The focus of the VALBEC committee this month has been on supporting ACAL with the 2025 conference and we have started turning our minds to the 2026 VALBEC conference to be held in May.
We are interested in what’s happening in the sector and are heartened to know that ACFE’s Stronger By Design pre-accredited locally developed courses will still be used by Learn Locals through 2025-6. There are some nuanced directions that go with the use, but at VALBEC we recognise the importance of learner-centred courses designed for use with the local community in mind, so we applaud this decision.
Oh - our numeracy resources in the Building Strength with Numeracy suite are now all free to members and non-members alike. This resource was developed by the fabulous Beth Marr and a team of trusty numeracy practitioners. It is housed on the VALBEC website and is considered a national living treasure amongst adult LLN teachers. https://valbec.org.au/Building-Strength-with-Numeracy
We will be keeping an eye out for the finalists to be announced in the Learn Local awards for 2025 and will be looking forward to attending the awards night in September.
I’m looking forward to presenting at an ACAL webinar on coping skills: We all have them and use them. Some of them serve us well and others, not so much. When we see or experience our students (or ourselves) doing or being in puzzling ways, we can apply a lens of curiosity to understand that they may be relying on coping skills that are not serving them any more. This workshop based webinar will help us to understand coping skills, why we use them, and how to help ourselves and others shift away from actions that are no longer useful.
https://acal.edu.au/wp/webinar-coping-skills-seeing-the-invisible/
I’m also looking forward to attending Jo Medlin’s webinar for VALBEC later this month, please see details below.
Best wishes
Linno Rhodes, VALBEC President
VALBEC Membership
You can join or renew online.
https://valbec.org.au/membership/
If you join in August, September or October, deduct 50%. Renewal falls due the following February.
Members receive:
- Fine Print two issues per year – a high quality journal for discussion and debate about good practice, theory and policy issues. Feedback and contributions are actively sought from members about content and issues.
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eVALBEC – our e-mail communication keeping members informed of professional development activities, general committee activities and more up to date policy changes.
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Discounts for the Annual Conference and other VALBEC statewide professional development.
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Issues-based forums.
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Focus on significant policy issues impacting on the field.
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Free numeracy resources.
VALBEC is happy to be supporting the ACAL conference this year.
Registrations now open. Early bird closes July 15.
Keynotes include Aunty Geraldine Atkinson, Dr Lorraine Gaunt, and others with the annual Arch Nelson oration given by Lyn Wilson.
Scaffolding in adult literacy education
A VALBEC (Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Educational Council) Professional Learning session presented by Jo Medlin.
In this session Jo will present current research on adult literacy learning that has implications for the way we scaffold learning. This presentation will move beyond traditional considerations of scaffolding in education that we might commonly think of when we talk about scaffolding, such as Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development.
Instead, linked to the literature will be examples to illustrate how we might envisage good practice and ensure scaffolding is used to full effect in adult literacy contexts. The role of Australian frameworks for adult learning, such as the ACSF and AQF, will also be considered.
Jo Medlin is an Associate Lecturer in Adult Vocational Education in the School of Education / Faculty of Arts and Education at Charles Sturt University (CSU). She coordinates and teaches adult literacy and numeracy teaching subjects and a variety of vocational teacher LLND subjects. Jo has been working in adult literacy and numeracy for over three decades. In addition, she volunteers as the president of the Australian Council for Adult Literacy. Although a strong advocate for learning, literacy, and plain language, her main interest is in ensuring everyone has the ability to read for pleasure. Her favourite new T-shirt reads: A book a day keeps reality away.
We look forward to seeing you there.
VALBEC PL Forums Team
Who: Jo Medlin
When: Wednesday, 23rd July 2025, 5.30-6.30 pm AEST
Where: Zoom
Cost: VALBEC Members Free; non-Members $10
Intensive Literacy Program
A Literacy Program for adult learners wanting to develop or consolidate basic reading, spelling and writing skills. Each module has a text and accompanying skill-based exercises.
https://speldsa.org.au/pages/intensive-literacy-program
Youcubed
Numerous resources to develop students' understanding of numbers and other concepts.
https://www.youcubed.org/tasks/
FinePrint - issue 1, 2025 will be in your letterbox (or inbox) this month!!
We have articles by Amanda Wilson based on her observations as a volunteer tutor and the Churchill Fellowship she undertook, AI in the classroom by Ruth Ryan and a review by Jill Finch from the Reading Writing Hotline of Stephen Black’s latest book Literacy in the lives of working class Australia, as well as many more.
Watch out for the bumper issue and please send any feedback our way.
For all the numeracy people out there - did you know there are 2 numeracy experts giving presentations and workshops at the ACAL conference this year. Dr Lorraine Gaunt from Charles Sturt University will be a keynote speaker on Friday Sept 5 and will follow with a workshop. Dave Tout is also delivering a workshop on Friday afternoon. Register here: https://acal.edu.au/wp/25conf-registration/
AMEP/English Teacher position @GoTafe
Applications close on 11th July.
Please reach out if you have any questions
E rcarkeek@gotafe.vic.edu.au | M 0448 802 237The National Reading Writing Hotline: https://readingwritinghotline.edu.au/
Australian Council of Adult LIteracy: https://acal.edu.au/wp/
Building Strength with Numbers: https://valbec.org.au/Building-Strength-with-Numeracy
Christine Tully
I have always enjoyed maths even though I haven’t always been good at it. I did maths in HSC and went on to do a Degree in Science majoring in Mathematics at RMIT. After that I was offered a job as a production planner at Lysaught (BHP Steel). I went on to work at Black and Decker tools and then Wrightcel (printing company) but I had always had a passion for teaching. So after 5 years industry went back to study secondary teaching at Melbourne Uni. I then taught at Broadmeadows Technical School for 3 years. I really enjoyed the interactions with the students. I was then offered work at Kangan TAFE. I was reluctant to take this step but it has been the best move. I discovered the world of adult teaching and numeracy. It has been a very varied rewarding experience and after 34 years in the area I still continue to learn from the students and my colleagues. I get enjoyment out of most days working in Adult Education.
eVALBEC
eVALBEC is the monthly 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
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: https://www.valbec.org.au/evalbec