eVALBEC July 2013eVALBEC July 20131. New VALBEC Committee meets
2. 2013 International Year of Statistics
3. What about your own statistsics?
4. What I'm reading now ...
5. Next issue
6. ESL teacher required with a medical/health professional background
7. ACAL conference 'Local practices, global contexts'
8. Free numeracy resources
The first meeting of the new VALBEC committee was held on Wednesday 26 June. It was a full meeting and members contributed a range of ideas for professional development and projects that we will continue to discuss and make plans for terms 3 & 4.
Sandra Wolfe and Linno Rhodes attended the 'Confident Communities' ACE Aotearoa and ALA conference in Wellington, NZ, June 18 -20 and met colleagues from both Australia and NZ at what was a vibrant and interesting Australasian conference.
Jan Hagston was interviewed on SYNFM radio to to talk about the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) results of adult literacy levels in Australia.
The 'Building Strength with Numeracy Resource' has been receiving positive feedback and we have had to increase bandwidth to accommodate the number of downloads.
Statistics provided by Don MacDowall
Humans have their own statistics. We can measure so much of ourselves:
And then …
Do you fit into Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man concept? (a figure in two superimposed positions with his arms and legs apart and simultaneously inscribed in a circle and square.)
Based on an idea from the teachers at Birchip P – 12 School, 2012
Prepared by Rhonda Raisbeck, Program Co-ordinator, Literacy & Numeracy Program, Holmesglen Language Centre
We have asked the VALBEC committee to share what they are reading each month as a way of keeping the theme of reading every day as an integral part of our lives.
What I'm reading – something out of the box
We recently pulled some boxes out of 'storage' – the roof space - and discovered treasures. Well 'Treasure Island' given to me on my thirteenth birthday among others. Others included 'Cloudstreet' by Tim Winton. It evokes memories of a long ago Australia. He captured a sense of my early childhood in the rambling tale and my first view of Perth was in the sixties as he describes it. Another was the 'The Man' (1967) a fanciful tale of a man who becomes America's first black president. Who would have thought? I've just re-read 'Oscar and Lucinda' – with that image from the film of the glass cathedral coming up the river strong in my mind.
But there's also new books, not from the roof – working my way through recent Booker prize winners (Bring Up the Bodies, Wolf Hall, etc.). Then gritty novels like Ian Rankin's with the dark side of Edinburgh, which I visited many times long ago (Edinburgh, not the dark side). And the latest John le Carre, 'A Delicate Truth', which I'm holding off starting, waiting for the right time! Superficially his books were about spies. But I always thought they we about betrayal - betrayal of one's country, one's friends and sometimes, oneself. All to be read, re-read and re-read.
Don MacDowall
Literacy as social practice—what does it actually mean? Our next edition of Fine Print explores what we mean by literacy as social practice, shows how it works in the real world and describes what the future could look like if we allow it to inform policy and practice. That's a big claim, so read it and see for yourself! Bob Boughton, Inge Kral, Lynda Achren, Dave Tout, Audrey McAlindon, Jan Hagston and more. Fine Print coming to your letterbox soon!
Yarraville Community Centre is looking for an ESL teacher with a medical/health professional background to teach overseas doctors, nurses and other health professionals the Certificate IV in ESL (Employment/Professional)- for Health Professionals.
10 weeks full time contract. Starting in term 3
Must have: Teaching qualification (B Ed or Post-grad) with TESOL methods and supervised teaching practicum, TAE40110 - Cert IV, Permission to work in Australia
Preferred: Degree or experience working in the health sector, ESL teaching experience
Only successful applicants for an interview will be contacted. Please email your resume and cover letter to yarracc@ycc.net.au Applications close 5th July
Sydney Sep 30-Oct 2, 2013
Registrations have now opened and you can take advantage of the early bird offer.
The program details are likely to be announced in the next couple of weeks.
'Building Strength with Numeracy' is a collection of activities that builds on and updates elements of the previous resources, as well as including many new, previously unpublished ideas, activities and student practice exercises.
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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
This 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
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