eVALBEC August 2007
This is the electronic newsletter of VALBEC, the Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education Council, and is sent to about 850 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.
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IN THIS ISSUE OF e-VALBEC:
1. A community of practice – reflections on two years together
2. Making Links – successful models for enhanced practice
3. Adult Learners’ Week
4. Understanding Today’s Literacies
5. Spring Fine Print
6. Family Literacy programs
7. Financial literacy
8. New Post Graduate course for Literacy and Numeracy Teachers in VET
9. CAE Workshop: The 2007 CGEA - a detailed look at all aspects of the new CGEA
10. Adult literacy, numeracy and ESL teachers required at CAE
11. Subscribe to eVALBEC?
12. Unsubscribe?
13. Contact VALBEC
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1. A community of practice – reflections on two years together
Twilight forum for Adult Learner’s Week
Date: Tuesday September 4, 6.30 for 7.00 – 8.30
Venue: North Fitzroy Star Hotel
Refreshments : platters of dips and breads, purchase own drinks
At this Twilight Forum we invite you to join with us to consider what makes a community of practice. We will discuss what elements contribute to sustaining and expanding a group that can lead to an outcome such as the book, Fancy Footwork adult educators thinking on their feet. Part of the attraction of this group was that it functioned independently of any institutions or organizations, although membership of VALBEC was a key thread. We will use the book, Fancy Footwork, (http://www.valbec.org.au/05/fancyfoot.htm) and our insights as an example to invite participants to share their own ideas and experiences of communities of practice.
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2. Making Links – successful models for enhanced practice
VALBEC Spring Forum
Date: Friday September 29, 9.30am-3.30pm
Venue: The Clarion on Canterbury, 326 - 330 Canterbury Road Forest Hill
Morning tea and lunch included
Fee: VALBEC members $33, Non-members $55
*Numbers limited so please register to info@valbec.org.au before Friday September 21st
VALBEC is delighted to be staging our annual Spring Forum in the eastern suburbs but with the shift comes extra costs hence the fee. However the day will be filled with interaction and new learnings with applications to a range of teaching and learning settings.
Program
Integrating New Literacies Into Classroom Practice - Upper Yarra Community House
This is an L&N Innovative DEST funded project. Teachers and students have come together in an action research project to explore the home literacies of youth and to create a teacher resource that both informs teachers and provides activities that engage young students. It has been an enlightening journey! SMS, Games and Website activities have been trialled with an underpinning critical literacy perspective. We are in the fourth stage of our project of creating the web site. We will present our website under construction, share the experiences of learning how youth use the new literacies and explore activities that have been created.
Community Wide Study Circle Orientation Workshop - Dr Mark Brophy.
How do we help all learners succeed? From engaging and empowering disadvantaged learners to building community capacity, the study circle is a unique alternative that promises controversial and exciting opportunities.
The Workshop will consist of:
· An introduction to study circles.
· Participation in a sample study circle on the issue of how we help every student succeed.
· Discussion on ways that community wide study circle programs circles are utilised in the US and Bangladesh.
· An overview of how to plan for community wide study circle programs.
After lunch there will be two options
1. CGEA focus on issues and ways to work collaboratively using the Study Circles model
2. ACAL keynote address from AUCKLAND
A special Flyer with more details of these events will be sent out soon with a link to the VALBEC website
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3. Adult Learners’ Week
What are you doing to celebrate at your centre or in your classroom?
Post your event http://www.adultlearnersweek.org/events/vic.html
Read a message from Jacinta Allan at http://www.acfe.vic.gov.au/alw.htm
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4. Understanding Today’s Literacies
ALA 47th National Conference
8-10 November at the Cairns International Hotel, Qld
This year’s conference will examine and explore the importance of developing and supporting adult literacies in both our communities and workplaces with 7 main streams covering literacies including:
• Workplace literacy
• Literacy as a skilling pathway (the three “R’s”)
• Financial literacy
• Environmental literacy
• E-Learning and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT’s)
• Literacy in the community
• Research and Policy Literacies
For more information http://www.ala.asn.au/conf/2007/natconf2007.asp
See the call for expressions of interest at http://www.ala.asn.au/conf/2007/callpapers.asp
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5. Spring Fine Print
VALBEC members receive our quarterly publication Fine Print
In the Spring issue you’ll be able to read about
‘Fancy Footwork’ by Delia Bradshaw. The journey by the group ‘Women of Spirit’ that led to the publication of the book Fancy Footwork.
‘There’s a blind dog in my classroom…’ by Margaret Kelly. Discussed strategies and issues around working with visually impaired students.
‘Working From Strengths’ by Crina Virgona and Peter Waterhouse. Outlines ‘strength based practice’ and links it to adult learning principles.
With Regular Articles:
‘Second Life’ by Glenda McPherson. A collaborative learning experiment.
‘CGEA Implementation – a VALBEC evening forum’ by Lisa Bartels and Pauline Morrow.
‘A Postgraduate Qualification for Literacy and Numeracy Teachers in VET’ by Sharon Templeman.
‘Technology Matters’ by Debbie Soccio.
‘Implementing the New CGEA’ by Lynne Fitzpatrick and Liz Davidson.
‘Literacy Face to Face’ a review by Sarah Deasey.
‘The Latest NCVER Adult Literacy and Numeracy Research’ by Michelle Circelli.
VALBEC Conference Report by Lynne Matheson.
‘Where Are They Now? Catching up with past participants in Beside the Whiteboard’ by Lynne Matheson.
‘B is for Belfast’ – a report on the Research and Practice in Adult Literacy conference in Belfast in June 2007’ by Beverley Campbell.
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6. Family Literacy programs
Bev Campbell attended the RaPAL Conference (RaPAL = Research and Practice in Adult Literacy) at Queens University, Belfast in June and has submitted this item.
Snoeks Desmond, Director, Family Literacy Project, Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa, would like to make contact with literacy workers involved in Family Literacy programs. Snoeks would like to hear about different models of family literacy in Australia, with the possibility of those people contributing a chapter towards a book on family literacy. Contact Snoeks by email: Snoeks@global.co.za or visit her program's website at www.familyliteracyproject.co.za
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7. Financial literacy
The July newsletter of the Educators and Trainers Financial Literacy Network Newsletter put out by the Australian Government's Financial literacy Foundation is available at http://www.understandingmoney.gov.au/content/education/Network/default.aspx
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8. New Post Graduate course for Literacy and Numeracy Teachers in VET
Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria, is pleased to announce a new post-graduate course for literacy and numeracy teachers, focusing on literacy and numeracy work in the Vocational Education and Training sector. The Graduate Certificate of Social Science (Literacy and Numeracy Teaching in VET) is designed for both new and experienced trainers and teachers.
The course, will be offered on a part-time basis, with a mix of on-campus and distance delivery. Applicants who have considerable experience in teaching/training adults but who do not have a teaching degree or equivalent will be considered on their individual merits.
Watch out for an article on the new course in a forthcoming edition of Fine Print!
Enquiries: Turkan Gagali, Executive Assistant, School of Social Sciences, Swinburne TAFE ph. (03) 9214 6800, email: TGagali@swin.edu.au
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9. CAE Workshop: The 2007 CGEA - a detailed look at all aspects of the new CGEA
Friday 21st September 2007
This workshop will look in detail at the newly reaccredited Certificates in General Education for Adults (CGEA), in particular:
· The format and language of the document
· The overall course structure
· A selection of units of competency and how they are written
· The new core units: Develop a Learning Plan and Complete a Project
· Planning the delivery and structure of a CGEA program.
The workshop is aimed at practitioners who have little, or no, knowledge of the 2007 CGEA.
Presenters: Philippa Mclean, Dianne Parslow & Dave Tout
Where: CAE, 253 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Time: 9.30am till 3.30pm
Cost: $210.00
Lunch included. For further details please email projects@cae.edu.au
Enrolments: Click here to download an enrolment form http://www.saalt.com.au/documents/CaeEnrolmentForm2007.pdf . Payment: please refer to enrolment form
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10. Adult literacy, numeracy and ESL teachers required at CAE
CAE is seeking expressions of interest from qualified adult education teachers interested in doing emergency and/or sessional teaching. Teachers may be required for CGEA Literacy, Numeracy, Science, or computing; and ESL Frameworks. Located in CBD. Position description available http://www.cae.edu.au/ Expressions of interest including a CV, or requests for further information, may be submitted to: diannep@cae.edu.au.
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13. Contact VALBEC
eVALBEC is the monthly electronic newsletter of (VALBEC) the Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education Council.
E-mail: info@valbec.org.au
Web: http://www.valbec.org.au
Postal: Box 861 Springvale South VIC 3172
Ph: 03 9546 6892
Fax: 03 9546 0421