eVALBEC November 2013eVALBEC November 20131. VALBEC responds to FSWD Scoping project
2. 2013 International Year of Statistics
5. Next edition
6. Australia's 'Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competencies' released
VALBEC has provided a response to the Foundation Skills Workforce Development scoping project.
The scoping project was intended to generate discussion among those working in foundation skills to define and strengthen the identity of the field, advance the status and standing of the profession and explore options for developing professional standards.
See the responses from ACAL and other states
VALBEC has adopted the International Year of Statistics as our theme for 2013. Each month a VALBEC committee member will be digging up some fascinating numbers that you may find interesting and potentially useful in classroom activities. This month it's Shanta Nazareth. And how could anyone resist the Melbourne Cup when they were talking stats.
There are many statistics in relation to the Melbourne Cup. I've chosen to restrict it from the 1950s to the present. If you would like to read about the stats from 1840 onwards see http://melbournecup.com/racing/race-results-statistics/
1950s – 1970s
1980s – 1990s
2000 - present
Shanta Nazareth
Being on LSL has given me the time to read a variety of books. Foremost among them are Helen Palmer's The Enneagram and M.K. Gandhi's autobiography My experiments with truth. In addition, while waiting in airport lounges I've had time for lighter reading. The novels that I've enjoyed the most are Jodi Picoult's The Storyteller, as well as Presumed Innocent and Innocent by Scott Turow
An idea that I took away from the VALBEC conference 2013 was that, as practitioners, the first step to understanding our students is to understand ourselves. The Enneagram which is about different personality types is helpful in this regard: It is fascinating but slow reading and the ideas require serious reflection. Going on to Gandhi's autobiography, I saw in his approach an alternative response to the violence in current society. Moving to the lighter books, in The Storyteller, a young woman rethinks what is important in life, when she hears what her grandmother, a holocaust survivor has experienced. Scott Turow's books involve court room battles. Both books involve the same main characters. Innocent was written twenty years later than Presumed Innocent and the battle continues two decades later with the same but older protagonists and antagonists.
Shanta Nazareth
Diary date - Friday 16 May, 2014 at the William Angliss Conference Centre, Melbourne
In the next edition of Fine Print, out early December, you can expect some good holiday reading. Dave Tout completes his article on international testing and will show how it can teach us about learning and teaching. I've had a sneak preview and know it will make you think.
As the world gets 'smaller' literacy in such faraway places as northern Canada and Finland becomes relevant. Accordingly, Fine Print will feature an article on family literacy in Canada's northern territories.
We don't normally have Practical, Numeracy and Technology Matters in the one edition but we have a special for you in the December issue! We have also extended the Open Forum dais and are hosting five writers and I know you will enjoy reading about local experiences and opinions. We review some great resources from AMES, APELS and Information Access/City of Kingston easy reading fact sheets.
See the Fine Print archive
The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) results were released on 8 October.
More information about the PIAAC at http://www.oecd.org/site/piaac/, and the Australian results at the Bureau of Statistics http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4228.0
'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.
Position vacant - western NSW
The National Aboriginal Adult Literacy Campaign team is seeking a passionate and committed tertiary qualified adult educator an/or community development worker to take on the role of Workforce Development Coordinator, living on-site and assisting the local community-based staff in all aspects of the literacy campaign pilot in western NSW from November 2013-June 2014.
Previous experience working under Aboriginal community control is highly desirable.
An attractive remuneration package will be provided, with a further extension of the contract dependent on continued funding.
Job description and selection criteria from Deborah Durnan, email: djdurnan@westnet.com.au
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
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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