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Australian Council for Adult Literacy
ACAL eNews
July 2012
ACAL eNews is the electronic newsletter of the Australian Council of Adult Literacy (ACAL) and is distributed free to people interested in adult literacy and numeracy. See below for subscription details or to unsubscribe.
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In this issue
1. 'Joining the pieces: Literacy and numeracy one part of the picture'
ACAL 2012, Hobart Sept 19-21
Pre-conference forum
Keynote speakers
And over forty conference sessions!
WAALC $2000 challenge
2. Language, Literacy and Numeracy Program (LLNP) discussion paper
3. Core skills for work framework
4. Certificate IV qualification for the delivery and assessment of foundation skills - update
5. 'Reading the digital word, to read the digital world?'
6. 'Literacy and Numeracy Studies' free journal
7. Understanding workplace literacy programs
8. ACER conference outcomes and adult LLN in VET workshops
9. Adult Learners' Week 1st – 8th September
10. Unsubscribe
11. Contact ACAL
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1. 'Joining the pieces: Literacy and numeracy one part of the picture'
ACAL 2012, Hobart Tasmania
Pre-conference forum
Susan Devereux, General Manager of the Foundation Skills Branch
Anita Roberts, Innovation & Business Skills Australia
Jane Forward, LINC Tasmania, Department of Education
Dr Pat Strauss, Associate Professor, Auckland University of Technology
Keynote speakers
Pat Strauss, Associate Professor, Auckland University of Technology
Anita Roberts, Innovation and Business Skills Australia (IBSA)
Bob Boughton, University of New England, NSW
James Toomey, Mission Australia
And over forty conference sessions!
WAALC $2000 challenge
WAALC, our WA affiliate, is offering to provide up to $2,000 to send a person the the Hobart conference. More details at http://www.waalc.org.au/challenge.htm
2. Language, Literacy and Numeracy Program (LLNP) discussion paper
The Language, Literacy and Numeracy Program (LLNP), through the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education has released a Discussion Paper on LLNP service delivery entitled, Creating a more flexible LLNP in 2013-16.
The Australian Government is seeking feedback and comments on possible changes to the LLNP and arrangements for the next contract round. The new contract round to provide LLNP services is 2013-16 and will commence on 1 July 2013.
Your input is important to the Government and submissions to the Discussion Paper are due 17 August 2012.
For a copy of the Discussion Paper, please visit www.innovation.gov.au/llnp
3. Core skills for work framework
Working sessions for developers
The Core Skills for Work Framework has been developed for the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations as a way of representing employability skills. The consultation process is complete and the Framework has been finalised.
In August/September, Ithaca Group will be conducting a number of hands-on practical working sessions for those who are likely to use the Framework to develop learning programs and activities, resources, and tools.
Cities and dates
Sydney: Tuesday 14 August, 8.30am – 1.00pm
Perth: Tuesday 21 August, 8.30am – 1.00pm
Darwin: Thursday 23 August, 8.30am – 1.00pm
Brisbane: Monday 27 August, 8.30am – 1.00pm
Adelaide: Wednesday 29 August, 8.30am – 1.00pm
Hobart: Friday 31 August, 8.30am – 1.00pm
Melbourne: Tuesday 4 September, 8.30am – 1.00pm
The Workshops
The workshops will comprise an overview of the Framework and a working session to explore its use to develop learning resources and diagnostic tools.
A copy of the Framework will be available for download prior to the workshops.
To register
Due to the nature of the workshops, space will be limited. To secure a place, please e-mail your interest by 3 August 2012 to workshops@ithacagroup.com.au , giving: name / organisation / nominated city / contact phone number.
Registered participants will be sent venue details within three working days of notifying their intention to attend.
Enquiries
All enquiries: workshops@ithacagroup.com.au or (07) 3371 0101.
4. Certificate IV qualification for the delivery and assessment of foundation skills - update
Scoping process and findings
Throughout June Innovation & Business Skills Australia (IBSA) conducted a consultation process to scope a proposed certificate IV qualification that would equip VET practitioners with the skills and knowledge to address the foundation skills needs of learners.
Targeted consultations were held in a number of locations and more than 50 written responses to the scoping discussion paper were received from individuals and organisations representing a wide range of stakeholders.
Key findings from the scoping process were:
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widespread acknowledgement of a gap in VET workforce capability, but little support for a new certificate IV qualification as an appropriate workforce development solution
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many suggestions for a more narrowly focussed product, such as a skill set or qualification stream, to extend the skills and knowledge of vocational practitioners
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questions about the fitness for purpose of the current TAE certificate IV and diploma qualifications in relation to equipping VET practitioners with the ability to address the foundation skills needs of their learners.
Recommendations for development
Findings from the scoping process were considered by IBSA’s National Project Reference Group (NPRG) at a meeting on 16 July 2012. After considering a number of options, the NPRG recommended that IBSA should:
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develop a new skill set within the TAE10 Training Package comprising the existing units TAELLN401 and TAELLN501 and new units focused on sourcing specialist expertise and resources, working collaboratively with LLN specialists and effective instructional strategies for building foundation skills within a vocational training context. Units developed for the new skill set will be made available as electives in both the TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and the TAE50111 Diploma of VET providing a developmental pathway between the two qualifications.
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continue to monitor the fitness for purpose of the TAE40110 and the TAE50111 to ensure that they meet the needs of the VET workforce. The NPRG noted that the structure of both of these qualifications will be changed in 2014 to move current LLN elective units into the core – TAELLN401 into the core of the TAE40110, and TAELLLN501 into the core of the TAE50111.
Development work on the new skill set will be conducted between August and November 2012.
Further information about the project will be added to the IBSA website as the project progresses.
5. 'Reading the digital word, to read the digital world?'
2012 NSW ALNC Conference 10 December, 2012
The theme of the 2011 conference is: Reading the digital word, to read the digital world. The conference will work with a 'twist' of Paulo Freire's idea of literacy - that we read the word in order to read the world we live in. We'd like conference participants to consider what this means in our contemporary context, as forms of reading have expanded dramatically with the introduction of new media and technologies. What has changed about literacy, what hasn't? What does this mean for literacy teaching? (And of course,what does this mean for numeracy?)
The conference willfeature keynote addresses by -
Professor Robyn Jorgensen on numeracy, and Helen De Silva Joyce on visual literacy.
For further information, email nswlanc@gmail.com
6. 'Literacy and Numeracy Studies' free journal
Literacy and Numeracy Studies has published its latest issue.
Vol 20, No 1 (2012)
Editorial - Keiko Yasukawa, Stephen Black
Articles
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Developing Social Capital In ‘Learning Borderlands’: Has the Federal Government's budget delivered for low-paid Australian workers? - Maree Keating
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Health Literacy as a Complex Practice - Judy Hunter, Margaret Franken
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Methadone, Counselling and Literacy: A health literacy partnership for
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Aboriginal clients - Stephen Black, Anne Ndaba, Christine Kerr, Brian Doyle
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'Passivity' or 'Potential'?: Teacher responses to learner identity in the low-level ESL classroom - Sue Ollerhead
Book Review - Phonetics for Phonics by Ross Forman
7. Understanding workplace literacy programs
The Summer Institute held at the Centre for Literacy, Montreal, in June has some interesting presentations.
A particularly interesting analytical framework for understanding workplace literacy programs can be found at http://www.centreforliteracy.qc.ca/sites/default/files/taxon-analy.pdf
8. ACER conference outcomes and adult LLN in VET workshops
As a follow up to the successful ACER national adult LLN conference in May, a brief but informative video about some of the key messages from the day has been produced and is available online. As well, the website has links to a number of upcoming ACER workshops about adult LLN in VET.
9. Adult Learners' Week 1st – 8th September
The theme of this year's Adult Learners' Week is 'Digital Literacy: Connecting and Learning Through Technology'.
10. Unsubscribe
If you no longer wish to receive ACAL eNews, send an email to info@acal.edu.au with 'Unsubscribe ACAL eNews’ in the subject line.
11. Contact ACAL
GPO Box 2283 Canberra ACT 2601