eVALBEC July 2008
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.
How to submit items: http://www.valbec.org.au/05/news.htm
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IN THIS ISSUE OF eVALBEC:
1. VALBEC Committee elections
2. Annual General Meeting & Twilight Forum
3. Securing Our Future Economic Prosperity discussion paper
4. LLNP Discussion paper
5. Fine Print  News
6. An invitation from the Fine Print Editorial Committee to adult literacy teachers and students
7. 30 years of VALBEC Celebration Dinner
8. ‘Still Glides the Stream’ Conference
9. ACAL Conference 2008 ‘Surfing outside the flags: catching waves, avoiding rips’
10. Adult literacy makes it on to TV
11. Training & Professional Development Co-ordinator
12. The 3Rs Revisited
13. ACFE Funding 2008 Community Learning Partnerships
14. ACFE Live Classroom
15. Health & Literacy: Constructing Curriculum for Health Care Providers
16. Subscribe to eVALBEC?
17. Unsubscribe?
18. Contact VALBEC
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1. VALBEC Committee elections
Welcome back to the committee Co – Presidents Ann Haynes and Lynne Matheson, Secretary Jeannie Turnbull, Treasurer and ACAL rep John Radalj, and general committee members Teresa Cusack, Pauline O'Maley, Dianne Parslow,  Gail Pratley, Kerrin Pryor, Corinna Ridley, Yvonne Russell, Debbie Soccio and new members Marie Bonne and Sandra Wolfe.
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2. Annual General Meeting & Twilight Forum
Thanks to Nick Gadd for an entertaining and thought provoking talk. Watch out for Nick presenting at the Victorian Writers’ Festival on his novel Ghostlines.
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3. Securing Our Future Economic Prosperity discussion paper
VALBEC response to the Securing Our Future Economic Prosperity discussion paper was submitted on June 8.  There have been a number of responses posted by organizations and TAFE institutes. We await the government response. See websites for more information
http://www.vta.vic.edu.au/
http://acevic.org.au/Content/category/latest-news/
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4. LLNP Discussion paper
VALBEC draws your attention to the media release regarding the future direction of the Language, Literacy and Numeracy Program.
Download the Federal Government discussion paper Language, Literacy and Numeracy Program services
http://www.llnp.deewr.gov.au/LLNP_RFT_Discussion_Paper.htm
Responses due on July 11
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5. Fine Print  News
We welcome Tricia Bowen as new commissioning editor. The Editorial group met last week to plan the Spring and Summer editions of Fine Print. You can send Tricia material for Fine Print at fineprint@vabec.org.au
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6. An invitation from the Fine Print Editorial Committee to adult literacy teachers and students
Please help us with our special Fine Print 2008 Summer Edition “Celebrating ALBE Students and their Writing”
We want to celebrate the work of adult literacy students by publishing their writing. We want to build a picture of the diverse learning contexts, the life experiences, and the goals and thoughts of our learners. We also want to highlight teaching approaches to writing by publishing short reflections from teachers.
Refer to http://www.valbec.org.au/studentwriting.htm for more details
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7. 30 years of VALBEC Celebration Dinner
View photos at http://www.valbec.org.au/conf08/images/dinner/index.htm
Thanks to Debbie Soccio for taking photos on the night
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8. ‘Still Glides the Stream’ Conference
Ten presentations including an audio file of the Closing Keynote "… and shall forever glide: our ever-changing English language" Professor Kate Burridge, Chair of Linguistics Monash University have been added to the conference web site http://www.valbec.org.au/conf08/sessions.htm
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9. ACAL Conference 2008 ‘Surfing outside the flags: catching waves, avoiding rips’
2nd - 4th October 2008
Surfers Paradise, Queensland
More than 40 abstracts for presentations have been received, from around Australia, from Scotland, Canada and New Zealand. Details of these will soon be available on the website. Information about Keynote speakers: Noyona Chanda, Hermine Scheeres, Michael Balfour and Colleen Mitrow at http://www.astmanagement.com.au/qcal8/Speakers1.htm
Pre-Conference Forum – Thursday 2 October
Adult literacy, numeracy and lifelong learning: a cross-sectoral dialogue
Join Senator Ursula Stephens (Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion) and Dr Chris Duncan (ABS) in examining the implications of the ALLS survey for different sectors and work towards developing a framework for social inclusion through building literacy into a whole of government approach to policy development.
Online registration http://www.astmanagement.com.au/qcal8/registration.htm
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10. Adult literacy makes it on to TV
National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) of Ireland http://www.nala.ie have advised that ‘Written Off?’, a fly-on-the-wall documentary series which follows the lives of 11 adults who have difficulties with reading and writing, who go back to learning, is now available online. The programme has just finished its 8 week run on Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE 1 television. NALA have set up distance education tutor support service for anyone who sees/hears about the programme and wants to work on their literacy by distance education.
You can see it at http://www.writtenoff.ie/  - click on Sub Pages  ‘Watch Programmes’.
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11. Training & Professional Development Co-ordinator
The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture Training & Professional Development Co-ordinator  0.6 EFT Two year contract
Position description http://www.foundationhouse.org.au/about_work.php/
Queries call Arna Stewart, Health Sector Training, on (03) 9389 0022.
Closing date for applications is Wednesday, 9th July, 2008.
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12. The 3Rs Revisited
Addressing the Language, Literacy and Numeracy Needs of Your VET Learners
The 3Rs Revisited
is a new and rewarding online literacy and numeracy professional development program designed for VET practitioners working in Registered Training Organisations.  The program is highly practical and enables participants to develop skills and strategies for helping learners meet the language, literacy and numeracy demands of their course.  Louise Wignall, a leading Australian authority on literacy and VET has described the program as ‘tremendous and valuable’.         
For further information about this professional development opportunity and to register, please visit http://www.tafe.tas.edu.au/3RsInformation
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13. ACFE Funding 2008 Community Learning Partnerships
The Funding Guidelines and Application Form for 2008 Community Learning Partnerships (CLPs) are now available at http://www.acfe.vic.gov.au/
The CLP initiative continues to be a key strategy in the implementation of the 2004 Ministerial Statement on ACE, particularly in relation to the objective of broadening the role of ACE.
The guidelines and application process are essentially the same as they were in 2007.
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14. ACFE Live Classroom
For the past three years ACFE has purchased access to two rooms in Live Classroom, an online virtual classroom. Live Classroom is fully online and combines state-of-the-art interactive technologies such as voice, application sharing, polling and a whiteboard. It enables teachers to add greater interaction to their (online) delivery and to foster better communication with students. Adult Community Education (ACE) providers can also use it for online meetings, briefing sessions, presentations, conference sessions and professional development events.
ACFE have purchased two rooms for ACE Providers to use in 2008.
In order to accommodate growing demand for access to Live Classroom a booking system will be implemented in 2008 to ensure fair and equitable use.
As the managing agent for the ACFE Vic Government e-learning project, the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council of ACFE is implementing an online booking system on the e-mentors project wiki at: http://ementors.acfe.vic.edu.au/bookings.
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15. Health & Literacy: Constructing Curriculum for Health Care Providers
October 16-18, 2008, in Calgary, AB, Canada.
The event will be attended by  health-care providers from every branch of health-care service, curriculum developers in health-care and adult basic education and literacy, ESL  providers, administrators and policy makers.  Dr. Andrew Pleasant, of Rutgers  University, has been invited to act as resident expert.
For further information info@centreforliteracy.qc.ca
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16. Subscribe to eVALBEC?
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18. 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