33rd National SPERA Conference
(includes Rural Educators Day)
27- 29 September 2017
Rethinking Rurality: Writing the Rural into Policy and Practice
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
SPERA, in partnership with the Faculty of Education, Science, Technology & Mathematics at the University of Canberra, invites you to join us for the 33rd National SPERA Conference.
Hosted by University of Canberra, the 2017 conference will bring together a range of education professionals, school administrators, teacher educators, academics, pre-service teachers, community members and parents who are passionate about rural education.
Keynote Speakers include:
Professor Tom Lowrie – University of Canberra.
Professor John Fischetti – University of Newcastle.
Professor Daniela Stehlik – Griffith University.
Professor Linda Shields – Charles Sturt University.
Associate Professor Jacki Schirmer – University of Canberra.
Conference
27-29 September 2017
Where: University of Canberra, Canberra
When: 27-29 September 2017
Download the full flyer here: 2017_spera_-conference_flyer (422kb)
Friday 29th September is Rural Educators Day
Download the full flyer here: 2017 Rural Educators Day Flyer
This year the Society for the Provision of Education in Rural Australia (SPERA) is holding a special rural educator’s day during its annual conference. The day has a specific focus on strengthening the connection between rural educators with policy stakeholders hopes to encourage and empower rural educators to have a bigger voice. The target audience is people who work in and around rural schools, including teacher educators who want to help prepare their students to work in a rural area. Certificates of Participation for professional learning requirements are available upon request.
SPERA consists of people who share a common concern and commitment to the maintenance and development of appropriate educational opportunities for rural communities in Australia. The 2017 conference will bring together a range of education professionals, school administrators, teacher educators, academics, pre-service teachers, teachers, community members and parents who are passionate about rural education. This year’s theme of ‘Rethinking Rurality: Writing the Rural into Policy and Practice’ will be explored from multiple angles including esteemed keynote speakers and a variety of sessions on the latest research in the field. Attending will provide opportunities to have your voice heard and to network with others from around Australia.
Highlights of the day include:
- Panel Discussion- “Translating Policy into a Rural Setting”
- Panel Discussion- “Careers Advice for Rural Students”
- Awarding of Australian Rural Education Awards recognising excellence in rural education
Panel one: Translating policy into a rural setting
Compulsory education is currently governed by standardised policies, such as national curriculum and testing programs. However, this raises questions about how these policies affect rural schools and communities. Given the complex interplay between policy and rural social space (Reid et al., 2010), this panel discusses how standardised policy works in rural areas. How do participants see rural educators working with such policies in their schools? Is there room for the rural in such approaches? How does this translate into practice in rural schools? How does this influence rural communities?
Cost: A $200 registration fee applies to those participants attending only on the Rural Educators Day. (Full Conference attendance includes the Rural Educators Day program).
Please Note: Presenter/s must be paid registrants of the conference in order to present a paper. No refunds will be issued for any reason after Friday 18 August 2017.
SPERA would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which the University of Canberra is situated and pay respects to Elders past, present and emerging.