Month: November 2015

After an extremely successful conference last March, the University of Reading is hosting its second  Early Years conference on 2 March 2016. The Institute of Education is delighted to be presenting this specially designed conference for those working with Early Years children.

TICKETS FOR EYFS CONFERENCE 2016 (see below for full details)

This year’s conference will see us turning our attention to how to build resilience in the adults. We will be focusing on  ensuring they feel confident in all they do. Delegates should go away feeling reinvigorated and refreshed.

The programme will include a keynote speech and six workshops. There will be opportunities to network and browse the market. To tempt you, here is some feedback from last year:

‘The day was thought provoking, inspiring, great resources, friendly teachers’                                 

‘I liked the mixture of keynote speech + workshops, and the opportunity to share ideas and network’                                               

‘The talk was inspiring, the workshops were useful, all great ideas’.

Focusing on the adult: building resilience and confidence

Institute of Education, University of Reading, London Road campus

Wednesday 2 March 2016 from 9.30am- 3.00pm

PROGRAMME

9.00 Refreshments, networking, workshop sign-up and welcome

9.30 Introduction

9.45 Keynote speech – Focusing on the adult: building resilience and confidence

10.45 Break

11.15 Workshops*

12.30 Lunch with discussion group (bookshop)

1. 30 Workshops* (repeated sessions from morning)

2.45 Evaluation

3.00 End – you are welcome to stay and mingle with other delegates.

*The same six 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 on-line by credit/debit card: TICKETS FOR EYFS CONFERENCE 2016

£120 if you require an invoice

education-events@reading.ac.uk

This autumn saw the University of Reading presenting its annual children’s poetry competition in honour of the brilliant educationalist Raymond Wilson (1925-1995), former Emeritus Professor of Education at the University. Sam Hazle, who is on the School Direct Primary programme with the Institute of Education, won the competition with his delightfully tongue in cheek poem; “How to turn your dog into a dinosaur”.

Judged by a discerning panel consisting of primary school children, an academic and a poet, the prize poem closely examines the dog-osaur transition. In a nod to health and safety, the first lines contain this brisk warning:

“This one’s a fun one but you have to get it right
If you don’t follow my instructions you’ll get an awful fright.”

The poem then goes on to explain the dino-evolution:

“Then we’ll need some spikes as all good dinos do
Use ice cream cones and tape them on or you can always use some glue”

The goofy charm and warmth of Sam’s poem was a hit with the distinguished judges. Comments from the younger ones included:

“It is comical.”

“They are like real instructions.”

“It rhymes and almost has a tune.”

“It’s playful, younger children than year 6 might like it too.”

Alongside their primary school collaborators were two other notable judges; Stephanie Sharp, BA Education (English) Course Leader at Reading’s Institute of Education and James Carter, the award-winning children’s poet, guitarist and writer-in-schools.

Stephanie Sharp said: “It is fitting that pupils from a local primary school chose this winning entry from our final selection and the children were thrilled to be working alongside the University as well as a real poet. This is a lively poem which would work very well as a piece of performance poetry. It is important that we celebrate poetry making, so many congratulations Sam.”

Sam’s prize poem is in the Raymond Wilson tradition of education, inclusion and humanity. Wilson was an exceptional educationalist, as well as an inspired 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.

Sam’s prize winning poem:

How to turn your dog into a dinosaur

This one’s a fun one but you have to get it right

If you don’t follow my instructions you’ll get an awful fright

First you need a dog, this part is vital

But I’m sure you guessed that, just look up at the title

Next get some paint, green is what I recommend

It’s a much more dinosaur colour and keeps up with the trend

Find the biggest paintbrush, cover the whole dog in green

Make sure you put a blanket down to keep the carpet clean

Then we’ll need some spikes as all good dinos do

Use ice-cream cones and tape them on or you can always use some glue

Now your dino dog should be starting to transform

You’ll need a roar, so that then your animal can perform

Depending on the dog the growl and roar will vary

But each animal’s noise is so unique, we just need to make it scary

If the roar is too quiet then you need to change this quick

Attach a microphone to its collar and that should do the trick

Now you should have a dogasaurus of your very own

Take him with you everywhere and you’ll never be alone

 

 

The Institute of Education will be taking part in Bracknell Forest Partnership’s Get into Teaching Information Evening on 14 December 2015, 6:00 – 8:00pm. Visit us there and ask all your questions about any aspects of the many routes into teaching.

Venue: Garth Hill College, Bull Lane, Bracknell, RG42 2AD

Further information: Bracknellforestschooldirect.co.uk

Further information on getting into teaching: schooldirect@reading.ac.uk 

Telephone: +44 (0) 118 378 2601

We had some lovely visitors in the Institute of Education’s, London Road Campus, Learning Hub on Thursday 12^th November, which was very kindly sponsored by the Specialkidz educational & social enterprise charity. Some furry (and non-furry!) friends from Guide Dogs came to raise awareness of mobility services for people who are blind or partially sighted in the UK.

Also, we hoped that it would support well-being throughout the University of Reading and the date was specifically chosen as it was a key time in the academic year; some students were handing in assignments, which can be stressful. Hopefully the Guide Dogs would relieve the stress that some students might encounter when completing course work. The feedback certainly seemed to suggest the session helped.

Karen Goulding, Director of The Learning Hub conducted a small research survey; students who were handing in their assignments were asked to complete a very short feedback sheet before and after they entered The Hub. The results were interesting; before entering the event most students were excited or happy but one was nervous and three were scared, this could have been for a variety of reasons. The same students, upon leaving felt thoughtful, excited but mostly happy; none were scared or nervous.

Karen Goulding, Director of The Learning Hub response was, “All the hard work and organisation was worth the effort to see so many happy faces on a day that is sometimes rather stressful and it would be interesting to complete the same short survey to see what the results would be on another assignment hand in, but without the presence of the Guide Dogs, I think they made a wonderful difference to general wellbeing, which is such a relevant topic at the moment.”

Throughout the event Institute of Education staff, students and visitors played with the dogs, talked to their trainers and owners and took part in activities to learn more about what it is like to be blind or visually impaired.

Dr Cathy Tissot Head of the Institute of Education said, “What a great opportunity for our students to meet the Guide Dogs and individuals that work with, and are supported by them.  It really gave students and staff the chance to have a limited experience of visual impairment and speak with those affected by it.  What a wonderful day and we hope to be able to invite the Guide Dogs back next year.”

The response and feedback arising from the event was amazing. One member of staff wrote: “This has been, without any doubt, absolutely the best morning at work ever – the dogs were beautiful, their owners/trainers really interesting and the visually-impaired activities a revelation. Thank you so much for organising this – please can this become a regular event? Do you want any volunteers?!”

Ken Carter who is the Chair & founded Specialkidz , was delighted to be involved in sponsoring this highly successful educational awareness event on a university campus of learning; and was really pleased that so many students and staff came along to support “Guide Dogs” and also learn something about the work of Specialkidz” .

The next day, Robert Macleay from Guide Dogs emailed with wonderful news; “Feedback from staff and volunteers has been great. They all really enjoyed the morning and said everyone was very welcoming. The students were very engaging and wanted to ask questions rather than just meet the dogs, which was fantastic! All in all the day will have raised around £650, from donations, which is excellent.”

It was a fabulous day, enjoyed by all who came. We hope to see the Guide Dogs team back on campus again soon!

Sensations! is the culmination of a nine week musical collaboration between our fantastic BA Ed (Music) students and Younger People with Dementia. Created by Turtle Key Arts, Sensations! is a sharing performance for “Turtle Song”, a concept created by Turtle Key Arts to bring music, movement and singing to people with dementia.

Turtle Song encourages artistic and social interaction, a positive outlook through an enjoyable and shared activity and gives the brain and body a bit of stimulating exercise. It also helps to enhance the professional development of the music students who take part in the project.

Alice Breary, one of our BA Ed (Music) cohort, who participated in the scheme said: “When the idea of the project was first put to us, I was unsure if it was something I wanted to do- a close family friend of ours has been a sufferer so it was very close to home but I am so glad that I have been involved: seeing everyone coming out of themselves through music has been such a touching and rewarding experience and I think the benefits of this project are very obvious when you see the performances!” 

Everyone involved in this fulfilling and entertaining project met once a week for ten weeks, and with the help of our music students, wrote lyrics and composed music for their own song cycle, ending in this live performance for friends and family on 4^th December in our Great Hall.

Since the first Turtle Song at the Royal College of Music, London in 2008 it has been introduced in Cambridge, Wolverhampton, Dulwich, Suffolk, Oxford, Stockton-on-Tees, Leeds, Norwich, Croydon, Reading and Newbury; there are now on average three held each year. Read more at turtlekeyarts.org.uk.

On a beautiful autumnal Saturday in November, the British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics (BSRLM) hosted its international conference among the lovely surrounds of the Institute of Education’s beautiful campus and cloisters. The 7th November conference proved a great success, with over 100 delegates travelling from universities in the UK, including Oxford, Cambridge and UCL London and abroad (Japan, Turkey and Portugal).

In his role as the executive member and conference organiser of the BSRLM, Dr. Natthapoj Vincent Trakulphadetkrai (Vince) is a strong advocate of the great value in hosting national and international conferences here at the IoE.

Referring to the recent BSRLM conference, Vince said: “We were able to foster professional networking between members of our mathematics education research community here at the IoE (both staff and postgraduate students) with key authorities in the field. We were also able to showcase some of our community’s research projects through presentations given by a number of our members of staff and to help increase the visibility of our research community at national and international levels.

 

 

“From our BSRLM database, Catherine Foley’s doctoral research presentation on girls’ perception of mathematics, for example, was the most popular at the conference in terms of having the highest number of big names in the field offering to convene her session. Finally, as the conference was hosted here locally, it was much more affordable for our staff and students to attend this type of academic event”.

Visit the BSRLM site for further information about their work.

 

 

 

The IoE and the Principal of the prestigious British School of Kuwait, Paul Shropshire are giving free sessions on how to live and teach overseas. Paul’s perspective is unique and thought-provoking.

The presentation relates to both Primary and Secondary teaching and asks: what are School leaders looking for in an application and at interview? What do International schools have to offer?  What’s involved in doing your NQT year internationally?

3 Dec 12.45 & 5.30pm; London Road campus, building L24, room G06

Come – and bring your lunch if you like!
http://www.bsk.edu.kw