eVALBEC 
May 2014 | VALBEC | Web version
In this Issue
Committee News
1. VALBEC AGM
2. Join the Committee
3. 2014 Victorian Learn Local Awards
4. 2014 VALBEC Conference
5. Membership renewal
6. Next committee meeting
Professional development
7. 'Literacy: a learning spiral for life' ACAL conference – call date extended
8. Financial support for ACAL conference presenters
9. Webinar: ESL learners: low ed, slow-pace - can you get outcomes?
10. 'From LLN to Foundation Skills' - ALA/VALBEC forum
Fine Print
Resources
11. Lesson ideas
Committee News
1. VALBEC AGM
The 2014 Annual General meeting of VALBEC will be held on Friday, May 16 at 4.15 pm (at the conclusion of the Annual Conference) at the William Angliss Conference Centre, Level 5, 555 La Trobe Street, Melbourne. Reports will be provided of activities for 2013 and the new committee will be elected.
Members and friends welcome.
2. Join the Committee
Interested in nominating for a committee position? Nomination form
3. 2014 Victorian Learn Local Awards
A reminder that nominations are open for the 2014 Victorian Learn Local Awards so make sure you get your forms in before 6 June. More
4. 2014 VALBEC Conference
The 2014 VALBEC Annual Conference 'and the Learning goes on….' is almost here! Workshop registrations are filling up so make sure you register for what looks like being a ‘cracker’ of a conference. We are slowly closing sessions as they fill. Act now and get your choice!
Session topics include Foundation Skills Strategy for Adults, Enhancing speaking skills online, Using Moodle, Numeracy in LLN, LLN skills in informal work-based learning, Higher Order Thinking Skills, Getting Beginners to write, Measurement skills for work.
5. Membership renewal
Have you paid yet? Need another invoice?
Beware - we'll be chasing you!
6. Next committee meeting
Wednesday 7 May
Professional development
7. 'Literacy: a learning spiral for life' ACAL conference – call date extended
ACAL has extended the due date for applications to present at the Annual Conference until the 26 May 2014.
It's a chance for you to get on your hobby horse and spark the bright idea with your passion ...'
Discounts are offered to presenters.
Conference themes and session details
8. Financial support for ACAL conference presenters
VALBEC is offering two scholarships (covering the conference registration fee of about $480 for one person) for two separate ACAL conference presentations.
If you are interested, please submit an Expression of Interest to VALBEC in the first instance (not ACAL). It should include your name, organisation, session title, session outline (100-150 words) and be submitted to info@valbec.org.au by 20 May, 2014.
Your proposal must meet the ACAL Conference guidelines.
Your abstract will be reviewed by the VALBEC committee and recommendations forwarded to ACAL conference committee for final selection.
9. Webinar: ESL learners: low ed, slow-pace - can you get outcomes?
The answer is yes - and you and the learners can have some fun, too.
Lindee Conway will present a webinar at Adult Learning Australia's website on Friday May 30th. The webinar will link some good ideas to formal outcomes. It will also focus on having a bit of fun, for teachers and learners alike.
1pm, AEST, Friday May 30th. Please check times for the webinar
10. 'From LLN to Foundation Skills' - ALA/VALBEC forum
The joint VALBEC/ALA ‘LLLN to Foundation Skills’ forum was a great success. Thanks to members who attended and participated. It was terrific to have such wide ranging contributions from speakers covering the Foundation Skills strategy, Core Skills for Work, Foundation Skills Training Package and the Foundation Skills Assessment Tool (FSAT). There will be further presentations at the VALBEC conference that will provide more information and opportunities to engage in discussion. Thanks to Jan and Sandra who facilitated the workshop part of the program.
In the workshops participants were asked to consider four different aspects of the New Foundations Skills (Foundation Skills Strategy, Foundation Skills Assessment Test (FSAT), Core Skills for Work Framework ( CsFW) and the Foundation Skills Training Package FSK - TP from the perspective of
1) Impact - on the current LLN and emerging Foundations Skills field
2) Benefits - benefits to the current LLN and emerging Foundations Skills field
3) Moving forward - list recommendations for improvement or change to the four aspects the Foundation Skills field listed.
See a summary of the workshop responses
Fine Print
Edition #1 for 2014 has been posted out and hopefully you are enjoying an excellent read.
We are looking for practitioners to write about work they are doing with their students or resources they are developing in the areas of Digital Literacy and Learning Management Systems such as Moodle.
Contact the Fine Print editor info@valbec.org.au
Resources
11. Lesson ideas
VALBEC is observing 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming, as well as celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the International Year of the Family and offering some related lesson ideas.
In the fourth of the series, committee member Jan Hagston looks at the role of women in family farming.
Farming has, traditionally, been a family business. Women play a vital role in these family businesses, running farms and partnering in running them and they have done so since the early days of European settlement in Australia. The following ideas are a few ideas to explore with learners about the role of women in the family farm ...
See some lesson ideas based on International Year of the Family Farming.