Don’t miss the IoE’s inspiring spring exhibition featuring work of artists-in-residencies as well as students & tutors

Artists-In-Residence (AIR) is an innovative art project springing from the IoE’s lively and creative art department, headed by Suzy Tutchell. This inspiring spring exhibition for 2017 showcases the exciting and innovative work of our current artists-in-residence. As well as this insight into the eclectic and dynamic art produced by the artists themselves, the contemporary exhibition will also include a variety of work produced by undergraduate BA (QTS) Education Art speciality students, Fine Art students, tutors and visiting children from local schools, all of whom have been introduced to practices by the artists during workshops over the academic year.

The AIR artists are:

Emily Gillmor Printer-in-residence

Mei Ting Sze Ceramicist-in-residence

 

McAlistair Hood Sculptor-in-residence

David Fair

service Painter-in-residence

We look forward to welcoming all to the AIR spring exhibition 2017 at the London Road Art Studios:

Institute of Education, University of Reading London Road campus, building L04.

Admission is free.

Tuesday 14 March – Friday 23 March 2017

Open from 9 – 5 every day

(excluding the weekend)

Exhibition launch

Thursday 16 March 2017

3.30 – 4.30pm

contact suzy.tutchell@reading.ac.uk

Institute of Education celebrates new graduates of its joint MA programme with Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in China

Senior academics from the Institute of Education (IoE) have travelled to China to see students graduate from the University of Reading MA (English Language Education) programme at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS). Addressing the new graduates, Professor Jeanine Treffers-Daller of the IoE urged them to make full use of their new knowledge and skills. She added that through their shared experience, as well as their degrees, they will have gained a depth of knowledge and friendship with teachers and students that would be a foundation stone for their future.

The IoE has worked hard with his counterparts in China to link the two universities across the continents, resulting in the 2013 launch of the MA programme. Increasing numbers of students from many different provinces of China enrol each year and there has been great enthusiasm and commitment from all sides. This year’s graduation was a happy celebration.

Fostering international talent is an increasing feature of higher education. The Institute of Education has keen eyes on the global horizon and places enormous value on its strong and growing links with China. The IoE is particularly proud to have forged such a productive partnership with the esteemed Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, which is among the top three specialist foreign language institutions in China.

First row: Professor Zhang Xin (Deputy Dean of FELC), Mr Wang Bin (Administrative Dean of FELC), Dr Daguo Li (Award Leader, Reading), Professor Li Yunming (Vice-President, GDUFS), Professor Treffers-Daller (Award Leader, Reading), the Dean, Professor Wen Binli, Mr Yi Zongying (Deputy Director of International Office), Professor Zhao Chen (Deputy Dean of Graduate School, who is also teaching on the award). Second Row: Dr Wang Yunfeng, course coordinator in Guangdong, left, and course administrator, Mr Zheng Changqing, on the far right.
 

The University of Reading is ranked as one of the top 1% of universities in the world. The University has a particular strong tradition in applied linguistics and language education. It was on the Advisory Board for the development of Chinese College English Test (CET) Band 4 and Band 6 and has been supporting English language teaching in China over the decades. The IoE is one of the largest and leading providers of teacher education and educational research in the UK. Many of its graduates soon become leading figures in their respective schools.

The Faculty of English Language and Culture (FELC), Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, is renowned both nationally and internationally for its research in linguistics and applied linguistics. It is the only nationally designated Research Centre for linguistics and applied linguistics in China. It leads South China in the research of foreign languages and cultures, overseas economy, trade and international strategies.

 

The University of Reading will host its third Early Years conference on 16th March 2017

Dr Helen Bilton, conference organiser
Dr Helen Bilton, conference organiser

After an extremely successful conference last March, the Institute of Education is delighted to present this third specially designed conference for those working with Early Years children. This year, the focus will be on process of intentional teaching and children being partners in their own learning.

 

Conference organiser Dr Helen Bilton said: “Last year’s conference saw delegates emerging feeling reinvigorated and refreshed. That is what we have planned for them this year – with a different focus.

Some of last year’s delegates said:

“The day was thought provoking, inspiring, great resources, friendly teachers.”

“I liked the mixture of keynote speech plus workshops, and the opportunity to share ideas and network.”

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Delegates at last year’s successful conference.

“The talk was inspiring, the workshops were useful, all great ideas.”

See below for full details, including booking links. For further information, please email education-events@reading.ac.uk

Intentional teaching, intentional learners: ensuring children are partners in their development

Thursday 16 March 2017 from 09.30-15.00 at London Road Campus, University of Reading

PROGRAMME

09.00 Refreshments, networking, workshop sign-up and welcome
09.30 Introduction
09.45 Keynote speech – intentional teaching, intentional learners: ensuring children are partners in their development
10.45 Break
11.15 Workshops*
12.30 Lunch with exhibitors
13.30 Workshops* (repeated sessions from morning)
14.45 Evaluation
15.00 End – you are welcome to stay and mingle with other delegates

*The same seven workshops will be offered both morning and afternoon. Delegates will be required to select two workshops at time of booking from the drop-down menu – one for the morning and one for the afternoon. Remember, you can choose the workshops in either order, so if your morning choice is full, simply book that workshop in the afternoon instead, and your other choice for the morning. See below for workshop titles, synopses and speaker biographies.

Cost, which includes refreshments and lunch:

£95 if you book and pay online by credit/debit card via: http://store.rdg.ac/EYFSConference2017

£120 if you require an invoice: please email education-events@reading.ac.uk to request an invoice, clearly stating ‘EY Conference 2017 invoice request’

 

 

 

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Congratulations to the IoE’s Dr Yota Dimitriadi for achieving her Senior Teaching Fellowship

Yota Dimitriadi

In recognition of  Dr Yota Dimitriadi’s outstanding contribution to her field, the Higher Education Academy (HEA) has just appointed her as a Senior Fellow. 

This follows Head of IoE Dr Catherine Tissot’s  recent appointment as a Senior Fellow by the HEA and IoE colleagues, Dr Alison Silbey and Ilan Dwek being awarded Fellowships of the HEA.

Being promoted to Senior Fellow is a significant honour: very few Senior Fellowships are awarded each year and the distinction carries international recognition. Senior Fellowship indicates a high level of esteem for Yota’s work in her field.

Yota, Catherine, Alison and Ilan’s route to their awards lay with the University of Reading’s FLAIR CPD scheme; an internal accreditation process that enables experienced staff to gain professional recognition for the work they do in teaching or supporting learning.

An independent, charitable organisation, the HEA is the UK’s national body that champions teaching excellence around the globe. It works with governments, universities and academics to nurture teaching excellence in higher education.

See more:                                    

Higher Education Academy (HEA)

University of Reading’s FLAIR scheme

Don’t miss closing date 18 April! Sharpen your quills for the 2017/18 Raymond Wilson Poetry Prize

UoR students are invited to explore their creativity by entering the Raymond Wilson Poetry Competition. Held in memory of the late Emeritus Professor of Education at Reading, the prize awards £200 for the winning poem.

Competition organiser, Stephanie Sharp of the Institute of Education, said:

“The competition will be judged by children in a local school and their vote carries equal weighting with that of a published children’s poet and with mine as an academic. This brings the perspectives of teacher, writer and young reader to bear on the judging.”

The children on the panel responded happily to last year’s winning poem by Judy Riddel, with its lively play on rhyming fun to support number learning, saying:

“It flows and has rhythm”                    

“We liked the inspirational message – be positive and counting and relying on others”

“It was happy and exciting”

“It helps younger children to learn their numbers by remembering the rhyme”

Raymond Wilson was an exceptional educationalist, as well as an inspired educational editor who introduced new editions of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poetry and Jane Austen’s novels. Wilson was also well-known as an intuitive, sensitive critic and a prolific anthologist.

This year, the closing date for entries will be 19 April 2018, with the winner being announced on 14 May 2018.

Conditions of entry are as follows:

 

  • Poems should be written for children.
  • You may submit up to 3 poems with a maximum length of 40 lines for each poem.
  • Poems must be the original work of the entrant.
  • Poems should be word processed.
  • Poems are regarded as copies and cannot be returned.
  • Your name should not be included with your poem(s). The poem(s) should be submitted in an envelope accompanied by a separate sealed envelope giving your name, connection with the University, contact address and either the title or first line of your poem(s).

 

Entries to the Raymond Wilson Poetry Prize, may be sent to the competition administrator: Chris Tibbenham, Institute of Education, University of Reading, London Road Campus, RG1 5EX.

Queries about any aspect of the competition can be addressed to Stephanie Sharp: s.sharp@reading.ac.uk

 

IoE partner schools can now advertise their NQT vacancies directly to our trainees

We are aware that effective recruitment is an area of importance for all schools working in Partnership with us at the Institute of Education. Our Careers Centre here at the University has been working hard to develop a more streamlined and coordinated system for processing the vacancies that come to us here at the IoE. These vacancies will now be uploaded onto the Careers Portal ‘My Jobs Online’ and thus be visible to all our trainees on Primary ITT programmes. Partner schools may access My Jobs Online directly to advertise their vacancies.  

This free online advertising service encompasses a variety of vacancies, including:

  • Immediate and future vacancies for graduates
  • Part-time work for students during term time
  • Undergraduate placements
  • Vacation work
  • Volunteer opportunities

To use the new system, you just need to register for our jobs board, My Jobs Online, and upload your vacancies using a simple online form. This is available via www.reading.ac.uk/careers/employer/submit.asp, along with our terms and conditions and other useful information. Once registered, a password will be sent to you via email and you will not need to provide your details again.

Please post a summary of your vacancy, ideally with a link to your website (where possible) so that candidates can view further details such as the job description and person specification. 

Before submitting a vacancy, please ensure that you have read and are happy to accept our terms and conditions – www.reading.ac.uk/careers/employer/vacterms.asp

Once approved by a member of the Careers team, the vacancy will appear live on the website free of charge.  Any student or graduate who has registered an interest in that sector will also receive an automatic email alerting them to the vacancy.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Careers Centre on 0118 378 8359 or email careers@reading.ac.uk if you require further assistance.

Researchers at the Institute of Education are proud to be part of two large collaborative projects that will promote the importance of Modern Foreign Languages

Professor Suzanne Graham, IoE Director of Research

In a new series of monthly blogs highlighting key research areas of activity at the IoE, Professor Suzanne Graham, Director of Research for the Institution, looks at two large collaborative projects that will promote the importance of Modern Foreign Languages as well as researching learners’ development and motivation in language learning.

The first, The Language Magician, is an EU-funded project led by the Goethe Institute in which Dr Louise Courtney and Suzanne Graham are building on their earlier research into primary modern languages.

Dr Louise Courtney

Their expertise is contributing to the creation of a computer game to assess language learning for young learners, which will be rolled out across several countries in 2018.  They are also exploring the development of learners’ motivation for language learning. Louise and Suzanne have just returned from Leipzig where they worked with project partners on the game. Louise also presented at the mid-project conference on January 27, giving two papers on the value of the game for primary school teachers across Europe and beyond and what piloting of the game reveals about learners’ motivation in different European countries.

Suzanne is Strand Lead for the second project, Linguistic Creativity in Language Learning, which is part of a large AHRC funded project led by Katrin Kohl at the University of Oxford, Creative Multilingualism. The strand is exploring the impact of literary and non-literary texts on the linguistic and motivational development of learners of French and German at secondary school.  Suzanne was part of the project’s launch event, Linguamania, at the Ashmolean Museum on January 27, and gave a presentation at the launch conference.

Artist-In- Residencies Spring Exhibition 2017

This contemporary exhibition not only provides an insight into the eclectic and dynamic art produced by the artists themselves but will also include a variety of work produced by undergraduate BA Ed Art students, Fine Art students, tutors and visiting children from local schools, all of whom have been introduced to practices by the artists during workshops over the academic year.

The event, which will be based at the University of Reading’s London Road Campus’ Art Studios at the Institute of Education, will display an inspiring spring exhibition of the exciting and innovative work of our current artists-in-residencies;

Artwork by Emily Gillmor, Printer-in-resident

Emily Gillmor, Printer-in-resident

Mei Ting Sze, Ceramicist-in-resident

Andrew Hood, Sculptor-in-resident

David Fairservice, Painter-in-resident

 

Location: University of Reading, London Road Campus, 4 Redlands Road, Reading, RG1 5EX.

London Road Art Studios, L04, Institute of Education

Dates: Tuesday 14th March – Friday 23rd March 2017

Times: Open from 9 – 5 every day (excluding the weekend)

Launch of exhibition: Thursday 16th March 2017, 3.30 – 4.30pm

Contact: Suzy Tutchell 

Important Update: amend to entry requirement for Foundation Degree in Children’s Development and Learning

Teresa Wilson, Programme Director

Our Early Years team has confirmed that any candidate who does not fully meet the entry criteria (eg who does not have Maths GCSE or the specified amount of full-time work experience, but may have part-time and/or volunteering experience) is invited to submit their application, which will be considered on a case by case basis.

Further enquiries: Ms Teresa Wilson, Programme Director, Foundation Degree in CDL. +44 (0)118 378 2641 

Visit the Museum of English Rural Life book sale

The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) is a little gem located right next door to our London Road campus. A fascinating place to visit, it has often caught the imagination of the world at large, as with the infamous mousetrap story.mousetrap small

Now the MERL shop has kicked off 2017 with its traditional January Sale. This is a chance to pick up some fantastic bargains, especially among MERL’s wide range of unusual and lovely books.

None of us know what the internet sensation of 2017 will be. But there is no doubt that the sensation of 2016 was the mousetrap story! Want to know the stories behind these deadly little devices? Dip into David Drummond’s “British mouse traps and their makers” (£1.50).

For anyone who has seen our new Evacuee interactive, we recommend two books by Martin Parsons – “War child” and “I’ll take that one”. Through his research work, Martin was responsible for building up the Museum’s incredible collection of evacuee memoirs. He is a leading expert on the experiences of children in wartime and his books help to dispel many of the myths about this fascinating period. We have copies of both titles signed by the author (£6.00 and £5.00 respectively).

First encounters with the countryside are also dealt with by “In at the deep end” (£1.50). Agriculture lecturer Paul Harris gathered accounts from 41 students who – despite not growing up on a farm – took the brave decision to study agriculture and found themselves getting a year’s work experience. Completed only weeks before Dr Harris’s death in 2013, these are compelling and fascinating stories, where the warmth of the welcome given by the farmers and farmworkers stands in contrast with the cold of the winter mornings!

If you enjoyed our apple-themed activities at the Grand Re-opening Festival, then Michael Clark’s “Apples, a field guide” (£5.00) may well be the book for you. It can help you to identify that unknown apple growing in your garden or in the park. Or if you are feeling ambitious, you can use it to help you choose which variety to plant! Of course, if you want to go even further and take the path to self-sufficiency, then what better than Sonia Kurta’s “No dear, that’s a pheasant, we’re peasants” (£2.50), full of the pitfalls of having a smallholding and tips for those brave enough to try living “the good life”.

Whatever your interests – from folk art to traction engines and from literature to local history – there are plenty more bargains to be picked up this month. The MERL Shop Sale runs until 5 February.

Museum of English Rural Life
University of Reading
6 Redlands Road
Reading
RG1 5EX
T: 0118 378 8660 Facebook 

www.reading.ac.uk/TheMERL