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'Show Me The Money' Conference

Child playing with money with an adult

Lifting Levels of Consumer and Financial Literacy in Australian Schools

Saturday 6 August 2011 – THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

"By teaching kids how to handle money from an early age, you give them the essential knowledge and skills to make wise financial decisions throughout their lives."
Paul Clitheroe, Chairman, Australian Government Financial Literacy Board

Teachers and school executives K–12, teacher educators, and others from the government, financial and not-for-profit sectors are invited to join us at this conference that seeks to:

  • raise awareness of the crucial importance of improving student financial literacy
    levels by creating a learning pathway starting in the early years of primary school
    and building through secondary
  • inspire and enable teachers to integrate consumer and financial literacy into their
    teaching and learning across the curriculum K–12
Financial literacy blackboard
  • examine how financial and consumer literacy will be integrated into the Australian
    Curriculum Phase 1 release of mathematics, English, science and history
  • explore ways of engaging students from different socio-economic backgrounds
    to enrich their knowledge, skills and attitudes in areas such as saving, budgeting,
    planning, credit, debt and interest, taxation, superannuation, mobile phone plans,
    bank accounts and insurance
  • showcase a range of quality resources and ‘best practice’ programs.


Download (86KB PDF 3 pages) the full program and abstracts.

Program outline
8.30 Registration (tea and coffee provided)
9.30 Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country

9.40

Elain Henry OAMOpening address: MONEY SPEAKS: PASSION SINGS | Elaine Henry OAM, Australian Government Financial Literacy Board

During the turmoil of the global financial crisis (2008–10) which spread virally, the complexity of financial instruments, services and scams was laid bare; many individuals bore the brunt of investing in schemes they knew little about which depleted retirement savings; short-term consumerism left many living 'on the edge'.

Around the turn of the century, countries, including Australia, had foreseen a risk in the complexity of the financial system and commissioned financial literacy campaigns to help educate their citizens to understand money and how to make it work, not just for necessities of life but for asset accumulation. It was for some possibly too little, too late but out of every adversity comes opportunity and in 2011 in Australia we now have a comprehensive strategy to ensure our children of today become well-informed citizens of tomorrow.

At the same time, a parallel universe has been opening up based on a greater sophistication of the neurosciences. We know much more about the functioning of the brain and the importance of constructing a web of literacies – comprehension, numeracy, financial, emotional, psychological etc. We know that foundational skills compound over the learning pathway from the earliest years, through primary, secondary and tertiary studies.

These thoughts will be elaborated upon with case studies and anecdotes gained from research and practical experience accumulated over my 13 year tenure as CEO of The Smith Family where the transformative power of education was used to provide hope for the future to hundreds of thousands of financially disadvantaged children; and as a member of the original Consumer and Financial Literacy Taskforce, now known as the Australian Government Financial Literacy Board.
10:40 Questions
10.55 Morning Tea
11.15 Concurrent workshops:
 

K–12

9–12

K–6

8–12

A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON FINANCIAL & CONSUMER LITERACY IN SCHOOLS | Margaret Bigelow, ACARA

DOLLARSMART: A FINANCIAL TOOLKIT FOR YOUNG AUSTRALIANS | Deen Sanders, Financial Planning Assn of Australia

THE LIFESKILLS MICROSOCIETY | Steve & Christine O’Mara, Consultants

ACTIVITIES IN FINANCIAL LITERACY | Sue Thomson, Australian Assn of Mathematics Teachers
12.15 Questions
12.30 Lunch
1.15 Concurrent workshops:

 

7–10


K–12


7–12

K–8

FINANCIAL LITERACY IN THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM | Liz Criddle, Economics and Business Educators NSW & Australian Curriculum Studies Assn

THE AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES & INVESTMENTS COMMISSION'S ROLE IN FINANCIAL LITERACY | Peter Cuzner, ASIC

IS 'SUPER' SUPER? YOU BE THE JUDGE! | Sue Thomson, Australian Assn of Mathematics Teachers

FINANCIAL LITERACY AND DESIGNING LEARNING | Rita Van Haren, Robyn Kiddy, Rebecca Roche, Christian Riley & Anne Dunn, ACT Lanyon Cluster Financial Literacy Project
2.15 Questions
2.30 Afternoon Tea

2.45

Dominic ThurbonKeynote: BACK TO BASICS: ENGAGING THE STUDENT OF THE FUTURE WITH FINANCIAL LITERACY | Dominic Thurbon, Change Labs

How do you teach financial literacy to current and future generations of students?

At its heart, the role of the teacher remains unchanged: to engage, educate, and inspire the next generation of Australians. But what engages, educates, and inspires this generation of learners is fundamentally different from the past. Teaching financial literacy involves equipping students with a fundamental life skill that draws on a range of different disciplines. To meet this interdisciplinary challenge, it is useful to explore the latest trends in education technology, the neuroscience of behavior change and changing conceptions of 'engagement'.

In this broad-ranging and entertaining session, we will:

  • explore the latest thought in student engagement, canvassing new ways for teachers to bring the classroom experience to life
  • examine how technology, and specifically ‘ubiquitous information’, is changing classrooms and the role of the teacher
  • canvass some leading-edge thinking in behavior change, and discuss what it means for the future of teaching
  • discuss how StartSmart, Australia’s largest face-to-face money management education program, creatively engages students in both numeracy and literacy
  • empower financial literacy teachers to create the classroom of the future.

Dominic Thurbon is an internationally sought-after thought leader and keynote speaker in the fields of education, technology, and the workforce of the future. He has worked around the world with groups such as the Australian Council of Education Leaders, the NSW DET, IBM, Apple, Charles Darwin University, and countless schools and educational organisations. As co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of ChangeLabs, Dominic has built some of the largest educational change programs in the world. In partnership with the Commonwealth Bank Foundation, ChangeLabs developed the award-winning StartSmart financial literacy program, which will reach over 220,000 Australian school children in 2011. Dominic is co-author of the white papers Talent Magnets: Attracting Top Staff to Education and Game On: How Video Games are Changing the Way We Live, Work, and Learn and has served as head of research on several internationally published bestsellers.
3.45 Questions
4.00 Close


Enquiries
Anita Hancock | T: 02 9036 6523 (Mon–Wed) | E:

NSW Institute of Teachers Registered Professional Development
NSWIT Course Code C07810. This conference is endorsed as Institute Registered Continuing Professional Development for maintenance of accreditation at Professional Competence. Scope of endorsement: Five years for all Elements of the Professional Teaching Standards. Please provide your 6-digit Institute Number when you register if relevant.