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BGU Academics Share Practice and Advice with Chinese Nursery Head Teachers
Last week Alison Riley – Programme Leader Early Childhood Studies (ECS) – and Mary-Louise Maynes – Senior Lecturer ECS – of Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) met with a group of Chinese Nursery Head teachers to discuss the practice and provision of Early Years Education. The visiting Heads were viewing nursery schools across the Lincoln area, exploring different options and methods of provision with the meeting at BGU offering a chance to talk informally and for the teachers to understand how Early Years education is taught. The work carried out on the ECS course at BGU facilitating the training of teachers to work in the Early Years sector was of particular interest to the delegates. With staff in their nurseries mostly untrained in education provision they were keen to find out about the different forms of training for early years professionals in the UK. With educational provision for under twos increasing in China, the Head Teachers were also very keen to hear about the work BGU does with its students to develop their understanding of the needs of young children in the 0-2 age range as encouraging this sector is an important objective for them in China. Mary-Louise Maynes was delighted with the success of the visit and excited at the prospect of further collaboration in the future: “They were full of enthusiasm for making links with BGU and we hope to create some opportunities in the future for us to share ideas about practice. At the end of the session they gave us a number of gifts made by staff and children in their nurseries which we are looking forward to sharing with our students“ You can find out more about our Early Childhood Studies degree along with our full portfolio of degrees on our website or by contacting our Enquiries Team. -
BGU Student Nominated for Place on UK Literacy Association Panel
Education Studies students at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) are getting ready to vote for their favourite new children’s book this Friday after taking part in the United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA) Book Awards Student Shadowing Award Programme. The national scheme takes place each year and offers students around the UK the chance to vote for their favourite new children’s book in a range of age group categories. The students involved have been meeting in their free time to read and discuss the shortlisted books in the 3-6 age category, with Helen Hendry, Education Studies tutor and Janice Morris, children’s librarian, One student in particular has been so involved that they have been nominated for a sponsored place at the forthcoming UKLA International conference in Cardiff. To be awarded the conference place, students must demonstrate an outstanding contribution to the shadowing process. Hayley Booth, a second year Education Studies student at BGU, used one of the shortlisted texts ‘The Night Gardener’ by the Fan brothers as a creative stimulus for teaching in a recent school placement. She also involved her Year 1/2 class in sharing all the shortlisted books. This then led to an in school book display as well as many repeated readings of ‘Oi Dog!’ by Kes and Claire Gray, which was picked out by the pupils as their favourite. Speaking on taking part in the award and building the UKLA nominated books into her teaching Hayley said: “I really enjoyed reading the nominated books and being able to use them when I was on placement to see what the children thought of them. It gave me an insight into popular picture-book authors and what I can use in future lessons when I become a teacher” We hope that Hayley will be selected by the panel to attend the three day UKLA conference and get to meet the authors and illustrators in person in July. You can find more information on all our course, including Education Studies, on our website or by contacting our Enquiries Team. -
Bishop Grosseteste University Nominated for Lincolnshire Technology & Innovation Award
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) has been nominated for the ‘Innovation in Education’ award at the 2018 Lincolnshire Technology & Innovation Awards. The awards, held on 7 June, recognise, celebrate and reward Lincolnshire’s use of innovation and creative technology, raising the profile of innovators and tech communities across the county. BGU’s nomination is a result of the exciting and innovative steps being taken by the University’s Business and Enterprise team who have adopted a ‘heutagogical’ (or ‘learning by doing’) approach to learning on the BA Business (Team Entrepreneurship) course. This approach, inspired by the Finnish Tiimiakatemia, or Team Academy, methodology requires students to work together as a team, establish a limited company and then deliver live commercial projects. They synthesise their personal learning journey by researching appropriate theory in line with their immediate requirements as an alternative to the more common reliance on lecture-style delivery. By utilising this approach, the assignments produced by students are highly individual and give a deeper insight of ‘journey travelled’ with regard to learning, providing students with a far greater level of agency and control of their projects and their learning. Chris Jackson, Team Coach and part of the Business and Enterprise team at BGU, was delighted to see the commitment made by BGU recognised: “BGU adopting the ‘learning by doing’ approach to learning is innovative and not in line with traditional Higher Education teaching methods. It demonstrates great foresight by BGU, who as leaders in Teacher Education demonstrate that we are willing to embrace new thinking and practice in education in response to a rapidly changing world.” You can find out more information on all the innovations at BGU, including our Business and Team Entrepreneurship courses on our website or by contacting our Enquiries Team. -
BGU International partnership continue to forge connections in China
This week, Wayne Dyble (International Manager) and Dr Steven Puttick (Head of Programmes for Secondary, FE, and Research Education in the School of Teacher Development) from Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) travelled to China to build on the Institution’s international partnerships. The visit centred on time with colleagues at Chongqing University of Education (school.cuecc.com/chongqing/cque). Located in the South West of China, Chongqing is an exciting city known as the Mountain City, the Misty City, and the City of Lights. It has experienced rapid growth, and the central area alone hosts a population greater than London. The latest trip by Dr Puttick and Wayne Dyble comes after colleagues from the Chongqing University of Education’s school of Teacher Development visited BGU last year. Dr Puttick was pleased to see the partnership not only solidifying, but growing in strength: “It is very exciting to see this partnership flourishing, and we are grateful for the generous hospitality extended to us by CQUE colleagues. We have many shared interests in teacher development and TESOL, and there is a great deal we can learn from each other. We are looking forward to realising our joint ambitions to enhance and internationalise student experience and research through collaboration.” International manager Wayne Dyble was also delighted to see BGU’s reputation further expanding across the region: “Partnerships are key to BGU’s growing international reputation, and we now have well-established relationships with Chongqing University of Education. We are delighted to have made excellent progress on this visit, including agreeing an exciting programme of student exchange which will provide some outstanding opportunities, and enrich the diversity and international outlook of our students and institutions.” BGU have a global outlook on education, and our courses offer unprecedented opportunities to Teach & Travel. You can find more information about all of these, including our BA and MA Courses in TESOL as well as our GREAT scholarship opportunities on our website, or by contacting our Enquiries Team. -
BGU Students Present to National Teaching Conference
Second year Primary Education students from Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) shared their research into 21st Century Digital Literacies at the Annual TEAN (Teacher Education Advancement Network) Conference in Birmingham earlier this month. Led by Senior Lecturer Emma Rogers the students – Charlotte Hallam, Fiona Sanderson, Millie Holland, Christina Flynn, Ellie Marshall and Amelia Challen – presented their collaborative study to a engrossed audience of academics and professionals from Higher Education institutions across the United Kingdom. Their project, funded by the Learning and Teaching Innovation Fund from BGU’s CELT Team, involved 3 Primary classrooms where students and pupils experienced collaborating within a digital space. Their confident presentation was not only well received by the delegates but also a fantastic opportunity for the students (alongside other BGU colleagues) to demonstrate their innovative research skills to the wider Higher Education industry. Emma Rogers was keen to champion their achievements: "It was a great opportunity for the students to present to other universities and they really rose to the challenge. “They represented our University with professionalism and confidence. A wide range of universities were represented at the TEAN conference, with lecturers from around the country sharing their research and developments. “BGU was very well represented with a number of colleagues from the Primary team delivering workshops." The Teacher Education Advancement Network (TEAN) is a collaborative initiative for teacher education providers and associated organisations that strives to improve the quality of teacher training available across the four countries of the UK. BGU is dedicated to bringing cutting edge and innovative research to the Higher Education sector. If you are interested in becoming a part of that drive, contact our Enquiries Team or visit our website today to discover fascinating new opportunities. -
Nightmare Creatures to Haunt BGU at 2018 Monster Conference
There is something alluring about monsters. From the dark corners of our imaginations to books and films they terrify and fascinate us in equal measure. But where did this cultural obsession begin and why has it continued for so long? For many the answers lie with Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ and this June the Monster Conference will seek to examine the legacy of Shelley’s classic work as well as how the Monstrous continues to capture our imaginations. Hosted by Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) in Lincoln the interdisciplinary conference approaches Monsters and the Monstrous through the contexts of Education, History, Literature and Society, including panels on Monsters in Literature written for Children and Dramatic Adaptations as well as Architecture, Science & Technology and Art. Monstrosity and the Monstrous apply, in the first instance, to social and cultural threats; i.e. to behaviours and (visual) qualities which are deemed socially and culturally unacceptable because they are perceived as amoral or unimaginable. The conference will explore the relevance of these concepts and to see how academic research intersects with popular culture. Through its keynotes and panel discussions, this conference wants to further engagement with the different incarnations of Monsters in contemporary research and teaching. The conference will include a screening of the award winning monster movie ‘The Host’ (2006) by the acclaimed South Korean director Joon-ho Bong, as well as a Monster Story Telling Competition, which will involve BGU students. BGU regularly hosts conferences that are open to all who’d like to attend, you can find more information about the exciting events coming up on our Events Page. -
BGU Academics Visit Unique School to See an Alternative Way of Learning
Last week academics from the School of Teacher Development and the School of Social Sciences at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) visited the Michaela Community School in London to experience their unique pedagogical approach first-hand. The Michaela Community School is a free school dedicated to turning their students into engaged and informed citizens through a focus on traditional academic subjects along with social and etiquette skills. This singular approach has made it well-known in education circles and in the media as well as an excellent case study opportunity for the BGU academics involved in our BA Education Studies and MA in Education courses. Dr Abigail Parrish, Dr Yvonne Hill and Jean Wood from the School of Teacher Development along with Dr Helen Hendry and Dr Adam Hounslow-Eyre from the School of Social Sciences enjoyed a guided tour of the school, before joining in with lessons to see its teaching methods in action. They also took the opportunity to join the staff and students for their ‘family lunch’ which aims to teach the pupils the art of fine dining along with conversation skills. For Dr Parrish, it was a fascinating experience: “As teachers of future educators it’s really important to us that we gain as much experience of different teaching methods as possible. We saw a lot of unique practice that isn’t happening in any other schools and it offered us a new starting point for critical analysis and debate about current pedagogical approaches as part of Undergraduate and Postgraduate teaching.” Dr Hill added: “Visiting Michaela community school was in many ways an eye-opening lesson about the development of free schools and the contribution that education may make to social mobility in England.” Our academics are dedicated to ensuring all our courses are supported by cutting edge knowledge and research to provide first class education to our students. You can find out more about all our courses have to offer on our website. -
BGU degree course leading the battle against assignment cheats
The use by students of essay and assignment writing companies has hit the headlines once again with a number of YouTube vloggers coming under fire for endorsing academic cheating. A BBC Trending investigation discovered over 1000 videos encouraging students to save themselves time and effort by paying online services to complete written assignments and presentations on their behalf. YouTube has since removed the videos but the investigation still highlights not only how widespread the practice has become but also the battle faced by universities to ensure that the work submitted by students is their own. To help combat the problem, a number of the degree programmes at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) have begun to evolve new assessment methods, as Senior Lecturer Chris Jackson explains: “The use of assignment writing services can be an issue when assessment relies on written assignments which are not necessarily contextualised to the learners own life or direct experience, relying predominantly on hypothetical or theoretical argument. The approach to learning which BGU has adopted in its BA (Hons) Business (Team Entrepreneurship) degree programme offers an interesting alternative to the reliance on theoretical critique. On this course, assessments are both practical and written, requiring students to synthesise their personal learning journey with appropriate theory and/or resource. In this way, the evidence each student produces is highly individual and it would be extremely difficult for an unrelated third party to be able to fulfil the requirements of the assignment brief. BGU are one of seven universities in the UK who have adopted the Finnish Tiimiakatemia, or Team Academy, methodology of “learning by doing” in the field of business education. Although this method of assessment cannot be used as a panacea to the issue - nor is it appropriate in every situation - it raises the question of how appropriate current assessment methods are and to what extent they evidence personal learning. The use of assignment writing services, though not illegal, is expressly forbidden at BGU. If any of our students are struggling with their assignments or workload we would encourage them to seek support from our Student Advice Team who will be able to help them get back on top of things. You can find more information on our Business (Team Entrepreneurship) course, as well as our full portfolio of degrees on our website. -
BGU PhD Candidate Launches New Book for Early Years Professionals
On Monday we celebrated the launch of BGU PhD student Jo Cormack’s new book: ‘Helping Children Develop a Positive Relationship with Food’ for Jessica Kingsely Publishers. The book is designed to be a practical guide for those working with young children to better understand, manage and support children’s relationship with food. Revealing the different ways in which children can relate to food, the book aims to provide those around them with evidence based good practices to help them develop psychologically healthy eating habits. It also tackles issues such as picky eating, obesity and food anxiety. Having worked as a child and adolescent therapist (including with young people with eating disorders) and more recently, as a feeding consultant specialising in picky eating, Jo understands both the importance and the complexity of the discussions surrounding positive attitudes to food: "My work is all about the emotional and behavioural dynamics in eating. I am passionate about helping both parents and professionals understand how to support and nurture children's relationship with food. It is an extremely rewarding area." As a full time PhD candidate at BGU, Jo has built her writing around her studies, but her personal and professional curiosity has made balancing and driving her research an engaging challenge: “I love it at BGU. It’s such a privilege to have time and resources to complete my research.” Jo’s book launch formed part of a packed afternoon with an interactive research seminar alongside Dr Tony Eaude who discussed the complexity of primary teaching, covered in his new book ‘Developing the Expertise of Primary and Elementary Classroom Teachers’. You can find more information on BGU’s Education and Doctorate programmes on our website. -
BGU travels to the Czech Republic
Three members of staff from Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) are in the Czech Republic this week for a series of meetings and visits. Clare Davey, International Administrator, Dr Smaragda Kampouri, Programme Leader in TESOL & Linguistics and Dr Maria Efstratopoulou, Senior Lecturer in Special Educational Needs & Inclusion, are visiting partner institution Mazaryk University during their visit to the Czech Republic. Meetings will be taking place with Mazaryk University’s Faculty of Education, sharing good practice on systems of teaching practice and professional competencies of student teachers. Clare will be meeting with the University’s International Office, sharing ideas and their functions within the University, as well as collating information for BGU students who wish to undertake an Erasmus Study Programme. School visits will include a mainstream primary school and an inclusive primary school with a high percentage of Roma children. Maria will also be teaching two workshops to PhD students on Research methods in Education. Find out more about studying at BGU.
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