eVALBEC April 2012eVALBEC April 2012This is the electronic newsletter of VALBEC, the Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education Council, and is sent to about 1000 practitioners on the first of each month (other than January). It is also available in the 'News' section of our web site http://www.valbec.org.au
Disclaimer: The activities, goods and services mentioned in eVALBEC are not endorsed by VALBEC in any way. People should make their own judgment about the suitability of each item.
How to submit items: http://www.valbec.org.au/05/news.htm
1. Committee News
2. Annual General Meeting
3. VALBEC Committee nominations
4. VALBEC Fees for 2012
5. Vale Margaret Whitlam
6. Pauline’s Musing on Reading
7. Read the word, Read the world • registrations are now open
8. International Conference of Adults Learning Mathematics
9. ACTA 2012 Conference in Cairns
10. ACAL Conference - Joining the Pieces: Literacy and Numeracy - one part to the picture
11. Cartoonist?
12. Next issue
13. Foundation Skills Training Package webinars
14. VET Professional Association
15. Australian Industry Group (AIG) "National Workforce Literacy Project"
17. Subscribe to eVALBEC?
17. Unsubscribe?
18. Contact VALBEC
John Radalj attended the General Studies and Further Education CMM meeting at which a number of courses were discussed including the Review of CGEA has been completed and revised numeracy units are available; ESL Frameworks minor review has been completed; there will be PD on the CGEA starting 10 May.
Contact Nadia Casarotto for more information sicmm.generalstudies@vu.edu.au
Lynne Matheson attended a meeting of Libmark,a special interest group of the Public Libraries of Victoria Network Customer Service subcommittee where she gave an overview of VALBEC and talked about ways in which they could connect with ACE centres as part of the NYR projects.
The next committee meeting will be held on Tuesday 17 April.
We welcome feedback and ideas so please send to info@valbec.org.au
We will hold the AGM at the conclusion of the conference on Friday 25 May.
Level 5, William Angliss Conference Centre, Corner La Trobe and King St Melbourne
Reports on the 2011 VALBEC year will be presented and the new Executive committee will be elected.
The agenda for the AGM is:
A. Reports (Presidents, Conference, Professional Development, ACAL, Treasurer)
B. Election of new office bearers.
C. Confirmation of Auditor
The VALBEC committee is a dynamic and collaborative group who meet once a month to discuss, plan and take action on behalf of members and the ALBE field.
Nomination forms can be downloaded at http://www.valbec.org.au/05/docs/nominationform.pdf or request a copy via info@valbec.org.au
Stay connected with the LLN field, access professional development, receive Fine Print and be informed about the issues that affect learners and practitioners in Victoria through being a VALBEC member.
Membership and Fine Print subscriptions fees at current schedule with no increases for 2012.
Payment can be made online using Paymate or by purchase order, cheque or credit card.
Not received your invoice yet? Contact VALBEC
VALBEC would like to share in expressing sadness at the passing of Margaret Whitlam. She was accomplished in many areas and was passionate and forthright in her commitment to social issues, in particular women’s rights, the arts and the environment. Among her many roles were Chairman of the National Council for the International Literacy Year (ILY) 1989 – 1991 and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for the International Literacy Year, 1990.
Some people will lie, cheat, steal and back-stab to get ahead... and to think, all they have to do is READ.”
- Fortune
Pauline O'Maley, VALBEC committee member and avid reader will be posting articles about reading each month.
'I have been afforded the pleasure in this space of simply musing on reading I have enjoyed, loathed, thrilled to, or been unsettled by – in other words reading I have done that has made an impact. So in this Year of Reading it is apt for me to muse on this area of interest that obsesses me at the moment - READING. This month I want to talk about the work of Catherine Wallace, in particular her books Reading (1992) and Critical readings in Language Education (2003). Over the years I have read a lot about literacy and about language (and even, some may be incredulous to hear, about numeracy!) but often felt the dearth of material, situated within a socio-cultural, critical frame that is specific to reading. Wallace’s work challenges us to think about the way we approach reading with our students, and ways in which this does, or doesn’t align with our theoretical understandings.
Wallace’s work reflects the teaching she has done, over a number of years in the UK, in English Language classes with foreign students, mainly at a Masters level. Her approach is grounded in the work of Norman Fairclough and Michael Halliday, in particular in the tradition that has come to be known as Critical Language Awareness (CLA). So she makes a very explicit link to theory but she also gives the reader detailed examples of, and ideas for, practice. She suggests the differences in critical and conventional models of reading ‘as clustered around the differences in principles, purposes, and practices’ (2003, p.42).
While Wallace is clear that reading is but one strand of a broader project she also highlights the importance of this, sometimes neglected, strand. She poses two questions to frame her work; ‘what do texts tell us about contemporary social life?’ and ‘how can we make use of them in the language [and literacy] classroom?’ (2003, p.1).
So revisit her, or pick her up for the first time and let me know what you think. A snippet to whet the appetite – ‘In a multicultural classroom a diversity of readings provides a cultural and critical resource for the whole class’ (2003, p.75). Check out how she uses these rich resources.'
VALBEC 2012 conference William Angliss Conference centre, Friday May 25
Early bird discounts available to financial members but you must act by April 20, 2012
Great program and choices
The program offers plenary sessions and a choice from fourteen workshops. Our keynote speaker is Rowena Allen ACFE Chair.
The 19th International Conference of Adults Learning Mathematics – A Research Forum (ALM19) is to be held in Auckland, New Zealand, from Tuesday June 26 to Friday June 29 2012.
ALM is an international organisation which brings together practitioners and researchers who are involved in mathematics and numeracy education for adult learners in order to inform policy and practice. Information about the conference, the call for papers and registration are available at: http://literacyandnumeracyforadults.com/Professional-Development/Conferences/2012-ALM19-Conference
'TESOL as a Global Trade – Ethics, Equity and Ecology' 3rd to 5th July 2012
http://www.astmanagement.com.au/acta12/
Pre-conference symposium
'Teaching and learning pronunciation: Local and global perspectives on research and practice'
Monday 2 July 2012 at the Cairns Convention Centre
19-21 Sept • Hobart
The 2012 ACAL conference will explore three key questions about adult literacy and numeracy. These questions are about how we connect, co-operate and create.
We'd like you to submit a proposal for a session that will:
Proposals are due by May 12, 2012
Is there a cartoonist out there who would like to provide the odd cartoon for Fine Print? We are looking for a person who would likes to create cartoons for a good cause. Please contact fineprint@valbec.org.au
We have a wonderful issue nearly ready to send out. Our feature writers include:
We have a brand new column, ‘A year of reading’, by Lynne Matheson. You will love it!
Open Forum is back again with items from VALBEC committee members, so don’t miss it.
Jude Newcombe shares her interesting professional life story in Beside the Whiteboard, and we publish a prize winning story by Faten Chendeb from Community West. Plus lots more for you to digest.
The first draft of the National Foundation Skills Training Package should be available for comment shortly with involvement at some stage in the future. It will be rolled out in early 2013
ACAL will have input to the creation of the VET Professional Association via survey and feedback on the interim report. TDC has funded Berwyn Clayton and Hugh Guthrie to conduct a scoping study.
Final report has been released. Adult literacy and numeracy is tightly linked to productivity levels and employers needs. The ACSF focus is from a non LLN practitioners' perspective.
ACFE, ACE, RTO and TAFE managers can post adult literacy, language and numeracy practitioner job ads in eVALBEC. Send your request (50 words limit) to info@valbec.org.au by the 26th of the month.
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eVALBEC is the monthly electronic newsletter of (VALBEC) the Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education Council.
E-mail: info@valbec.org.au
Postal: Box 861 Springvale South VIC 3172
Ph: 03 9546 6892
Fax: 03 9546 0421