eVALBEC
August 2005
This
is the electronic newsletter of VALBEC, the Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education
Council, and is sent to about 900 practitioners on the first of each month (other
than January).
This newsletter 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. VALBEC Professional Development Twilight Forum – Tuesday, September
6 - 'Tests and ptarmigan'
2. New VALBEC Committee
3. Coming up, Spring 2005 edition of Fine Print
4. Call for Manuscripts: ‘Assessment Practices in Adult Basic Education’
5. Under The Big Top TAKEAWAY 2 Conference
6. Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture:
7. Teaching Literacy and ESL: Blending the Theory with the Practice
8. Research with your Weeties
9. 'Adult literacy and numeracy: At a glance'
10. Next VALBEC Committee meeting
11. Unsubscribe?
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1. VALBEC Professional Development
Twilight Forum – Tuesday, September 6 - Part of Adult Learners'
Week
North Fitzroy Star, 325 St Georges Road SOUTH, Fitzroy North 6.15 pm for a 6.30
pm start
Fee: Free of charge but it’s essential you register with VALBEC info@valbec.org.au by
Friday Sept 2 as numbers are limited.
'Tests and ptarmigan'
Peter Lavender , Director for Research, Development and Information, NIACE.
Peter will present his observations about government targets in the UK and
national tests in relation to the 'adult basic skills strategy' in England. The national
targets have been designed for the best of reasons but there are unintended consequences
and some poor effects. He calls this 'the ptarmigan effect'. He will
also draw a parallel with the 'Education for All' UNESCO program. EFA also
relied on the achievement of numerical targets which have led to distortions in educational
systems, as evidenced by Harvey Goldstein in a forthcoming publication. Peter
will conclude with a call for a balance of ways of measuring achievement for learners
and a more flexible use of opportunities that make a link between formative and summative
assessment.
(What’s a ptarmigan. See http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/birds/Lagopus_mutus/more_info.html)
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2. VALBEC Committee
The AGM in June elected the new committee for 2005. They are:
Co-presidents - Fran O'Neill and Lynne Matheson
Secretary - Pauline O'Maley
Treasurer - Ann Haynes
General members
* Jacinta Agostinelli
* Robyn Hodge
* Ron Munro
* John Radalj
* Yvonne Russell
* Debbie Soccio
*Sheryl Sinclair
*Jeannie Turnbull
A special welcome to new committee members Ron Munro, Yvonne Russell and Jeannie
Turnbull.
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3. Coming up, Spring 2005 edition of Fine Print
Songs and stories from the field by Beverley Campbell
The road to mobile learning by Caryl Oliver
Doing sums I’ve never done before by Ellen Lawson and David van Heurck
Urban Adventures in VCAL by Michael Cole and Michele Farrar
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4. Call for Manuscripts: ‘Assessment Practices
in Adult Basic Education’
There’s a call for manuscripts for a forthcoming publication entitled "Assessment
Practices in Adult Basic Education." Some of the contributors will be invited
to Canada (all expenses paid) to discuss issues in assessment.
Assessment Practices in Adult Basic Education is an edited book that will be published
by Grass Roots Press in the fall of 2007. A national survey was conducted on assessment
practices with 400 practitioners in the spring of 2005. The data from this survey
was used to determine the content. The book will contain two main sections, with
each section containing 4 chapters. The first section will focus on the different
types of assessment tools while the second section will deal with critical issues
and topics pertaining to assessment practices.
Submission of chapter proposal: September 1, 2005.
Details http://www.nald.ca/WHATNEW/papers/2005/manuscr.htm
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5. Under The Big Top TAKEAWAY 2 Conference
• Friday August 12th • 9.00 - 4.00 pm • The Whitehorse
Centre, Nunawading •
Presented by the all new Language and Literacy Network!
Places are filling fast but you can still get in on the act – there are spots
available for people who can direct wild animals, have a head for heights, a fine
sense of balance, look good in tights (or a clown suit), have a sense of humour and
want to DO real things in adult literacy.
More information at http://www.bassinternational.com.au/takeaway/
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6. Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture:
Upcoming Training
The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture provides direct services
such as counselling, group work and natural therapies to refugees who have survived
torture and other traumatic experiences prior to arriving in Australia. It also offers
training to other service providers who have contact with refugees to increase the
skills and knowledge of a range of practitioners, volunteers and community members
who work and interact with refugee survivors of torture and trauma. Courses are scheduled
for Dandenong and Brunswick in August, September and October, 2005.
VFST also provides training and professional development on an outreach basis, tailored
to meet the needs of individual organisations.
For more information and to register, see http://www.survivorsvic.org.au/ ,
or contact Rachel Wilson on 9389 8908 or wilsonr@survivorsvic.org.au
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7. Teaching Literacy and ESL: Blending the Theory
with the Practice
A Professional Development Program for ACFE teachers
Victoria University’s School of Further Education, Arts and Employment
Services - Semester 2, 2005 and Semester 1, 2006 focussing on blending the theory
and practice of teaching Literacy Methodologies and/or ESL Methodologies.
There will be two Literacy modules - Literacy Methodologies and Advanced Literacy
Methodologies (76 hours) and 1 TESOL module - TESOL Methodologies (36 hours).
For more information about Recognition of Prior Learning and possible enrolment into
one of the School of Education’s Post-Graduate ESL/Literacy Degrees and costs,
contact Debbie Soccio on 03 9919 8762 or Debbie.soccio@vu.edu.au
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8. Research with your Weeties
Have breakfast with NCVER and hear about the initial findings of the 2005
national VET survey of Australian employers and a range of other research projects.
In Melbourne on 11 November 2005 at William Angliss Conference Centre with Dr Tom
Karmel
This Breakfast Briefing is aimed at decision- and policy-makers, in government and
in training organisations, who wish to gain a better understanding of employers'
perspectives on skilling their workforces.
Details and dates at http://www.ncver.edu.au/newsevents/events/employers/breakfast.html <http://www.ncver.edu.au/newsevents/events/employers/breakfast.html>
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9. 'Adult literacy and numeracy: At a glance'
A summary from the Adult Literacy National Project
Social, cultural and technological developments shape our understanding of literacy
and numeracy, and as our understanding changes over time so do our approaches to
developing these skills. This key message comes from NCVER's recently published 'Adult
literacy and numeracy: At a glance', which provides a summary of insights from a
body of research conducted in 2003 and 2004 for the Adult Literacy National Project.
Copies of this publication can be downloaded, free of charge, from http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/1584.html or
ordered from NCVER Client Services on orderit@ncver.edu.au <mailto:orderit@ncver.edu.au>
'Adult literacy research overviews'
Another resource is NCVER's suite of 'Adult literacy research overviews'. These
single page, double-sided overviews provide a comprehensive summary of the fourteen
NCVER managed reports on adult literacy. Copies of the 'Research overviews' can be
downloaded, free of charge, from http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/1485.html.
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10. Next VALBEC Committee meeting
The next meeting of the VALBEC Committee is scheduled for 6.30 pm on Thursday,
August 18 at the Royal Standard Hotel, Corner of William and Walsh Street West
Melbourne. Members are welcome. Please confirm you attendance in advance.
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11. Unsubscribe?
Just click this link <mailto:info@valbec.org.au?subject=eVALBEC_Unsubscribe> (no
typing required!) and hit Send or, send an e-mail with the word Unsubscribe in the
subject.
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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
Web: http://www.valbec.org.au
Postal: Box 861 Springvale South VIC 3172
Ph: 03 9546 6892
Fax: 03 9546 0421