We Need to Talk

Posting about gender issues and Yik Yak from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world. http://inallthings.org/we-need-to-talk

We need to talk about… differentiation

Differentiation has been one of the main teaching strategies used to support inclusion in the classroom when teaching a diverse class of pupils who vary in ability and needs. In England, the Teachers’ Standards 5 (DFE, 2021) is clear that teachers need to ‘know when and how to differentiate appropriately, using approaches which enable pupils to be taught effectively’ (p.11). This aim is challenging, as differentiation is a complex and a broad teaching approach that incorporates many practices to improve inclusion. It involves a multitude of professional decisions that the teacher must make during a lesson. This article will explore differentiation, the misconceptions associated with it, and classroom practices to support differentiation

We need to talk about teaching

This paper explores the current context of university teaching in relation to socio-cultural influences. It considers the influences of perfomativity and the impact of a range of initiatives designed to improve learning and teaching in higher education. It identifies a range of issues with the way teaching is perceived and managed and the negative effect this is having on the professional learning of academic staff and opportunities for developing creative approaches to teaching in the disciplines. Leadership of teaching is identified as a significant area for growth in disciplines and the important role of academic staff in disrupting the current narrative is emphasised.Final Published versio

We need to talk – a meander

Dr Ian Fraser reminds us, that despite modern cultural assumptions to the contrary, the Book of Genesis states that human beings are expressly forbidden ‘to work their own will on the world’. We are to fulfil God’s will, not ours, for the development of the world. On the basis of Genesis, he argues, human beings are not simply to subdue the Earth, but to take care of it and cultivate it. This cherishing of the Earth and its living beings is, therefore, our human responsibility. Referring to the development of the universe, Fraser explores the meaning of ‘creation’, and argues for the importance of dialogue between the disciplines. He returns to the text of the first chapters of Genesis which presages the history contained in the Old and New Testaments and concludes by offering a further five cosmological points for further consideration.Publisher PD

We need to talk about Europe

Last week Counterpoint released the short film We need to talk about Europe on the risks of populism in Europe. The film is part of our project Recapturing Europe’s Reluctant Radicals, a combination of quantitative and qualitative research aimed at identifying the different layers of support for populist parties across Europe. The project has challenged the common assumption that support for populist parties comes exclusively from those considered the ‘usual suspects’ – male voters who tend to be young and unemployed and who have openly racist views. Instead, we argue that the vote for populist parties has increased over the last decade as a result of the support of other groups within the electorate who find populist parties attractive. These groups of voters can and should be brought back to the fold

We need to talk about MOOCs

The panel explored the concept of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and how they may impact on the provision of courses in Information Technology programmes. There were four panel members who explored # The experience of a learner in a MOOC # The experiences of a MOOC presenter # How MOOCs will impact at Head Of School / Strategic Management Level # Badging / credentialing and mass-customisation This was followed by a question and answer session

We need to talk about conferences

As conference season rolls to an end, Dallas O’Dell reflects on how we can reduce the costs associated with attending academic conferences to adopt a people- and planet-friendly approach

We Need to Talk about Cultural Studies

A review of Graeme Turner, What’s Become of Cultural Studies (Sage, London, 2012) and Lawrence Grossberg, Cultural Studies in the Future Tense (Duke University Press, Durham, 2010)