Could you teach computer science? By Tony MacFadyen April 23, 2013

Tony MacFadyen is Director of Enterprise at the University of Reading’s Institute of Education

If you are thinking about a career in the classroom, why not teach computer science?

Tony MacFadyen, Director of Enterprise at the University’s Reading Institute of Education, explains why you should get with the programme

Imagine a world without computers.

From having no spreadsheets to help us budget and regularly queuing in the bank because there’s no ATM, to no lifesaving early diagnosis of disease and no internet which allows us to . . . well to do seemingly almost anything.

A very different world!

The way we use computers, and what we use them for, has evolved dramatically over the last 15 years.

However, the government and industry have argued that the skills being taught in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) classrooms have not kept up, leaving children unprepared for the new world they face.

Enter Michael Gove’s recent announcement of a major reform to the current ICT curriculum.

The changes, including the introduction of computer science in schools (now as part of the EBacc), aim to better prepare young people for progression in education and a professional career.

Current ICT lessons, he said, were ‘demotivating and dull’ and schools need to focus more on getting pupils to learn how to design ‘apps’ and learn to code.

Indeed he has support from the likes of Bill Gates and Ian Livingstone (co-founder Games Workshop). Many people have argued that the previous ICT curriculum needed improvement as pupils need the skills of computer science and algorithmic thinking to give them the best chance of successful careers in every area of modern life.

However there is a problem as countries like the US and Japan have stolen a march on the UK.

Government statistics show that only 35 per cent of ICT teachers are specialists, compared with more than 80 per cent for core subjects such as maths and English.

Who is going to teach these new skills? Perhaps it will be you.

Last year the University of Reading launched a nationwide project that aims to meet the growing need for computer science teachers in schools. The project includes giving current teachers ideas for introducing key computing concepts in lessons.

University specialists have hosted conferences and given workshops in schools that have helped teachers meet the demands of the new curriculum, and now the University has been awarded funding to train the next generation of computing teachers.

This month, the University’s Institute of Education, one of the leading teacher trainers in the country, is launching a new Subject Knowledge Enhancement course (SKE) in computer science to complement its PGCE (Sec) Computer Science course.

SKEs are free and offer a route into teaching for those wishing to train as teachers and possess good teaching qualities, but whose degrees do not provide them with the subject knowledge required.

The Computer Science Enhancement course is a three-and-a half-month, full-time course taken prior to teacher training with bursaries available to eligible candidates.

It is designed for people with a strong interest in computer science and good general teaching qualities who need to develop their subject knowledge before commencing secondary teacher training.

Those with an appropriate degree can apply straight to the PGCE.

The SKE is taught by computer science teachers alongside experts from the University’s School of Systems Engineering.

Trainees will develop knowledge and skills in computing and learn through a variety of teaching methods, including workshops, guided private study, group work, student presentations and programming projects.

The current economic climate means many people face uncertain futures over their jobs or are struggling to find work.

Computer Science teaching is an opportunity for people to take that step into a new and fulfilling career. Enrolling on the SKE or PGCE (Sec) means you receive the best in training in computer science. This will provide you with the confidence and skill to teach the new curriculum and join a highly skilled workforce needed for our future success. For more details or to enrol contact Janet Thomson, head of SKE, at j.thomson@reading.ac.uk or (0118) 378 2656.

Source: http://www.getreading.co.uk/blogs/andanotherthing/s/2132872_first_person_could_you_teach_computer_science

Poster Workshop: Wednesday 24 April at the University of Reading

This hands-on workshop and study day is a follow-up to the Victoria and Albert Museum’s conference Posters: collection, creation and context, and will focus on the design and production of letterpress and chromolithographed posters.

The day will combine practical printing with sessions devoted to studying a rich array of original examples, and should provide an unparalleled opportunity to consider poster production from several different standpoints (technique, design, display, and context).

In the practical sessions, run by Martin Andrews and Alan Hardie, participants will have an opportunity to print poster-like material from wood type, wood blocks, and nineteenth-century presses, in much the same way that would have been done throughout most of the nineteenth century. They will also be able to make marks on lithographic stone and help with taking impressions from what they have produced.

The study sessions, run by Michael Twyman, will cover letterpress and lithographic posters in two sessions. The first will trace the evolution of the letterpress poster in England and France from the late eighteenth century to the mid twentieth century, and make comparisons between the two approaches. The second will focus on the production of chromolithographed posters in England and France from the 1890s to the middle of the 1960s. Both sessions will draw exclusively on original material.

Martin Andrews is a designer, printing historian, and teacher in the Department of Typography & Graphic Communication of the University of Reading, Alan Hardie is an experienced printmaker, and Michael Twyman, Director of the University’s Centre for Ephemera Studies, is a printing historian specializing in lithography.

This all-day event will take place in the Print Studio of the Institute of Education at Reading University’s London Road site. Numbers will be limited to 30 (sessions will be repeated so that no more than 15 people will be at each one). The cost will be £40, to include tea and coffee. Lunch is not included but the cafe, Eat & Drink at London Road, is nearby.

All enquiries to Diane Bilbey d.j.bilbey@reading.ac.uk

TAEDS – CityLit Deaf Day on Saturday April 6th

Theatre Arts, Education & Deaf Studies represented the Institute of Education during this year’s annual CityLit Deaf Day on Saturday April 6th. Simon Floodgate led a Sign Theatre Workshop, supported by students from the University’s unique BA Programme. This fun, practical drama session proved a big hit. So much so that the workshop was over-subscribed and eager punters were, unfortunately, turned away at the door. Simon introduced some basic principles for how sign language and voice can be integrated to create performance for deaf-hearing integrated audiences thus showcasing the unique performance practice being researched here at Reading.
The workshop was part of an event packed full of more than 60 different exhibitions, workshops and entertainment geared to everyone who is interested in deaf issues. As well as Simon and current students on the Programme, the building was populated by TAEDS’ alumni including Deafinitely Theatre, staff at Oak Lodge School for the Deaf, one of the instigators of “Signs and Voices”, the first comic with deaf superheroes, and many sign language interpreters including the lead interpreter coordinating the interpreting provision for the whole day.

Educational Research: Informing and Impacting Educational Practices. Wednesday, 8th May 2013 – Call for Papers

Educational Research: Informing and Impacting Educational Practices

Wednesday, 8th May 2013
IoE Doctoral Researchers Conference

Call for Papers

The IoE Doctoral Researchers Conference Committee is pleased to announce its Postgraduate Conference on Wednesday, 8th May 2013 from 16:00 to 19:45. This committee includes IoE PhD student organisers and staff members and welcomes abstracts for either a paper or poster presentation on the theme of the conference, ‘Educational Research: Informing and Impacting Educational Practices’ from doctoral researchers at any stage of their PhD or EdD.

The aim of the conference is to provide IoE postgraduate researchers with an opportunity to prepare abstracts for review, to present their work to IoE students and staff, and to get feedback on their research.

If you would like your abstract to be reviewed and considered for presentation please send it to Shahla Yassaei (s.yassaei@pgr.reading.ac.uk).

The deadline for abstracts is 5pm, Friday, 15th March 2013. All abstracts received on or before this date are reviewed by the Conference Committee and decisions on the successful posters/papers will be communicated to the authors no later than Monday, 8th April 2013. Please note that the reviewers will provide constructive feedback on all abstracts submitted.

The venue for the event is L022 G01, London Road Campus.

Abstract Guidelines

Your abstract should provide an overview of your presentation. You can choose to focus on either an introduction of your research project as a whole or a specific aspect of your research. In either case, you should explain its significance/contribution to your field. Please see the attached Guidance on Poster Presentation.

Word limit for abstract is 200 words.

It is important to remember that your presentation should be relevant to the theme of the conference, ‘Educational Research: Informing and Impacting Educational Practices.’

Each speaker will be allocated 25 minutes for presentation and 15 minutes for questions and discussion. Talks will be stopped by the Panel Chairs if they go over the specified time. Posters will be on display during the conference.

Application

If you are interested in presenting your work please fill in the attached application form and make sure that you take into account the criteria stated below when you write your abstract.

  • The title of your abstract should not be more than 12 words in which you encapsulate the topic of your paper/ poster in a clear but interesting manner.
  • A very short but informative background to your research should be provided (about two to three sentences).
  • The overall subject of the paper should be clearly stated i.e., whether it is an overview of your doctoral research or it is a particular aspect of it, e.g., your methodology, your literature review, and details of the presentation should be provided
  • The significance of your research to your field should be clearly stated.
  • The way your research is in line with the theme of the conference should be stated.

Conference Booking

If you would like to attend the conference please book your place by filling in the booking form attached and emailing it to Debbie Grimmond (dg030384@pgr.reading.ac.uk) no later than Friday, 15th March 2013.

*Please note that those researchers who would like to apply need to book their place as well.

We look forward to hearing from you all.

Regards,

IoE Doctoral Conference Student Organisers

Debbie Grimmond

Shahla Yassaei

Rfah Alyami

Educational Research: Informing and Impacting Educational Practices. Wednesday, 8th May 2013 – Call for Posters

Educational Research: Informing and Impacting Educational Practices

Wednesday, 8th May 2013
IoE Doctoral Researchers Conference

Call for Posters

The IoE Doctoral Researchers Conference Committee is pleased to announce its Postgraduate Conference on Wednesday, 8th May 2013 from 16:00 to 19:45, which all postgraduate IoE students are cordially invited.The venue for the event is L022 G01 London Road Campus.

MA students are invited to attend the conference where oral presentations will be made by doctorial researchers, and are  invited to present posters at the conference of completed or intended research. If you would like your poster to be considered for presentation please fill the attached application form and send it to Shahla Yassaei (s.yassaei@pgr.reading.ac.uk).

Posters represent a summary of your work in a visual form. At conferences poster presenters literally stand next to their displayed poster and are available to answer questions and/or to receive feedback on their work. Please see the attached Guidance on Poster Presentation. In order to be allocated an area to present your poster at a conference it is usual that authors submit an abstract summarising the work that the intended poster is on; thus, the conference committee welcomes abstracts from IoE MA students who would like to present a poster at this inaugural IoE student conference. The poster can be presented on any area of research you are/ will be conducting for your MA dissertation or other empirically based research conducted as part of your MA degree. In either case, you are asked to mention the relevance of your research to education and its potential impact.

The deadline for abstracts is 5pm, Friday 15th March 2013. All abstracts received on or before this date are reviewed by the Conference Committee and decisions on the successful posters will be communicated to the authors no later than Monday, 8th April 2013. Please note that the reviewers will provide constructive feedback on all abstracts submitted.

Abstract Guidelines

Your abstract should provide an overview of your poster.  You can choose to focus on either an introduction of your research project as a whole or a specific aspect of your research. In either case, you should explain its significance/contribution to your field.

Word limit for abstract is 200 words.

It is important to remember that your poster should make reference to the theme of the conference, ‘Educational Research: Informing and Impacting Educational Practices.’

Application

If you are interested in presenting your work in the form of a poster, please fill in the attached application form and make sure that you take into account the criteria stated below when you write your abstract.

  • The title of your abstract should not be more than 12 words in which you encapsulate the topic of your poster in a clear but interesting manner.
  • A very short but informative background to your research should be provided (about two to three sentences).
  • The overall subject of the poster should be clearly stated i.e., whether it is an overview of your MA research or it is a particular aspect of it, e.g., your methodology, your literature review, and details of the presentation should be provided
  • The potential significance of your research to your field should be clearly stated.
  • The way your research is in line with the theme of the conference should be stated.

Conference Booking

If you would like to attend the conference please book your place by filling in the booking form attached and emailing it to Debbie Grimmond (dg030384@pgr.reading.ac.uk) no later than Friday 15th March 2013.

*Please note that those students who would like to apply need to book their place as well.

We look forward to hearing from you all. Please do not hesitate to contact Debbie Grimmond (dg030384@pgr.reading.ac.uk) if you have further questions.

We hope that you will be able to join us on the day.

Regards,

IoE Doctoral Conference Student Organisers

Debbie Grimmond

Shahla Yassaei

Rfah Alyami

Director of the new Centre for Literacy and Multilingualism will be Professor Jeanine Treffers-Daller – Launching 3rd September 2013

Director appointed for new Centre for Literacy and Multilingualism

Director of the new Centre will be Professor Jeanine Treffers-Daller, currently Professor of Second Language Education.

A new Centre for Literacy and Multilingualism will be launched at Reading in early September, bringing together a range of world class experts with the intention of creating an internationally renowned hub for research into linguistic, psychological, clinical and educational aspects of multilingualism and literacy.

Director of the new Centre will be Professor Jeanine Treffers-Daller, who is currently Professor of Second Language Education, based in the Institute of Education.

“Although there is a lot of research on bilingualism, relatively little is known about multilingualism and yet much of the world’s population is multilingual, as is a growing proportion of the UK population. In Reading itself, 30% of children in primary schools are bilingual or multilingual (national average 17.5%) and this brings challenges for the education system as well as many potential benefits to society. The focus of the Centre will be on looking at the positives relating to multilingualism such as the benefits in cognitive control, language acquisition and the benefits to global enterprise.

“The University already has a strong base on which to build a successful Centre and with a number of new international appointments funded through the Academic Investment Programme, we will be in a strong position to become a leading centre.

“What will truly distinguish us from other international centres, however, is our unique approach to the interface between multilingualism and literacy. Literacy is crucially important for a person’s educational and professional career chances but its role in multilinguals is under-researched. Multilingualism provides opportunities to improve literacy in a first language which will act as a stronger foundation on which to make better progress in other languages.

“We aim to build partnerships with the private sector, develop a parallel Centre in multilingual Malaysia as part of the University’s presence there, hold training events for PhD students and public engagement events for teachers, speech and language therapists and parents of multilingual children. Ultimately, I would like the Centre to be a source of impactful research for policy makers, employers, teachers, test developers and community organisations.”

The new Centre will be based in the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, from where training sessions will be run, but activities will take place in Psychology, the Institute of Education and Applied Linguistics. Membership of the Centre will be open to staff in the Faculty of Life Sciences and the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Science.

Jeanine Treffers-Daller is herself a good example of multilingualism. She is Dutch and has lived and worked in Turkey and Germany as well as the UK. She is married to a German and her children are fluent in three languages. She joined the University of Reading 18 months ago having worked most recently in the University of the West of England as Professor of Linguistics. More about Jeanine

The Centre will be launched on 3 September prior to a British Psychological Society conference taking place at Reading that week.

 

Jeanine Treffers Daller

Tuesday, 05 March 2013 – Source: http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/staffportal/news/articles/spsn-491250.aspx

Subject Specialist in Primary Mathematics – School Direct

The University of Reading is one of just a handful of providers across the country authorised to run the new Subject Specialism in Primary (Mathematics) postgraduate route into teaching.

This new and innovative option aims to provide trainees with the capacity to teach mathematics across the primary age-range to a high standard, and to take on a leadership role in supporting other teachers in this key subject. The programme will address mathematical subject knowledge, pedagogical understanding and leadership skills to nurture a confident practitioner able to make an immediate professional impact.

While providing additional expertise in the teaching of mathematics, trainees will also receive a broad and rich preparation for teaching to ensure that they meet the full range of Teachers’ Standards. Trainees will gain experience in Early Years and Key Stage 3 settings, and will receive input and application on placement of a range of areas including child development, inclusion and safeguarding; literacy and phonics; behaviour management; and teaching and learning across the curriculum.

This programme will suit those who:

  • Have obtained at least an upper second class degree in their subject
  • Have achieved an A*-C in A-level mathematics or equivalent
  • Enjoy mathematics and want to share that enjoyment with children and other adults within a primary school setting
  • Want to take a school-based route into teaching

Those enrolling who have at least a B in A-level mathematics will receive an additional £2000 bursary.

Two modules required for this route are at postgraduate level and could contribute subsequently to the requirements of a Masters programme.

The mathematics team at the Institute of Education offer a wide range of skills and experience. With substantial subject knowledge, active research interests, experience of teaching in England and abroad, and knowledge of local and national policy making, the team are ideally placed to support you in becoming a much sought-after mathematics specialist.

See more: http://www.reading.ac.uk/education/pg-taught/ioe-SchoolDirectPrimaryMaths.aspx

Learn to teach – Secondary Computer Science!

You can now learn to teach Secondary Computer Science at the Institution of Education.  There are a number of options so if you are interested please view our website:

Secondary Initial Teacher Traininghttp://www.reading.ac.uk/education/pg-taught/ioe-secondaryITT.aspx

Secondary Computer Sciencehttp://www.reading.ac.uk/education/pg-taught/ioe-secondarycs.aspx

Keep posted! Follow us:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ioereading

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UniRdg_IoE

 

 

Institute of Education Student Research. Issue 1 | Spring 2013

Introduction

As a school in a research intensive university the Institute of Education is committed to enabling our students to learn through and about research, enquiry and professional scholarship. This newsletter highlights just a few of the ways in which research is integrated into the curriculum on our programmes and some of the enhancement activities with which we are involved.

Click here to read more: Student-Research-Newsletter Issue 1, Spring 2013