eVALBEC October 2004
This is the electronic newsletter of the Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education Council.
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IN THIS ISSUE OF e-VALBEC:
1. VALBEC PD Adult Learning and the Arts – Music (Oct 20)
2. VALBEC PD CGEA Oral Communication Workshop (Oct 21)
3. Four Seasons In One Day Conference – papers on the web
4. ACE Conference 2005
5. Bachelor of Adult Learning & Development - Education Faculty at Monash University
6. High Impact
7. Fine Print
8. Next VALBEC meeting
9. Use eVALBEC
10. Unsubscribe?
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1. VALBEC PD Adult Learning and the Arts – Music
Wednesday 20 October 1pm - 4pm
Presenter: Jeff Mifsud
Victoria University, Room D409 4th Floor, Hoadley Building
Footscray Nicholson Campus, Buckley Street Footscray
There is no fee for this PD but registration is required with VALBEC. Email info@valbec.org.au or Ph 03 9546 6982 (leave a message).
This session will be “a hands” on session exploring music making through speaking, singing, moving and playing.  
Group activity such as this allows for individuals to feel safe by participating at their own level whilst not detracting from the overall product.  It allows participants to explore their own sense of risk taking, cooperativeness and leadership.  It also challenges their problem solving ability, sense of balance and rhythm and demands that they interact with others.  
In these sort of activities there is no place to hide but there is plenty of acceptance and support.  
During the course of the session participants will be taken through activities such as social dance, drumming, improvised singing, speech rhyme ensembles, instrument making and more playing on home made marimbas.
Participants should wear comfortable and sensible clothing (flat shoes a must).

Jeff Mifsud, who in twenty five years as a teachers has worked in Primary, Secondary and Tertiary education settings, mostly in the area of Arts education and more recently in the area of drama and the “Theatre of the Oppressed” focussing on community engagement through the drama and the arts.  He’s a member of the Orff Schulwerk Music Education Association and presents workshops for teachers in the areas or arranging, composition and the use of percussion instruments in the classroom.  His more recent work has been in the area of community music – engaging people through music and the arts.  Choirs, drum therapy, instrumental music and collecting and performing of French regional Folk dance as well as hosting a weekly acoustic music program on Sunbury community radio 3NRG are all part of the scheme to bring music and the arts into a more accessible community setting.
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2. VALBEC PD CGEA Oral Communication Workshop
Thursday October 21  3.30 - 5.30 pm
Presenter : Katrina Lyle, CAE.
Narre Community Learning Centre
I Malcolm Crt,  Narre Warren.
Melways 110, D6. Close to Narre Warren station
There is no fee for this PD but registration is required with VALBEC. Email info@valbec.org.au or Ph 03 9546 6982 (leave a message).
This workshop will provide participants with a range of classroom activities designed to meet the learning outcomes of the CGEA oral communication streams at various levels. Participants will engage in various oral communication activities, and view some video footage to stimulate reflection and discussion of the way in which tasks allow students to demonstrate various learning outcomes. They will also have the opportunity to access and discuss some previously developed tasks which have proved popular with students.
Venue Contact: Clea Nicol 97047388
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3. Four Seasons In One Day Conference
It is often said that a successful conference can be measured by the number of people remaining at the end or by the number of completed evaluation forms. Whether it was the novelty of singing together or the enticement of chocolates for the latter, the total number in both cases for the ACAL 2004 conference was significant. It was affirming for the combined VALBEC and ACAL committees to look out at the smiling audience singing along to "Everywhere you go, take the weather with you...".  It was also with a great sense of relief to realise that it was over after a long period of planning and negotiating.
The NCVER and DEST forum preceding the conference proved to be a good 'warm up' and Friday and Saturday's programs picked up on issues, 'threads' and themes. The strength and depth of the program was evident and despite a few last minute changes and some variations to times, things to plan. The Melbourne Museum proved to be a delightful venue for the conference dinner and the Arch Nelson Address was presented with panache. The keynote speakers each morning were well received and the focus sessions proved engaging. 'High Impact ' once again had everyone laughing and relating to the situations they portrayed. The high quality of presentations and the range of content contributed to the level of satisfaction expressed in the evaluations and comments throughout the conference. Thanks to all who attended and the presenters.
Papers on the web
All available papers and presentations are provided at http://www.valbec.org.au/acalconf/ including those provided on the conference CD and those papers provided since the conference.
Our thanks to all presenters - their generous contribution was fundamental to the value and success of the conference.
Copyright of the presentations and papers remains with the respective author/s.
Facts
We had nearly three hundred people participate in the conference and nearly half of them came from outside the host state of Victoria (with several people from New Zealand). Of the Victorians, 30% came from rural and regional Victoria to hear around ninety presenters and sixty sessions.
Thanks
Thanks to the planning committee (Chair: Lynne Matheson, Karen Dymke, Ann Haynes, Karen Manwaring, Philippa McLean, Glenda McPherson, Pauline O’Maley, Sheryl Sinclair and Conference Organiser Don MacDowall).

Everywhere you go always take the weather with you
Neil and Tim Finn

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4. ACE Conference 2005
The South Australian Adult Community Education Conference 24-25 February 2005. Theme ‘Adult Education in the Community: building community capacity’.
Expressions of Interest are invited from those wishing to present papers, facilitate workshops, or provide displays.
Contact Jan Peterson to have an Expression of Interest Form sent to you.
Registration information will be available in November.
T: 08 8226 1158
E: peterson.jan@saugov.sa.gov.au
W: http://www.training.sa.gov.au/OVETstudents/pages/default/unitace
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5. Bachelor of Adult Learning & Development - Education Faculty at Monash University
Make your experience count - the Bachelor of Adult Learning & Development run by the Education Faculty at Monash University recognizes your experience and extends it! We offer a vibrant and relevant adult education degree program taken over 2 years.
For more, see our website at http://www.education.monash.edu.au/prospective/howtoapply/undergraduate.html
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6. High Impact, who certainly gave us a high impact Saturday morning at the conference, specialise in presenting dramatic communication to a wide range of audiences, from community to corporate to education. They can tailor presentations, workshops, launches or even whole events to meet your needs.
- Interactive professional development
- Tailored Performances and improvisation
- Injecting energy into Conferences a speciality
For more information contact: Karen Dymke Ph: 03 9890 4400 Mobile: 0403 80 4400 Email: karen@qps.net.au
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7. Fine Print
The Spring edition of Fine Print is about to be posted. Contents:


Fine Print is only supplied to members and subscribers. Interested in membership or FP subscription? Just click this link
<mailto:info@valbec.org.au?subject=Membership_Info> (no typing required!) and hit Send or send an e-mail with the words Membership Information Please in the subject line.
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8. Next VALBEC meeting
Thursday October 21, 6.30 @ Royal Standard Hotel, 333 William Street, West Melbourne.  Agenda item: Planning for 2005. All VALBEC meetings are open to members.
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9. Use eVALBEC
You can use eVALBEC to tell the world (or a small section of it) about your event or idea. Publication is entirely at the discretion of VALBEC. Limit of 50 words.
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10. 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 occasional 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