Posts by Mark Taylor
192: Just Like Us with Dominic Arnall
Just Like Us is the charity for LGBT+ young people. Their mission is to empower LGBT+ young people to make education more inclusive, and they work directly with educators at all types of schools.
It was founded five years ago for a simple reason: growing up LGBT+ is still unacceptably tough. You can book a school talk (these are taking place online currently, including with pupils at home) and get involved with their Pride Groups programme.
Don’t forget to sign up to School Diversity Week, which is the annual celebration of LGBT+ inclusion and takes place every summer.
Twitter and Instagram: @JustLikeUsUK
Resource mentioned
Magnetic Field – I thought you were my boyfriend
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Xientifica SOS, written by Daniel Phelps, is a unique children’s adventure for young people aged 8-12–adult. It’s ‘Where science meets adventure’. It’s not a science book, it is a children’s adventure novel which has science in it.’
Xientifica SOS provides a perfect platform for discussions and encourages children to ask questions, so is not only ideal for lone-reading or as a class book, but perfect for home schooling too.
Xientifica SOS can be bought on Amazon and is available on Kindle or in paperback
Go to Amazon – or to find out more (and listen to extracts from the book) – go to Xientifica.com (with an X)…X I E N T I F I C A
Homepage: https://xientifica.com/
Twitter @xientifica
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The National Association for Primary Education speaks for young children and all who live and work with them. Get a FREE e-copy of their professional journal at nape.org.uk/journal
Towards a balanced and broadly-based curriculum
On 8th March 2021 the National Association for Primary Education held their annual Schiller Lecture presented by Dr. Tony Eaude. Due to the pandemic this was the first time it was held virtually and the recording is available for you here.
191: Connecting people
This solo episode with Mark Taylor is a catch up about what is going on within Education on Fire.
We have some shoutouts to listeners who have got in touch and give details of the free resources available at EducationOnFire.com
If you would like to support the Education on Fire GoFundMe campaign to create a valuable resource for our children based on the wisdom of our inspiring guests please click below.
https://uk.gofundme.com/f/education-on-fire-book-fundraiser
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Xientifica SOS, written by Daniel Phelps, is a unique children’s adventure for young people aged 8-12–adult. It’s ‘Where science meets adventure’. It’s not a science book, it is a children’s adventure novel which has science in it.’
Five pupils (each with particular gifts) are thrust into a fight for survival and exploration that opens up the beauty and wonder of nature, science and the universe.
Xientifica SOS inspires children to look at the world with fresh eyes and curious minds. Riddled with riddles and poetry! It uses the Power of Narrative to help understand concepts deeply and remember facts.
Children learn best whenever they are interested in something and enjoying themselves. This book does just that. It offers a new creative vehicle, to add to the Teaching and Learning toolbox and creates a relaxed and enjoyable learning environment – perfect at any time – but especially now.
Xientifica SOS provides a perfect platform for discussions and encourages children to ask questions, so is not only ideal for lone-reading or as a class book, but perfect for home schooling too.
Xientifica SOS can be bought on Amazon and is available on Kindle or in paperback
Go to Amazon – or to find out more (and listen to extracts from the book) – go to Xientifica.com (with an X)…X I E N T I F I C A
Homepage: https://xientifica.com/
Twitter @xientifica
Who are you? with Penny Borkett – NAPE 063
Mark Taylor (Vice Chair of National Association for Primary Education) talks to Penny Borkett. Penny wrote an article for the Primary First Journal issue 29 entitled:
Who are you? – The importance of building identity in the early years and the place of culture within this.
Penny has spent many years working as a teaching assistant in a variety of schools. She decided to study as a mature student for a degree which focused on children in the early years. After completing that degree she decided to continue studying and completed her MA. At the time she was working as a Portage worker in a Children’s Centre in a multi-cultural area so became very interested in inclusion and working with communities from other parts of the world.
She then worked for a while as a Children’s Centre Co-ordinator before moving to Sheffield Hallam University to teach.
Penny’s book Cultural Diversity and Inclusion in Early Years Education reveals how cultural diversity can be celebrated in every early years setting. Acknowledging the impact of culture on a child’s development and identity, the book demonstrates the need for practitioners to appreciate cultural difference, value diversity and ensure inclusive practices.
Alongside comprehensive discussion of current and historical policy relating to multiculturalism and relevant sociocultural theory, the book provides practical guidance and resources to support practitioners in responding to the challenges of working with families and children from diverse cultural backgrounds. Chapters focus on topics such as:
- policy and the role of the practitioner
- sociocultural theories relating to child development
- building working relationships with families
- the impact of culture on a child’s identity
- enabling environments and inclusive strategies.
Including case studies, reflective questions and suggestions for further reading and research, this essential book will help early years practitioners and students to embrace the varied cultural heritages of the children in their care.
National Association for Primary Education publish a professional journal called Primary First 3 times a year. It is FREE to NAPE members or can be purchased for £5 from the National Office.
NAPE are creating a series of podcasts from Primary First contributors to hear from the people and organisations behind the written word.
If you would like read a past issue of the Primary First journal you can receive a FREE e-copy by visiting nape.org.uk/journal
To purchase issue 29 and read Penny’s article please contact https://nape.org.uk/
190: Junior Authors Program with Susie Harder
Susie Harder, M.A., CCC-SLP is an experienced clinician who devotes much of her passion to working with children who stutter. She works in private practice and the school setting to help support children and provides workshops and consulting-based support to school districts across California. She recently created the Junior Authors Program (a revolutionary literacy-based platform).
Susie has a history of designing and building successful programs. During her time in Fresno Unified School District (2011-2015), Susie designed and piloted a framework for 100 elementary schools, where specialty services successfully reduced student speech therapy time up to 5 years.
Most recently (2020), when the Central California Creek Fire started and children from her hometown lost their homes, Susie started brainstorming how to best support these kids. When she couldn’t find enough resources, she simply decided to create it. Within a week, she had written a children’s book themed around what these kids had just experienced, found an editor, taken a course on children’s books, and started looking internationally to find the best illustrator.
Her child- development skills guided her toward sharing this inspirational knowledge with kids. Thus, she created a unique platform to reinvent how children connect with literacy and books. Through the Junior Authors Program, children across the world vote to decide characters, setting, and story details of a book as it’s being created. Children get to see behind-the-scenes and connect with her through fun video posts and “Ask The Author Live” events, and are empowered by contributing to the content of the book from rough draft to published book on Amazon!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juniorauthorsprogram
If you would like to support the Education on Fire GoFundMe campaign to create a valuable resource for our children based on the wisdom of our inspiring guests please click below.
https://uk.gofundme.com/f/education-on-fire-book-fundraiser
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The National Association for Primary Education has an online conference on 8th March 2021 entitled:
TOWARDS A BALANCED AND BROADLY-BASED CURRICULUM
Virtual Conference – Monday 8th March 2021, 4.15pm-6.45pm
The Conference, embracing a theme which has always been central to debate about children’s entitlements, has been highlighted by OfSTED as critical in curriculum development and its central importance has been further accentuated by the pressures under which primary schools are working in the post-lockdown phase as they prioritise what is perceived as essential in educational recovery.
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on children’s education may be perceived as a justification for narrowing the curriculum at the expense of the arts and the humanities, but this conference will explore the case for preserving young children’s entitlement to as rich and diverse a curriculum as possible. Dr. Eaude’s keynote lecture will set the scene, highlighting some key issues and considering some lessons to be learnt from the period of lockdown. The subsequent presentations will focus on classroom practice, providing a spotlight on innovations which have been implemented in school and offering guidance for the future.
All are most welcome at this event, including teachers, teacher assistants, governors and students and it’s our hope that the conference will play its part in bringing together a range of stakeholders in primary education, all with a commitment to enhancing children’s entitlement to a balanced and broadly-based curriculum.
To book or find out more https://nape.org.uk/conference
BOOKING CLOSES THURSDAY 4th March