eVALBEC
June 2005
VALBEC: Active, Informed Committed Practitioners
This
is the electronic newsletter of the Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education
Council sent on the first of each month to over 800 practitioners.
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IN THIS ISSUE OF e-VALBEC:
1. VALBEC AGM and
Twilight Forum – June 1
2. Creating Digital Stories in a day - Using Movie Maker
2.
3. Fine Print
4. Free copy (members only) - 'Getting Your Message
Across In Print'
5. Geelong Initial Literacy Workshop
6. Portraits and Visions: keeping the learner in sight – 2005 VALBEC Conference
7. VALBEC Membership – pro rata fees
8. How Lower-Literacy Users use the Web
9. Unsubscribe?
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1. VALBEC AGM and
Twilight Forum – June 1
It’s
tonight!
Wednesday 7 pm on June 1st, 2005 at Kew Neighbourhood House, 2-12 Derby St, Kew.
Melways 46 D5
Light supper provided
• Twilight
Forum
Guest Speaker : Dr. Bev Campbell
Acting in the middle: the dialogic struggle for professional identity in adult
literacy and basic education in Victoria
Bev has been involved in adult literacy
education for the past twenty years, where she worked in the community sector, teaching
and delivering professional development programs, and in universities writing and
teaching postgraduate courses. Bev was President of VALBEC from 1989-92. Most recently
Bev has been engaged in full-time doctoral studies at Monash University. Her study
was a history of the ALBE field between 1974-2002. In her presentation Bev will give
an overview of her recently completed research project in which she explored the
idea of professional identity as a struggle between different eras of pedagogy and
contradictory models of the self. She will use interview extracts to illustrate how
the formation of professional identity is an on-going, dynamic process, constituted
by engagement in multiple discursive and social practices.
• AGM
Members are invited to attend and
hear reports on the 2004 VALBEC year and elect their representatives for the coming
year. Nomination forms have be sent to all financial members and additional copies
are available http://www.valbec.org.au/05/docs/2005AGMnomforms.pdf
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2. Creating
Digital Stories in a day - Using Movie Maker 2.
Friday
8 June 2005 from 10:00 pm to 3:00 pm at Victoria University, D409, 4th Floor
Hoadley Building, Cnr of Albert Street and Buckley Street, Footscracy Nicholson
Campus Melbourne
Would you like to learn how to put
together a digital story using Movie Maker? Come along to this session
and learn the fundamentals to get you going. You will walk away with a digital
story. We will also discuss how you can use digital storytelling as part of your
classroom teaching.
Participants need to bring some digital photos/video clips (these can be related
to something you are doing in the classroom, or your own personal photos).
You can also bring music on CD (if you wish, although we will have some for you to
use) and a sense of enthusiasm to have a go!
For those who came to the last Practical Matters session, this will be a follow on
using a new package.
For those who are new to Digital Storytelling - this is only just the beginning!
The Practical Matters session will be conducted by Debbie Soccio from Victoria University.
RSVP to Debbie Soccio at 9919 8762 or email debbie.soccio@vu.edu.au
There are 18 vacancies for this workshop. This is no charge for VALBEC members
for this
workshop but booking is essential and numbers are strictly limited.
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3. Fine Print
The Winter edition of Fine
Print will have the following feature articles
• Digital storytelling as a teaching tool by Louisa Ellum
• Writing wrong: Conundrums of literacy and human rights by Catherine Kell
• Professional practice: a personal patchwork by Peter Waterhouse
• Blended learning: getting the best from flexible delivery by Debbie Soccio
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4. Free copy (members
only) - 'Getting Your Message Across In Print'
VALBEC is pleased to offer five free
copies of this excellent publication for organisations who want to produce better
brochures, letterheads and advertisements. There’s nearly fifty pages of clear,
concise tips and guidelines for planning and designing –whether you’re
doing it yourself or talking to a printer/designer.
‘Getting Your Message Across In Print’ suggests methods of improving
communication and image through a better understanding and application of type and
design techniques, rather than spending more money.
It give hints on choice and use of typefaces, photographs, illustrations and other
graphics, and stresses the importance of all of these in presenting printed items
which will be readable, pleasing to the eye and inviting to clients.
Leon Costermans originally wrote this for campsite operators but the principles apply
to all of us who use printed materials.
If you’re a member and you’d a free copy, go to the VALBEC web site http://www.valbec.org.au/memboffer.htm and
follow the links.
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5. Geelong Initial
Literacy Workshop
For educational staff supporting
teenage and adult learners with low level literacy skills
Need extra support? Feeling isolated? Let’s support one another!
10th June at Gordon TAFE
Outcomes include: Best practice, Resources, Network, Forum
For more information please visit http://www.initial-literacy.org.au/
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6. Portraits and
Visions: keeping the learner in sight – 2005 VALBEC Conference
A great conference – thanks
to all our presenters, displays and sponsors.
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7. VALBEC Membership – pro
rata fees
Thinking of joining? Now’s
an ideal time as you can get pro rata membership fees in all categories. Individuals
engaged full-time in the field can join now for $60 while part-time staff pay just
$37.50. Renewal falls due in February 2006.
Submit a form online at http://www.valbec.org.au/05/memb.html or
get a PDF form at http://www.valbec.org.au/05/docs/VALBECMembForm2005.pdf
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8. How Lower-Literacy
Users use the Web
Jakob Nielsen at http://www.useit.com produces
free regular newsletters about ‘Current Issues in Web Usability’ (an
excellent general source for those into web design)
A recent edition highlighted how low literacy users “exhibit very different
reading behaviors than higher literacy users: they plow (sic) text rather than scan
it, and they miss page elements due to a narrower field of view.” This particular
report is available at http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20050314.html
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9. 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 words Unsubcribe 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