Intimidated by the whole Intimidated by the whole idea..idea..Memories from childhoodMemories from childhood

Sandra’s storySandra’s story

Her child gave her Her child gave her permission to go the permission to go the library and read ….library and read ….

Library helped her make Library helped her make friends in a new friends in a new community… Learn community… Learn about education about education courses….courses….

A sociocultural perspective...A sociocultural perspective...

We never simply just read and We never simply just read and write, but read and write in a write, but read and write in a situated place, with a social situated place, with a social identity and history, making identity and history, making meaning of what we read and meaning of what we read and write though our own particular write though our own particular world paradigm. In other words world paradigm. In other words literacy only makes sense when it literacy only makes sense when it reflects our own sociocultural reflects our own sociocultural worlds. worlds.

(Gee, 2000, p180). (Gee, 2000, p180).

Meagan was a mature aged student, had left school early, single parent and disillusioned with education.

Enrolled in CGEA- stopped and started Successful in CGEA (Support, time and patience) Enrolled in VET lacked confidence- enrolled in

CGEA again. (simultaneous courses) Entered a library for the first time Meagan graduated her VET course and is now

working as a community carer and in an aged care facility.

Case study

““On the first day I felt really On the first day I felt really embarrassed. I couldn’t do embarrassed. I couldn’t do anything and I had to ask for anything and I had to ask for help. It was like I had this mask help. It was like I had this mask on my face. I didn’t want to think on my face. I didn’t want to think I was as dumb as I was told I was. I was as dumb as I was told I was. So I felt like I had to wear masks So I felt like I had to wear masks all the time and try to be all the time and try to be someone else, just as long as it someone else, just as long as it wasn’t me.”wasn’t me.”

““I have so much more I have so much more confidence. I can read things confidence. I can read things around me. For instance, I around me. For instance, I had never read a menu had never read a menu before. Previously, when I before. Previously, when I went out to dinner I knew went out to dinner I knew straight away I would just straight away I would just have a chicken parmigana. have a chicken parmigana. After all, everybody knows After all, everybody knows most menus have a chicken most menus have a chicken parmigana.” parmigana.”

““But now, I have choice. I But now, I have choice. I can read the menu and try can read the menu and try different things. I get a different things. I get a great sense of great sense of accomplishment because I accomplishment because I can write a quick note can write a quick note telling the teacher that my telling the teacher that my son is wearing those pants son is wearing those pants today because the other today because the other ones are wet.”ones are wet.”

““Once you start to study, you Once you start to study, you understand the word literacy so understand the word literacy so much more, and you realise you much more, and you realise you can do it. Sure it means reading can do it. Sure it means reading and writing but it also means and writing but it also means understanding things and understanding things and understanding the world around understanding the world around you.”you.”

Literacy is social Literacy is social identityidentity

It is the mastery of It is the mastery of secondary discourses secondary discourses (Gee 1991)

Libraries are more than places to Libraries are more than places to access the internet or borrow a access the internet or borrow a book, they are hubs of community book, they are hubs of community identities. identities.

They provide opportunities for They provide opportunities for people to engage in the people to engage in the community.community.

Therefore libraries are fertile Therefore libraries are fertile ground to grow secondary ground to grow secondary discourses and nurture new discourses and nurture new identities.identities.