*I originally created these posts for the micro-blogging education site Staffrm, which shut down mid-2017. I wanted to re-share these early forays into the blogging world but have not edited any of these posts from their original form. *
#educationresearch Over the past few month, primarily through my experiences on Twitter (@educatingholmes), I have become increasingly interested in the role research has to play in education and the extent to which teachers can be active and engaged leaders of research rather than passive practitioners who have research ‘done to them’. Last Thursday I had the privilege of attending my first @researchED1 event (www.workingoutwhatworks.com), hosted by the London Connected Learning Centre. The event was aimed as a ‘starting point for schools and educators who want to find out what they can do, and how they can get involved’ with a short programme of speakers delivering a taste of how to get involved. Whilst much of the event was aimed at a school leadership level, centred on how your school as a whole can become more research engaged, there was much to whet the appetite of the classroom teacher. Time will continue to be perhaps the biggest constraint on teachers’ ability to engage in research but the first step on any path will be the most difficult. Whether it’s picking up a book (my Amazon wish list is filled to the brim with recommendations), taking part in more twitter discussions or attending conferences to start finding out what really does work; I know I want to become more research engaged. Oliver Quinlan (@oliverquinlan) has blogged some excellent summaries of the four main speakers for the day which you can read here: Carl Hendrick (@C_Hendrick): http://www.oliverquinlan.com/liveblogs/?p=1148 Jon Brunskill (@jon_brunskill): http://www.oliverquinlan.com/liveblogs/?p=1150 Kate Atkins (@kateatkins33): http://www.oliverquinlan.com/liveblogs/?p=1152 Matt Walker (@TheNFER): http://www.oliverquinlan.com/liveblogs/?p=1154 If you have the time, I’d thoroughly recommend watching the talks in full yourself: https://plus.google.com/events/cmsg2gghm4topvqsunpn6d3ichc. My thanks go to all the speakers above, plus organisers @tombennett71 and @s_horrox. In particular I must thank Jon Brunskill, who is proving you don’t have to have been a teacher for decades to become research engaged. Key questions that stick out in my mind from the event:
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*I originally created these posts for the micro-blogging education site Staffrm, which shut down mid-2017. I wanted to re-share these early forays into the blogging world but have not edited any of these posts from their original form. *
As part of the Teach First programme we are encouraged to take part in a Summer Project. It was here that I first heard about LRTT – Limited Resources Teacher Training (http://lrtt.org/) – an organisation dedicated to sustainable teacher training in disadvantaged countries across the world. I’ve always enjoyed travel and working abroad and liked LRTT’s message. Thankfully I was lucky enough to be accepted as one of their fellows so this summer I’ll be spending three and a half weeks with a group of likeminded teachers in Guyana. I’ve only been in the profession a year (actually a little less – but I’ll have completed my first year in the baptism of fire that is a training teacher by the time I jet off to Guyana) so am still pretty fresh – a status that has benefits (read the usual proclamations about youth and enthusiasm) and drawbacks (read relative inexperience). Throughout my first year teaching though I’ve learnt more than I could have imagined. Looking back at the start of the year I wonder what on earth I was doing, and am sure I’ll do the same again in another 12 months. With any luck I can share some of the nuggets I’ve learnt this year to make other teacher’s practise that little bit better whilst learning a few gems myself. Teacher training is normally the purview of older, more experienced staff in the education community so the opportunity to be involved at this early stage in my career is exciting! We’re privileged to have strong Initial Teacher Training programmes here in the UK, and yes I know they’re not perfect (an issue which is well addressed by Debra Kidd in her book Notes from the Front Line – a book I am yet to read but have read some fascinating extracts from), but it’s a better offer than a lot of other countries across the world. My own PGCE is (or more specifically, will come from) the University of Nottingham, some of my teaching education was delivered through Teach First, much of it through CPD at my own school and I continue to learn through twitter, blogs and the Staffrm. Next year I intend to embark on a Masters course to further my own practice. However, the overwhelming majority of teachers in countries such as Guyana are not nearly so lucky, hence the need for improved teacher training programmes. We’ll be giving up the large majority of our much vaunted and hallowed six weeks ‘off’ to try and do our bit to improve education globally. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not as though it’s a completely selfless act – we get to visit a fascinating new country on an exotic continent, go on some incredible trips and, hopefully, have a great time doing it. We know we’re not going in with some kind of magic wand but if we can do something to help improve the educational opportunities that are provided then surely we’re doing something worthwhile. Joining me as part of the group will be another teacher from my school, Anna Daubney, who is in her RQT year. If you would like to contribute to the cost of the programme for us to travel to Guyana then Anna and I have set up a fundraising page at: [LINK REMOVED, NO LONGER ACTIVE]. Now, how does that old saying go? ‘Teach a man to fish…’ *I originally created these posts for the micro-blogging education site Staffrm, which shut down mid-2017. I wanted to re-share these early forays into the blogging world but have not edited any of these posts from their original form. *
I've been a fan of twitter since starting my own personal count back in 2009 but only recently separated my professional tweeting (@educatingholmes) and haven’t looked back since. It was here that I first saw the countless pictures of mugs with a distinct red logo on it – I had stumbled across @Staffrm. I've been contemplating my first Staffrm post since joining a few months ago. I've enjoyed reading some fantastic posts from other Staffrm’ers and decided it was about time I contributed too. I'm generally a pretty confident guy but, just like a kid’s first day or walking into the staffroom at lunch in front of a group who've worked together for years, it can be a surprisingly nervy experience posting here for the first time so please bear with me. Currently I’m in my training year as part of the Teach First programme. Wait, I know some of you will want to stop reading now; Teach First definitely divides opinion just as any ‘new’ initiative can do (TF is just over a decade old). Some of you will have come into contact with TFers, others won’t and your opinion is likely to have been formed by the people you have come into contact with. I’m not naïve enough to assume two years into the job I’ll be the finished article. What does the ‘finished article’ even look like? I'm definitely not there yet, and I’m not sure any of my colleagues, TF or otherwise, regardless of experience would suggest they are either. What I do know is that I'm better than I was when I started back in September. I’m always willing to learn and ask questions – that’s one of the reason’s I joined the Staffrm – and hopefully I’ll be better next week than I am now. Lots of TFers I know are in a similar boat – we know we've a lot to learn and have a lot of responsibility for this stage in our career but with a bit of guidance we’re more than willing to work hard to improve and contribute as best we can to the profession we've decided to enter – however long individuals decide to stay actively teaching. Throughout the rest of the year I intend to make the most of the opportunities presented to me. I’ll be learning on the job, but then aren't we all? From the frustrations of the everyday job to the pressures of government and curriculum change, teaching can be a tough profession. Far more so than many of our friends who aren't involved in education will ever believe or understand (especially when you take those long holidays into account, right?). By expanding our community, sharing good practice and helping each other learn can go a long way to easing those pressures, which I why I joined the Staffrm. For now that’s all from me. Hopefully there are others out there who can relate to this post so please share, connect and get in touch. |
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