eVALBEC May 2012eVALBEC May 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. Conference support
VALBEC Conference special offer
ACAL conference special offer
2. In the news
3. Next committee meeting
4. Annual General Meeting
5. VALBEC Committee nominations
6. VALBEC Fees for 2012
7. 2012 is the National Year of Reading with Pauline
8. 'Read the word, Read the world' VALBEC Conference
9. ACAL Conference 'Joining the Pieces: Literacy and numeracy - one part of the picture'
Keynote speakers
Call for presentations
10. Curriculum Maintenance Manager (CMM) General Studies and Further Education
11. Developing numeracy resources - have our say ...
12. Win an iPad
13. Subscribe to eVALBEC?
14. Unsubscribe?
15. Contact VALBEC
The committee decided to provide opportunities and support for people who have not attended the VALBEC or ACAL conference in the past by two special conference registration offers to members. The special offer email was sent on 23 April and applications for support must be received by 5 May. It is important that good practice in Victoria is represented at the ACAL conference so we encourage people to consider putting in a conference proposal by 12 May.
VALBEC Conference special offer
Linno Rhodes and her student from CNLC are mentioned in a recent article in the Weekend Australian Article ‘Back to School’.
The next committee meeting will be held on Wednesday 16 May.
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 at 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.
Get a nomination form 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.
Payment can be made online using Paymate or by purchase order, cheque or credit card.
"Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it."
P. J. O'Rourke
Pauline O'Maley, VALBEC committee member and avid reader has been engrossed in her reading this month. Read what she has discovered about the history of reading.
You can see Pauline's pieces from previous months too.
VALBEC 2012 conference • William Angliss Conference Centre • Friday May 25
Limited number of places left
Almost full by the close of Early Bird, there might just be a few places left when you read this.
19-21 Sept • Hobart
Keynote speakers have recently been announced including Pat Strauss, Associate Professor, Auckland University of Technology and Associate Professor, Bob Boughton, University of New England, NSW
Call for presentations
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.
Proposals are due by May 12, 2012
PD Day
The Curriculum Maintenance Manager (CMM) General Studies and Further Education is conducting a professional development day on Tuesday June 19th. The focus of the day will be on Assessment. The program for the day and invitations to register will be sent out closer to the date.
Intention to accredit for the Certificates in General Education for Adults (CGEA)
The Curriculum Maintenance Manager (CMM) General Studies and Further Education is developing an Intention to accredit for the Certificates in General Education for Adults (CGEA) on behalf of ACFE. Submitting an Intention to Accredit is the first step in the accreditation process. The intention to accredit requires preliminary research and consultation to demonstrate that there is a valid need for the skills and outcomes that the courses will provide. As part of this we are proposing to conduct a practitioner focus group on Tuesday May 8th. Feedback can also be provided electronically. For more information contact nadia.casarotto@vu.edu.au or cheryl.bartolo@vu.edu.au
Fine writing, fine reading, Fine Print – make sure you become a member of VALBEC so you receive our next edition of Fine Print journal. We are excited to have Antonia Darder, an internationally recognized Frerian scholar, to write especially for Fine Print. Professor Darder holds the Leavey Presidential Chair of Ethics and Moral Leadership at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles and her scholarship focuses on racism, class inequalities, education and society. Read her fascinating argument for acknowledgement of the body in the act of knowing.
Our other feature writers examine how literacy and basic education can impact positively on social inclusion. Our writers are from the Mental Illness Fellowship and the Centre for Corrections Education. Victoria University is a significant contributor to research and writing in further education so we take a look at what they are up to.
Paul Pollard has a lifelong interest in teaching students with a disability so we share some of Paul’s wisdom in Practical Matters.
A novel article by Dr Rhonda Faragher from the Australian Catholic University in Canberra, on the relationship between TV advertisements and teaching maths might get you thinking.
Debbie Soccio discusses three new useful and affordable e-learning tool kits in Technology Matters.
Jacinta Agostinelli gets to the heart of the matter in an interview with Amy Baillie, senior VET tutor from Meadow Heights Learning Shop.
We have more writing from the committee, including Lynne Matheson’s column—it’s revealing to see what our further education teachers are reading and thinking about.
Plus a little bit more!
VALBEC is proposing to develop some numeracy resources based on some highly regarded texts no longer readily available. These hard-to-get-texts include:
'Mathematics: a New Beginning'
'Numeracy on the Line'
'Rethinking Assessment'
'The Value of Time'
'Adult Numeracy Teaching'
'Strength in Numbers'
'Breaking the Maths Barrier'
In fact it's 21 years since the publication of 'Strength in Numbers' and 'Breaking the Maths Barrier'. VALBEC has decided to celebrate the coming of age of these adult numeracy resources by producing a new, updated resource.
We want your help in capturing a few of the users’ favourite things from these and other resources by completing a short survey.
Complete the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VALBEC-numeracy
(If the link fails to work you can cut and paste it into your browser.)
The first 20 people to complete the survey (and provide their name) will receive a $10 voucher redeemable at Coles or Officeworks.
The survey will help us to decide on content for the new resource. We would love to hear from all teachers who teach numeracy to adults, especially those familiar with some of these resources.
If you’re familiar with adult language, literacy and numeracy concepts then your help is needed!
Language, literacy and numeracy are critical for greater workforce participation, productivity and social inclusion.
We’re asking teachers/tutors/lecturers familiar with adult literacy and numeracy concepts to anonymously rate a student, whose literacy and/or numeracy levels are most familiar to them, against statements and sample tasks aligned with the ACSF and ALLS frameworks.
You do not need an in-depth knowledge of either the ALLS or the ACSF to participate in this survey. Having knowledge of adult language, literacy and numeracy concepts is more important.
Enter the survey at http://literacymap.com/s3/ or from the NCVER web site http://www.ncver.edu.au/ go to the ‘Quick Links’ section.
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.
Just send an e-mail to info@valbec.org.au with your name and email address (organisation if you wish) and we'll put you on the list to receive this monthly enewsletter.
Just send an e-mail to info@valbec.org.au with the word Unsubscribe in the subject.
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