March 2016 | VALBEC | Web version

In this Issue

From the committee

1. Membership fees 2016

Paying your membership

Member benefits

2. 2016 VALBEC AGM

VALBEC Conference - Joining the Dots - May 20, 2016

3. Squeezing the dots - we're squeezing a few more days into our call for papers

4. Something different - visual presentations

Fine Print

5. Next edition

6. On being scientifically literate: initiation into a discourse – from the Fine Print archive

Professional development

7. Diversity ACAL-ACTA Conference - new financial support available

8. 'Stories of Resilience'

9. Developing Communities Through Learning: Evidencing Impact

From the committee

1. Membership fees 2016

At a recent meeting the VALBEC committee agree to raise the membership fees by about CPI.

The 2016 fees are

Individual membership - Employed Full Time (or on a time fraction 0.6 or above)

$102

Individual membership - Part time and Sessional

$61

Full time tertiary student or unemployed teacher

$43

Institutional membership - Small Organisation (less than 4 EFT staff)

$160

Institutional membership - Base rate

$232

Institutional membership - Multi-Campus (includes 6 copies of 'Fine Print')

$402

Paying your membership

Right now you can

Member benefits include

2. 2016 VALBEC AGM

The Committee is preparing to report to members and supporters on March 23. More details shortly.

Add it to your diary.

VALBEC Conference - Joining the Dots

2016 VALBEC Conference Friday May 20, 2016, William Angliss Conference Centre

2016 VALBEC Conference

The demands of contemporary society mean that there are increasing pressures on us all to be literate and numerate in many realms beyond the traditional reading, writing and maths. Learners deal with multiple literacies – digital, financial, health, work skills, science, legal, correctional services, environmental and a whole range of civic and settlement issues.

At the 2016 conference we will connect participants in 'joining the dots' by showcasing innovative approaches and achievements in a range of literacies.

3. Squeezing the dots - we're squeezing a few more days into our call for papers.

This year's conference is shaping up to be a good one with proposals coming in from a range of areas covering the multiple literacies in multiple contexts theme.
It is not too late however, for you to be part of 'Joining the dots' conference.

We are squeezing out the deadline for proposals until the 11th March.

So if you have a program, research or resource that you would like to present as a workshop or lunchtime visual display submit a proposal here

4. Something different - visual presentations

There will be the opportunity to provide a visual presentation of how you are 'joining the dots' of literacy in context at your organisation. These presentations will be set up in the morning and available for people to view all day.

More about the visual presentations

Fine Print

5. Next edition

Edition #1 2016 has a feature article from Tony Dreise in which he explores questions of race versus place and equity in education with related questions from the perspective of future policy development in Indigenous education.
'Place' is more than geography. It has multiple dimensions, applications and interpretations, including cultural, economic, social, and political. The notion of place can have a cultural or spiritual meaning, socio-economic meaning, and meaning which goes to the essence of one's identity.

Also in Edition #1 will be a report on the ACFE Communities of Practice project and the journey of a PhD candidate, as well as all the regular sections. Practical Matters will continue to have a Vox Pop section of informal snapshots that provide examples of teaching practice and springboard ideas. Send your contributions (up to 250 words). info@valbec.org.au

6. On being scientifically literate: initiation into a discourse – from the Fine Print archive

Fine Print Vol 23 No.2 Winter

Each month a VALBEC committee member selects a specific article from the Fine Print archive that illustrates good teaching practice, describes theories related to a ranges of literacies, explores a particular topic of interest or has some synergy with the present environment.

Fine Print, Volume 23 No. 2 Winter

On being scientifically literate: initiation into a discourse by Pat Beattie

Defining literacy

'Working with Indigenous Australian students, for many of whom English is a foreign language, and for most of whom the institutions of western society are foreign cultures, forces one, as an adult literacy practitioner, to dig more deeply into the notion of what it actually means to teach 'literacy'. However, while my experience is with Indigenous students, I believe what I have to say is also relevant to those teachers working with ESL and nativespeaking students.'

Further into the article Pat Beattie cited Gee:

'Gee shifts the traditional classroom relationship of teacher and student to one of field practitioner and novice'

As a classroom teacher moving into workplace delivery it was a life line that helped me realise the literacy of the workplace or of place, really. It is the vital role of those 'small' skills of reading, writing and numeracy in the wider social context that enables us to 'be' that makes being literate so powerful. Given the recent and enduring concern for STEM, you could do worse than going to this edition in the archives and reading the thoughts and strategies of 16 years ago.

Rhonda Pelletier

Visit the Fine Print archive

Professional development

7. Diversity ACAL-ACTA Conference - new financial support available

Diversity conference logo2016 ACAL-ACTA Conference

Perth, 7-11 April 2016 with symposia

Further financial support has recently been announced

More details

Sessions and speakers

One hundred sessions, international and local keynote speakers in conjunction with TESOL organisations

While sessions are filling fast, plenty of sessions are still available.

Conference overview

8. 'Stories of Resilience'

ACAL's 'Stories of Resilience' project is all about adult learners telling their own stories of this kind of experience, and having their words published on the web. Many adult learners have found it motivating to share their stories with a wider audience - what about your learners?

We are looking for stories about resilience in adult learning. Your students may have already written something during the year that could be adapted or re-drafted. We are accepting written or spoken text, audio or video. This could be a good way for people to revisit their year's work. Join with us in this celebration of the learning journeys of our adult learners.

In collaboration with RaPAL (Research & Practice in Adult Literacies, UK).

Please pass on this info to anyone who may appreciate the opportunity.

9. Developing Communities Through Learning: Evidencing Impact

Do you have good practice and wish to tell the world about it? An international book is being written and we are seeking case studies for publication. We are looking for exemplars of good practice in adult learning, work with young people, community development, health and well-being and other disciplines where learning for the individual, group, family or community is foregrounded. Often we know our work is good but find it difficult to say why. This book seeks to remedy this situation by describing good practice and showing how we know it is good. Case studies will be 2,000 to 2,500 words long. At this stage we just need a brief abstract of up to 500 words, so that we can select case studies to be developed for the book. There will be 2 or 3 case study chapters for each theme outlined below. The deadline for abstracts is 30th March 2016 and the deadline for completed chapters is 30th June 2016.

More details (PDF)