2021 AGM President's Report

Unprecedented is the word most commonly used to describe 2020 and the global effect of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Certainly unprecedented applies to the running of our Association during this period.

Our last AGM had the smallest attendance with a large number of apologies.  As our number of members was low, we were still quorate and managed to form a small but hard-working Executive.  As quarantine and lock-downs became the norm, SAAME went into hiatus until September.

During this time we relied on email, the monthly radio program and increasingly our Facebook page for communicating with members.  While we were able to hold several face-to-face meetings we also experimented with using our Facebook page and Zoom to conduct online meetings.  With Covid Safe Plans still in place, Exec. decided to use this connected method for holding the AGM.

SAAME’s activity in professional development continued in 2020 with our established focus on UNESCO's Global Media & Information Literacy Week held in October.  Again this event was listed on the official UNESCO GMIL Week site and was the only Australian activity for the week.  The event, “Behind the Mask:  MIL Revealed” was held over two weeks and consisted of a streamed information session followed by a structured discussion around MIL and our classrooms.  The first received 62 views but the latter had only two attendees.  Thank you to Alex for organising this.

SAAME was successful in gaining a PD Grant of $1726 from Educators SA to set up a Vimeo site on which to place video resources.  Unfortunately no action on this took part in the first part of the year.  We contacted Educators SA to find out if the grant was still available and as a result sent them an invoice in October.  No funds have been received to date and we are following this up with Director, Rod Nancarrow.

Despite the chaotic year, SAAME managed to:

• Maintained our Facebook group, MEET (Media Educators Engaging Together) and its membership has increased to 131.  This site notifies members of events such as Exec meetings etc.
• Continued to broadcast Media Moves each month on 5PBA-FM with sponsorship from Valley View Secondary School.  Due to Covid restrictions, one program was required to be pre-recorded.

Thank you to new Life Member, Tim for again filling the role of Secretary so ably and maintaining our website.

Thank you to the Executive members of the committee last year for helping maintain the Association during this extraordinary time.  This year looks to be just as different given that some past Exec. Members have announced their intention to establish an ATOM SA.  Watch this space!