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ALaN WA Newsletter – December 2014

Welcome to edition 15 of the Adult Literacy and Numeracy Network of Western Australia Newsletter!

Views expressed by contributors to the newsletter are their own and, unless expressly stated, do not reflect the opinions of their employers/organisations.

This contents page links individually to each article enabling you to go immediately to those of your choice. Alternatively, if you go to the main blog link, you can access the articles by scrolling down the page.

We welcome your comments and contributions to our newsletter. If you are an Adult Literacy/Numeracy practitioner in Western Australia or indeed, anywhere in the world, we invite you to subscribe and comment. If you are interested in joining the GoogleGroup for our network, please visit our “How to join” page and complete the online form.

This is our last newsletter for 2014 – the next one will be late January or early February 2015. We wish you a safe and peaceful break and look forward to sharing again in the New Year.

Contents

1. The CAVSS Experience – A Snapshot from a CAVSS Lecturer

2. Literacy Research Matters

3. Call for presenters – WA Adult Literacy Council Conference 2015

4. Keynote speaker at the WAALC Conference

5. Recent Academic Research

6. NCVER Online Survey – extended deadline

7. Conferences coming up in 2015

8. PD coming up in 2015

9. Collaborative Numeracy Workshops

10. Report on ACAL 2014 Conference Keynote

 

 

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ALaN WA Newsletter – November 2014

Welcome to edition 14 of the Adult Literacy and Numeracy Network of Western Australia Newsletter!

Views expressed by contributors to the newsletter are their own and, unless expressly stated, do not reflect the opinions of their employers/organisations.

This contents page links individually to each article enabling you to go immediately to those of your choice. Alternatively, if you go to the main blog link, you can access the articles by scrolling down the page.

We welcome your comments and contributions to our newsletter. If you are an Adult Literacy/Numeracy practitioner in Western Australia or indeed, anywhere in the world, we invite you to subscribe and comment. If you are interested in joining the GoogleGroup for our network, please visit our “How to join” page and complete the online form.

Contents

1. WA Adult Literacy Council 2015

2. Conferences coming up

3. PD coming up from November 2014

4. Seeking your input!

5. LLN Practitioner Scholarships Programme

6. Infographics – what are they and how can we use them?

 

 

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Seeking your input!

Introduction

Surveys give us the opportunity to input into future developments, so if you can find the time it is always worth completing any that are relevant. Yours could be the response that tips the balance towards a change that you favour rather than one you will hate! There are two surveys seeking input at the moment – one is a local WA survey for a CAVSS Local Leaders project and the other is a national NCVER survey relating to delivery of Foundation Skills.

1. Please help by completing the CAVSS Teacher’s Survey

The Department of Training and Workforce Development has funded this project to produce resources that will provide additional support to CAVSS Managers. When you respond to this survey, you will be helping us:

  • identify the skills and knowledge that are key to undertaking the CAVSS Manager’s job
  • gather practical ideas for solving common problems
  • design accessible and well-targetted training resources that will assist new CAVSS Managers.

There are two Surveys: one for CAVSS Managers and one for CAVSS staff. We would really like it you can find time to fill in a survey.

Please complete the survey by 14 November 2014

Link to CAVSS Teachers’ survey – please pass this on to any other CAVSS staff who may not have access to the GoogleGroup or this newsletter

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CAVSSTeachersSurvey

Link to CAVSS Managers’ survey – please pass this on to any CAVSS managers/potential CAVSS  managers who may not have access to the GoogleGroup or this newsletter

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CAVSSManagers

2. NCVER survey of practitioners involved in Foundation Skills delivery

NCVER has released a survey for Foundation Skills. The information you provide will be invaluable in shaping the future of Foundation Skills, so please take a moment to read the information and fill out the questionnaire. This is part of the National Foundation Skills Strategy Project. Further information and the survey are available at “Who is delivering Foundation Skills”

 

 

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Shared links from our ALaN network in 2013

Introduction

As we come up to the end of year for our students and the holiday break for many of us I was thinking about our network and particularly about the links to free online resources for students that have been shared this year. So I thought it might make a good article for the newsletter to re-share some of these all in one place.

This is not necessarily an exhaustive collection of all the links shared. If you shared a link this year and it isn’t included it could be for one or more of the following reasons: I missed it; the link is broken, site moved, several links on the page not working & so no longer accessible; there is a cost associated with using the resource; it is a list of other resources rather than a resource itself; it is a link to a site for purchasing a book.

Reading

  • Levelled readings for adults – the source of these is the USA but nonetheless there are topics of interest to Australian readers

http://resources.marshalladulteducation.org/reading_skills_home.htm

  • Easy to read stories for beginning adult readers

http://pageturners.prace.vic.edu.au/index.php

Reading and writing

  • An online graphical dictionary that shows relationships between words and their part of speech.

http://www.visuwords.com/

  • This resource has a focus on ESL learners but  nonetheless has content usable with a wide range of literacy students.

http://a4esl.org/

  • Language Garden uses colours to distinguish between parts of speech in sentences creating attractive visual representations of language.

http://www.languagegarden.com/

  • A useful site if you have vocationally oriented students with an interest in hospitality/catering. The site provides introductory resources to the language of food safety introducing some of the more complex words and their meanings.

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsafety/lesson/lessons.html

Maths

  • Numeracy resources from the Manufacturing Skills Australia website – MSA has developed a series of tool kits for VET Trainers to use. Great potential for use if you have students with interests in vocational areas.

http://www.mskills.com.au/online-products/product/Putting-the-Jigsaw-Together

  • The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has an extensive collection of downloadable resources related to money management on their MoneySmart page.

https://www.moneysmart.gov.au/tools-and-resources/publications?referrer=fido.gov.au#managing

  • If you teach any statistics then this is a useful resource for information on sampling and on some of the ways we represent data graphically.

http://jwilson.coe.uga.edu/EMT668/EMAT6680.Folders/Brooks/6690stuff/Statistics/Statistics.html#anchor322474

  • The updated version of the VALBEC “Building Strength With Numeracy” resource from Beth Marr has a great variety of maths activities and tasks including consideration of attitudes to maths and their impact on developing maths skills.

http://www.valbec.org.au/building-strength-with-numeracy/index.htm

  • This site from Annenberg Learner has a range of information and activites about the use of maths in daily life.

http://www.learner.org/interactives/dailymath/

  • A useful resource for algebra contextualised for electrotechnology

http://mitac.org.au/algebra/

  • The MoneyBusiness Course has a great range of resources on managing money and also templates for recording savings and spendings. The focus is on Aboriginal learners but the content is much more broadly applicable. Some students might need help with the level of language used as some of this is a bit complex.

http://www.fmrsu.com.au/training-courses/moneybusiness-course/

  • A downloadable financial literacy handbook from Canada focussing on Aboriginal learners and becoming financially “fit”

http://fnbc.info/sites/default/files/documents/POST-Final3%20FL%20Handbook.pdf

  • A range of practical problems using maths from the UK National STEM Centre.

http://www.nationalstemcentre.org.uk/elibrary/resource/88/gaim-activities-practical-problems

Basic computer skills and digital literacy

  • This resource is more about computer skills than digital literacy and the focus is on assessment. One of the great strengths is that there is accompanying audio which explains how to answer the questions.

http://digitalliteracyassessment.org/index.php

Across the streams!

  • These Health and Safety resources from Studyladder provide great potential for use across the CGEA streams.

http://www.studyladder.com.au/guides/safety

  • The Goodwill Community Foundation has a wide range of learning resources including basic reading and maths as well as a variety of technology resources. Be aware that the counting change activity uses USA coinage!

http://www.gcflearnfree.org/

  • A USA site which focuses on health literacy for ESOL learners – some of the information is USA specific but there is also more generally relevant information. The links here are for learners but the site also has educator links.

http://www.valrc.org/toolkit/learners.html

ACSF and similar “testing”

  • This bank of tasks has been developed by Precision Consultancy with funding from the WELL program.

http://www.precisionconsultancy.com.au/acs_framework

  • The Australian Apprenticeships and Traineeships Information Service has posted a variety of Practice Aptitude Quizzes that might help students in deciding on future directions

http://aatinfo.com.au/Career-Resources/Practice-Aptitude-Quizzes

Conclusion

A lot has been shared this year! These links don’t include those related to professional development of which there were many. They are only the ones to free online (sometimes downloadable) resources. I would just like to say KEEP ON SHARING! Link up with colleagues to share and to co-develop resources. Online networks make this easier than ever before.

 

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What can WAALC do for you?

The Western Australian Adult Literacy Council Incorporated (WAALC) is an independent association established to support and empower adult literacy practitioners in WA.

As an independent body, WAALC offers the adult literacy field the opportunity to have input into consultation separate from the views of employers and government agencies, allowing positions to be formulated most likely to work for the interests of students and their teachers, rather than having to fit a policy line.

WAALC is affiliated with their national counterpart, the Australian Council of Adult Literacy (ACAL) and is represented on the ACAL committee. This offers an opportunity to develop national positions and have input in areas such as the reference group for the Reading Writing Hotline.

And depending on the stage have reached in your career, there are all sorts of personal opportunities that result from belonging to a professional association.  I will be speaking to the topic: “What can WAALC do for you?” at this year’s state conference.  I have lots of personal examples and will be drawing on a published history from Victoria. However, if you have a great example that you are happy to share, let me know.

Cheryl Wiltshire
WAALC Secretary

 

Want  to know more about WAALC?

The Annual General Meeting of the Council that will be held at the conclusion of Day 1 of the WAALC State Conference on Thursday 18th July  2013.

Whether you are a current member or not, and whether you can make the conference or not, why not come along to the AGM to hear what has been going on during the year in the WAALC world? And for a more informal opportunity to chat about what WAALC is about, go along to Pie and Pint evening at the Irish Club in Subiaco during the evening after the AGM.

When? 4.20 pm – 5.10 p.m. Thursday 18th July  2013.

Where? Lecture Theatre, Leederville Campus, Central Institute of Technology, Corner Oxford Street and Richmond Street, Leederville

 

 

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2012 NSW ALNC Conference 10 December, 2012

Reading the digital word, to read the digital world?

2012 NSW Adult Literacy and Numeracy Council  (NSWALNC) Conference 10 December, 2012

The theme of the 2012 NSWALNC 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.  Conference participants will 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 will feature keynote addresses by Professor Robyn Jorgensen on numeracy, and Helen De Silva Joyce on visual literacy.

For further information, email nswlanc@gmail.com

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ALaN WA Newsletter April 2012

Welcome to edition 3 of the Adult Literacy and Numeracy Network of Western Australia Newsletter!

Views expressed by contributors to the newsletter are their own and, unless expressly stated, do not reflect the opinions of their employers/organisations.

This contents page links individually to each article enabling you to go immediately to those of your choice. Alternatively, if you go to the main blog link, you can access the articles by scrolling down the page.

We welcome your comments and contributions to our newsletter. If you are an Adult Literacy/Numeracy practitioner in Western Australia or indeed, anywhere in the world, we invite you to subscribe and comment. If you interested in joining the GoogleGroup for our network, please visit our “How to join” page and complete the online form.

1. Driving

Our  story this month is once again from the Kimberley and illustrates adult literacy makes a difference to people’s lives.

2. Facilitators

The ALaN WA Network is once again funded for 2012.

3. In the media

Education stories in the media around the world

4. Revised ACSF

Revised version of Australian Core Skills Framework

5. ALLS vs ACSF

Attempts to make sense of different frameworks to describe literacy levels

6. Conferences

Are you going to get to one of these?

7. Version 4 CGEA

An update on changes to the CGEA

8. IVEC

Replacement of a curriculum used in WA

 

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25 years helping with driving licences

Rachael Marriette is now back on the road after completing Karrayili Adult Education Centre’s Driver Education programme. Rachael enrolled in the programme over a year ago to help her pass her theory test, acquire a Learner’s Permit, get professional driving lessons and pass her driving test.

The Driver Education course was delivered under the Certificates in General Education for Adults (Introductory) and gave Rachael the opportunity to slowly work through all the licensing requirements getting the literacy support she needed.

“This course really helped me to work on my licence,” Rachael said. “If I didn’t get help from Karrayili it would’ve taken me longer to do it. It was really good and the teachers made sure I kept going and didn’t give up. I’m happy now that I’ve got my licence back so that I can drive my kids around and use it for my new job.”

Fiztroy Crossing AustraliaKarrayili has been delivering Driver Education for the last 25 years supporting Fitzroy Crossing, town communities and communities of the Fitzroy Valley. For more information contact General Education Coordinator, Emilia Biemmi Beurteaux on 08 9191 5333.

 

First published in ACAL eNews

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ALaN Network Facilitators appointed for 2012

The Department of Training and Workforce Development (DTWD) has once again provided some paid time to support the WA Adult Literacy and Numeracy (ALAN)  Network.  Seven facilitators were appointed for 2012 and they will undertake a range of functions designed to develop our membership and services.

Facilitators will focus on keeping up to date in a particular area (eg Adult literacy, Indigenous education, adult numeracy, online tools, ESL) as well as providing more general assistance to members to help us get the most from our online community.

The 2012 ALaN Network Facilitators are:

Chantal Adams – Kimberley Training Institute

Jo Hart  – C.Y. O’Connor Institute

Matthew Highman  – Polytechnic West

Dani Murray – independent, ex-Centacare Employment and Training

Helen Smith – Durack Institute of Technology

William Griffiths – Great Southern Institute of Technology

Sue Brennan – Central Institute of Technology

You can communicate with this group by responding to this blog or by posing questions on the CGEA Network Google Group (members only).  They will respond as availability allows. Each facilitator brings a unique set of expertise so by posing your question to all of us, you can get information from different perspectives: urban, country, different class types and funding sources, and different backgrounds and experience.

Other members are encouraged to contribute as well – and if you enjoy it, perhaps you would like to nominate yourself for next year’s paid roles.

Submitted by Cheryl Wiltshire, WA ALaN Network Coordinator

 

 

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New feature: In the media

It’s about confidence and trust in teachers

Emma Alberici on ABC TV’s Lateline talks to Pasi Sahlberg, director-general of the Ministry of Education in Helsinki, about why Finland consistently beats most of the rest of the countries in the OECD in maths, reading and literacy at all levels of primary and high school. The secret, according to him, is to be found in Finland’s highly educated teachers.

Teaching in Finland is a respected and prestigious profession, and it’s paid accordingly. Gaining entry to study teaching is extremely competitive, and nearly every teacher in the country has a master’s degree.

Video and transcript at   http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2012/s3441913.htm or available as a Vodcast from the ABC website archives.

 

Reporting teacher performance using student scores

20 March 2012

The  article, Teacher Performance Abusers of Statistics,   was written in response to the recent publication of the names of teachers and their “performance scores” by the New York Post (February, 2012).